Two of the dogs I walked were a Great Dane and a Boxer for a family friend Suzanne Levy Ormond.  After my Corgi died, Suzanne offered us the choice of a Great Dane known as Gorgeous Augusta or a Boxer puppy sired by her Enzian Von Dom Alpenrose. 

My father, the Admiral, was not entranced with either prospect, but after watching Gussie (the Great Dane) clamor up and down three flights of stairs in our large home, he decided the Boxer would at least keep the noise level down a bit. So the choice was made.....

Enzian was a popular stud in New Orleans as he was tall, elegant, and flashy.  He came directly from the Princess of Alpenrose Castle who was a close friend of Frau Stockmann. This was during WWII and the Germans were starving.  Having gone to the castle to find survivors, the soldiers who freed Germany saw the Boxers and one of them bought Enzian. The cost of Enzian was about $300 worth of canned food and Army rations. The soldier was later transferred to New Orleans where Suzanne found him in the neighborhood oyster bar drinking his own mug of beer.  The soldier was lamenting that he was being stationed in a foreign country and could not take his dog, so Suzanne bought him on the spot. 

Enzian was bred to Dixie Belle of West Bank and my puppy was Marjack's Golden Girl. Dixie was a Berolina bred bitch whose background was again Von Dom via CH Escort of Valcar Boxers who you can see in some very old Boxer books.

I was very fortunate to have some very fine Boxer breeders teach me about the breed.  In those days, the 'old-timers' sought out the new exhibitors with the thoughts of 'passing the torch' to the next generation.  My mentors were John and Mazie Wagner, Frau Stockmann and Dan Gordon in Boxers, but I was very lucky as a 12 year old, to have the great judge and handler Percy Roberts take me under his wing. 

Percy Roberts will always be remembered in Smooth Fox Terriers as the handler of the great CH Nornay Saddler. Saddler held the record for the Most All-Breed Best In Shows prior to Bang Away.  He is considered by many to be the standard for the Smooths--even today. 

Percy Roberts was what is known as a "true dogman"-- quite frankly, few people attain this distinction.  He was a breeder of excellent dogs (more than one breed), an all-breed handler of international renown, an all-breed judge who put up with 'no nonsense' in his ring and a person who always helped the newcomer to become the best they could be. 

He helped me in my first show by taking the rambunctious Golden Girl by the lead in the middle of a class he was judging, giving her a snap of the lead and uttered the words "that's enough". The wild indian took one look at those piercing eyes and said, "oh dear" and stood like a rock.  It was an amazing feat.  He then gave us the large class and asked to see me after the judging.  He told us that she was a 'bit too German' to finish but "breed her to the dog I just gave the breed and you will have a BIS winner".  We did just that and as they say, the rest is history...

We bred Golden Girl to CH Salal's Sure Conceit and got two show puppies, CH Marjack's Golden Streak and AmCanCH Marjack's Golden Mist, DOM. Misty became our first champion, our first BIS all-breeds winner and our first DOM.  She was the dam of CH Marjack's Golden Windjammer, SOM.

Windjammer became the top BIS boxer for 3 years as well as one of the top BIS all-breeds Working dogs as well as Top BIS winners along with CH Barrage of Quality Hill.  Those two boys exchanged the honors for  three years.

We have had only a few litters while active in the dog world and had 3 multiple champion litters, along with ABC awards of Bitch Producing the Most Champions as well as Breeder of the Most Champions.  Then came college, marriage, children, and horses, but no dogs.

About every 10 years I buy a dog or two and finish them to stay in the game.  Now I am happy to say, I have two bitches of my old bloodlines which will be bred and hopefully fill Misty's shoes (paws).

Even though not active as a breeder for many years, I am very proud of the accomplishments of my dogs and salute them for the pre-potency that they have handed down to the breed.  You will find, if you go back far enough in the pedigrees, that there is 'just a touch' of Marjack behind all the great winners of the modern Boxer including today's winners. 

My special thanks to Percy Roberts, who led me in the right direction;  the Wagners and Frau Stockmann (who discovered the 'golden cross of Utz/Lustig and Dorian) and taught me how to use it; to Jane Forsyth who gave me handling tips; and to Dan Gordon who also understood the "golden cross" with his CH Bladan's U-Chetnik and gave us the pre-potency of Dorian through his dam Yvonne of Marienhof which can still be seen in the Boxers of today.

Mary Jackson
June 15, 2010