(This is a translation of an article that was written by Henning and published in the newsletter of the Norwegian Boxer Club no. 1/97. )

This little piece is about a dog that I in fact never have known and hardly have seen, but that has had a lasting influence on my connection to the Boxer breed.

My life's first dog show was in Oslo the winter of '77. I can even remember that the judge came from USA and that her name was Harriet Campbell. I was 11 years old, and we were there with the first boxer and great pride of the family, "Brutus" bred by Inga and Gunnar Lowe. Pride, because his father was a "champignon", as my brother adamantly claimed the title was.

The champignon had many puppies present, and was entered with a progeny class. We had to leave before he went into the ring, but got a permission to meet him "back stage". Before this moment I had met about three boxers all my life: the neighbour's Bonzo, Barrack of my father's colleague and Brutus. On this background of experience with not very well behaved, high-spirited boxers, the view in the back room was something that made an impression! An attitude and pride like that I had never before seen in a dog, and hardly thought that was possible!

My pride in Brutus didn't become smaller after this. He did not turn out a show dog himself, with his prominent cheeks and slighty wry mouth, but his family must have been good as his brother Fortin became champion like his father (now my brother had got the terms sorted out). We found father's photo i the boxer book we bought, and agreed that this confirmed our impression of him from the show.

So far my personal memories. Mephisto's High Noon, Canadian and Norwegian champion, was imprted to Norway four years old. He sson made his presence felt at shows in Scandinavia, his Norwegian title came quickly, and he collected show wins that included group and BIS-wins, at shows both in Norway, Sweden and Finland. High came from the best of ancestries, closely bred on the best of North-American boxers. Father was Can Am Ch Scher-Khoun's Schadrack, who again was a son of Can Am Ch Millan's Fashion Hint. Schadrack and Fashion Hint Probably were the most important stud dogs in North-America after Bang Away of Sirrah Crest, with many champion offspring in USA and Canada. Fashion Hint alone was father of 127 dogs with champion titles. High's mother was the Fashion Hint daughter Ch Verwoods Lollipop, her mother again was a Schadrack daughter, so the foundation was made for a prolific stud dog!

The owner, Jorunn Maeland (no she is Jorunn Birkeland) is Norwegian, but lived in Sweden at the time. Even so, High had many litters in Norway. Of his Norwegian children, seven gained their championship, in addition he had many certificate winners both in Norway and Sweden. In North-America High's importance is expressed mainly through his son, Can Am Berm Ch Mephisto's Vendetta, a great boxer with a phenomenal carreer, who again became the father of Ch Marquam Hill's Traper of Turo, one of the top stud dogs in USA the last 10-15 years. Via Traper, High's blood is represented in virtually everything that is winning at North-American shows these days.

Even is High is far back in most pedigrees now, he is represented in many of them, and in many quality dogs his type and qualities shine through. To look at the portrait of High is just like looking into the face of our own Cavatine who has High twice in her pedigree, not to talk about the strong character that Jorunn describes in High that is easily recognizable in Tine. (So, in many ways High was the dog that "hooked" me as a boy, and, several years later when I myself am a breeder, he is still there as an important factor!)

In addition to High's beautiful children, he founded the line of boxers in Scandinavia that perhaps most consistently has done well in obedience- and working trials. The son Formula Miller became International (FCI), Norwegian and Finnish conformation champion and Norwegian and Swedish obedience champion. Miller's son Count on Barro had a similar row of titles, and Barro again as sired several dogs with multiple titles. Among these we must give special mention to the Norwegian born and Swedish owned triple champion SUCh SLpCh SBCh Beautyboxers Flaming Star.

High died in Florida the autumn 1980, but two and a half years ago something happened that was to secure him a place in he boxer history. Before she left for Canada, Jorunn did some of a pioneering job by collecting and freezing semen after her dog. These days we can store the semen in the bank of the Kennel Club,  but that wasn't possible in Sweden then. Jorunn describes how she stored the frozen semen in a tank in the garage, and how she drove up to the University every month to have it filled up! The semen was taken care of while Jorunn lived in North-America.

So, in 1994 the bitch Nit Noi (herself a grand daughter of High) was inseminated with a dose of these drops. One of the puppies, that had been given the name Doll Announces Veni Vidi Vici, was sent to Canada, to Monica and Walter Pinsker at the Mephisto kennel. Two years went without anyone in Norway hearing anything, until May 1996 when the message came that "Vini" had become a Canadian champion!

Two things made this historical. The first is that Vini is the first Norwegian bred boxer that has got a championship in North-America. The second is that Vini was his father's 7. child with this title, so that High, 16 years after his death, could be titled "Sire of Merit".

It must be a source of great satisfaction for Jorunn to see such results after the dog she found in Canada, and we add our voices to those who congratulates! Congratulations also to the Pinskers who bred this great dog!

Photos of High by Paul Scott.

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