Wren

Wren was my first whippet. I fell in love with Whippets soon after I began my love affair with Greyhounds. I was attracted by their conformation and charmed by their eager, curious personalities, and knew almost immediately that eventually a Whippet would grace my life. Although I carefully researched the breed for years in hopes of finding the perfect one for me, in the end she came to me quickly and serendipitously in a time of betrayal, sadness and loss, and turned it all around. She was the silver lining on a very black cloud. As in so many cases, things worked out for the best, and the circumstances surrounding her joining my life were pivotal in my choice of a kennel name. What an incredible foundation she has proven to be!

Wren was absolutely delightful, everything I could have ever hoped for in a my first Whippet, and more: beautiful, fast, smart, super keen, bold, friendly, curious, whimsical. She adored my Greyhounds, and they were as charmed by her as I was; even Sophie, my alpha bitch who never particularly liked puppies, loved her from the moment she set foot in our house. How blessed we all were by her presense in our lives!

In the Ring…

Wren was shown sparingly in the United States, but was major pointed and won nice placements under breeder judges at numerous specialities. In Canada, she finished her championship easily with multiple group placements. The highlight of her show career was winning HIT in the morning and following up by winning WB for a major later that afternoon at the 2001 Western Washington Hound Association specialty. What an incredible day that was!

On the Track…

Though I didn’t discover racing until she was older and nearly past her competitive prime, Wren and I fell in love with the sport together. She was a keen, clean racer who particularly liked the oval and easily earned the OTR title and then her OTRM. After only two WRA meets she was just a few meet points from finishing her CR title.  She had to her credit top 10 finishes in both NOTRA and WRA. At the time I was running her, my preference was for the oval and I did very little straight racing, so she never earned her SR or even her CWA TRP.

In the Field…

Wren began her lure coursing career with a bang in the Spring of 1999, winning her full open stake her first weekend out running for 40 points and her first placement towards her ASFA field championship. A toe injury and her first season kept her off the field for much of the rest of the year, but she came back running strong and finished her field championship with two more firsts in August 2000. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride in the ASFA FCH stake, Wren had one first, something like seven seconds and close to 300 points towards her LCM when I retired her from lure coursing at age 8.

Obedience…

Wren made her competition obedience debut in August 2001, earning the first leg towards her CD and winning High in Trial at the Western Washington Hound Association all-hound specialty. She finished her CD in June 2002 with a leg each day at the Bell-Vernon Kennel Club. She was an eager, attentive worker, and was trained through open and partially through utility before I cut back my activities in competition obedience.

Wren earned her American Whippet Club Award of Versatility in 2007!

In the Whelping Box…

Wren’s first litter, sired by DC Innuendo’s Bengali of GP, CD, SRE, OTR, TRP, DPC, arrived November 22, 2003, and includes a major-pointed Best in Sweeps winner, an ARX, an LCX, an LCM, five Field Champions (an AKC Field Champion, three ASFA Field Champions, and a CKC Field Champion), and a Canadian Champion who was also pointed in ASFA, CKC coursing and NACA. See the Bird Litter page for more information.

Wren’s second litter, sired by the exciting young black CH Lightfall’s On A Raven’s Wing was born September 5, 2005. This litter contains a multi-specialty major-pointed Best in Sweeps and Specialty Best Puppy winner, a Canadian Champion, an ARX and two ASFA Field Champions. See the 2nd Bird Litter page for more information.

Here is a complete list of Wren’s offspring:

• Serendipity Sparrowhawk, FCH, OTR, CGC
• Serendipity Road Runner, ARX, CanFCH, PR
• FC Serendipity Peregrine of GP, LCX, LCM, MC, SR, OTR
• Serendipity Bird of Paradise, FCH, CGC
• CanCH Serendipity Tru Osprey, JC
• Serendipity Sanderling
• Serendipity Nighthawk, FCH, ARX, DPCX, TRPX, PR-5, SRM, OTRM-2, CGC
• CanCH Serendipity Skylark, FCH, TRPX, DPC, PR-2, SR, OTR
• Serendipity Cinnamon Teal, SC, OTR
• Serendipity Tru Karearea
• Serendipity Storm Petrel

Godspeed Wren…

Wren was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in February 2011. She had just had a very positive check-up and my vet thought she was in great shape for her age, so it was a complete surprise to me and her vet when her routine senior bloodwork revealed her disease. She lived with excellent quality of life and no symptoms until May, when she had one bad day, bounced right back for a few weeks and then went downhill very rapidly. Wren always took such good care of me, and true to form, she left me no doubt that it was time to say goodbye. Words cannot express how much I miss her. She was the start of it all for me, and I’m lucky she lives on in her children and grandchildren who bring such joy to me and their owners.