MEMORIES
After a quarter century as a breeder — and with 16 years with my own kennel — some of the dogs that have accompanied me on my own life's journey have ended theirs.
This page looks back at Renaissance hounds no longer with us who have had active show or breeding careers. Many of them also served as loving companions to families both during and after their show careers.
STONEYBLUFF MEMORIES: Click here to learn about more of the dogs I showed and cared for at the legendary Stoneybluff kennel before starting Renaissance Bassets.
Ch. Stoneybluff Spencer x Stoneybluff Danielle Verti, who passed away in December 2010 at the age of 10, was both the end of an era as well as the beginning of a new one. She was the last producing bitch carrying the Stoneybluff kennel prefix, and she was the foundation upon which Renaissance Bassets were built. While she was never keen on being a show dog, Verti more than made up for it as a mother, producing eight champions and earning the coveted Register of Merit (ROM) award from the Basset Hound Club of America. |  |
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Ch. Hobnail Stoneybluff Beecham x Stoneybluff Vertigo ROM Spot finished his Championship in Goodells, Michigan, in September 2008. He remained spry until passing away at 12 1/2 in the fall of 2016. Spot had an active life after the show ring with owners Steve and Bambi Golombisky of Davisburg, Michigan, to whom he was deeply devoted and a real character. He sired a litter, out of Parris (Ch. Renaissance Parris Island), passing on his style and winning personality to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His frozen semen was used more recenty to sire a litter out of Polly (Renaissance Spitfire). His influence on Renaissance will always be great. |
Ch. Hobnail Stoneybluff Beecham x Stoneybluff Vertigo ROM Face wowed judges with his classic style during his show career, and he passed those winning characteristics on to his offspring, including Ch. Renaissance Phantom of the Opera. Face enjoyed a long retirement at Renaissance, becoming the "elder statesman" of the dog room, and the younger dogs generally made way for him. He passed away at the age of 13 1/2 in 2017. |  |
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Ch. Hobnail Stoneybluff Beecham x Stoneybluff Vertigo ROM Monique had a brief show career, deciding that she preferred the whelping box to the show ring. Six of her children became Champions, earning her the coveted Register of Merit (ROM) award from the Basset Hound Club of America. She was opinionated and a bit bossy, so she was very happy to spend her final years sleeping on her own in the kitchen at Renaissance, where she could often get my undivided attention. |
Ch. Topsfield Circus Circus x Stoneybluff Vertigo ROM Trapeze was a Best in Specialty Show winner and multiple Best of Breed winner. She retired after taking Best of Breed at the prestigious 2008 Detroit Kennel Club show. She was the sweetest, most agreeable companion here at Renaissance, just like her father Circus, and she passed on both her beauty and her gentle personality to her son Phantom (Ch. Renaissance Phantom of the Opera). Trapeze passed away in 2018 at the age of 13. I miss her deeply. |  |
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Ch. Topsfield Circus Circus x Stoneybluff Vertigo ROM Dolly Ann finished her Championship in Orlando, Florida, in June 2009. From puppyhood, Dolly Ann was the companion of Dan and Julie Frezza of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, who generously allowed Dolly Ann to travel to shows to complete her Championship. Then she took up her role as guardian of the sofa and the garden fulltime for another half dozen years until her passing. |
Ch. Topsfield Circus Circus x Stoneybluff Vertigo ROM Woody finished his Championship in Valparaiso, Indiana, in June 2008. Woody enjoyed a decade-long retirement with Kym and Jeff Lemanski of Macomb Twp., Michigan, making an occasional return to the show ring as a veteran on exhibition at shows in Michigan, guided by the Lemanskis' daughter, Cassidy. Woody passed away in 2018 at the age of 13. |  |
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Ch. Topsfield Circus Circus x Stoneybluff Vertigo ROM Dino was a dog that, in hindsight, I wish I had made part of the program, but his life ended up bringing joy to others. He initially went to the late Heather Simonek and her Vogue kennel in California. Heather did a great job with Dino, but Dino was very much out-of-type in California, so he came back to Renaissance, finishing his Championship in November 2008 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Dino was a wonderfully sweet dog, and at the time I had no need for an additional stud dog, so he got to spend nearly a decade in retirement giving and receiving love as the companion of Cheryl Pogan of Elyria, Ohio. |
Ch. Renaissance Rembrandt x Ch. Renaissance Trapeze Phantom was my "miracle" dog, the only puppy born alive after his mother suffered complete placenta separation shortly before delivery. His distinctive elegance turned heads wherever he went, including at the 2010 Basset Hound Club of America National Specialty, where he received a placement in a very competitive 12-18 month dog class. Phantom finished his Championship in April 2014 at the Progressive Dog Club show in Birch Run, Michigan. He had the sweetest temperament, just like his mother, Trapeze, and I was fortunate to enjoy 10 years with my "miracle" before he passed away in October 2019. |
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Ch. Stoneybluff Freightliner x Stoneybluff Vertigo ROM Wheeler was one of the biggest dogs to come out of Renaissance, but his size had no effect on cheerful personality. He finished his Championship in January 2009 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He got to enjoy six years of retirement as the companion of Jill and Dan Hall of Highland, Michigan, before passing away. |
Ch. Foxglen Delta Force ROM x Renaissance Mona Lisa ROM Brick is seen here as a puppy taking a 4-point major as Winners Dog and Best of Winners at the Lincolnland Basset Hound Club specialty in Springfield, Illinois. He finished in May 2010 with another 4-point major as Winners Dog and Best of Winners at the Crawford County Kennel Club show in Bucyrus, Ohio. After retiring from the show ring, Brick enjoyed seven active years with Holly and Isaac Hook of Crawfordsville, Indiana. He passed away at age 9 1/2 from an aggressive auto-immune infection. Our condolences to Holly and Isaac. |  |
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Ch. Foxglen Delta Force ROM x Renaissance Mona Lisa ROM Parris was a lovely bitch, both in conformation and temperament. She finished her Championship in July 2012 at the Basset Hound Club of Greater Detroit specialty at Monroe, Michigan, and then whelped a litter, sired by Ch. Renaissance Van Gogh. Sadly, after successfully nursing her litter, she later developed a serious viral infection and passed away at the age of 5. She is deeply missed, and her grace and beauty is being carried on by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her influence on Renaissance can never be understated. |
Ch. Foxglen Delta Force ROM x Renaissance Mona Lisa ROM Princess, shown here at 6 months placing in Sweepstakes at the 2008 Basset Hound Club of America National Specialty show, finished her Championship in September 2010 at the Butler County Kennel Club show in Prospect, Pennsylvania. Princess passed away suddenly in August 2013. Our condolences go out to the O'Reilly family of Ann Arbor, Michigan, who adopted her after she retired. |  |
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Ch. Foxglen Delta Force ROM x Renaissance Mona Lisa ROM Dermot finished his Championship in September 2011 at the Butler County Kennel Club show in Prospect, Pennsylvania. Returning to the show ring as a Veteran (over age 7), he then finished a Grand Championship in July 2017 at the Dan Emmett Kennel Club show in Marion, Ohio. Owned by Michael Meckler of Columbus, Ohio, Dermot also competed in Rally and Obedience and became one of the few basset hounds to earn a Rally Excellent title. In his final years, he earned a Therapy Dog title visiting Alzheimer's patients, and in the show ring he took a Veteran Group placement at nearly 12 years old. He passed away on Memorial Day 2021 at age 13. |
GCH Foxglen Special Forces ROM x Ch. Renaissance Trapeze Evie was a special girl who showed tremendous promise, wowing judges across the country and needing only her majors to finish. Sadly, Evie swallowed a piece of gravel while playing with it, and the gravel lacerated her intestines. Despite heroic efforts to save her, she succumbed to infection after surgery at only 18 months old. |
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GCH Foxglen Takin It To The House x Ch. Renaissance Black Cherry Judy finished her championship in April 2019, handled by Novia Staviski at the Shawnee Kennel Club show in Stephenson, Virginia. She then went on to whelp two litters, one sired by Dozer (Renaissance Presidio) and the other sired by Frankie (Renaissance Black Hero). After her litters, she was placed in a new home but passed away suddenly in 2021. |
Ch. Foxglen Bracken Brown Beauty ROM x Renaissance Mona Lisa ROM Baby Sister finished her Championship in May 2014 at the New Castle Kennel Club show in New Castle, Pennsylvania. She then whelped a litter by GCH Foxglen Takin It To The House. Her offspring included Odin (GCH Renaissance Versailles) and Judy (Ch. Renaissance Malabar). Baby Sister spent her retirement years as a companion to Barbara and Larry Keller of Cincinnati, Ohio. She passed away at age 12 in October 2021. |  |
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GCH Foxglen Special Forces ROM x Renaissance Starry Night Polly had beautiful structure that garnered her wins as a puppy, but she just didn't have enough size to be competitive in the show ring. The whelping box ended up her focus. She whelped a litter sired by Spot (Ch. Renaissance Van Gogh) — which included Clyde (Renaissance Golden Emperor), Frankie (Renaissance Black Hero) and Auggie (Renaissance Golden Prince) — and she whelped two litters sired by Dozer (Renaissance Presidio). Polly passed away in 2022. |
Ch. Foxglen Bracken Brown Beauty ROM x Renaissance Mona Lisa ROM Reminiscent of dogs bred by some of the top breeders a generation ago, Willow finished her Championship with back-to-back Winners Bitch and Best Opposite Sex ribbons at the Medina Kennel Club and Richland County Kennel Club shows in Cleveland, Ohio, in December 2014. She then whelped a daughter, Panda (Renaissance Normandy RN), by Gavin (Renaissance Arnhem). Willow enjoyed a long retirement as the companion of Steve and Susan Reeser of Columbus, Ohio, before passing away at age 12 in 2022. |  |
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Ch. Renaissance Van Gogh x Ch. Renaissance Parris Island Madam was an excellent example of the classic, elegant basset hound. Her show career, however, was "always the bridesmaid" when it came to getting that final major to earn her championship. Several handlers tried, but Holly Hook finally succeeded in showing Madam to that championship at the Berrien Kennel Club show in Marshall, Michigan, in August 2019. Madam then spent three years as the greeter at Holly and Isaac Hook's The Queen and I bed-and-breakfast in Crawfordsville, Indiana, before passing away in 2022. |