abs6 fc marta v dorndorf l je lh

Red
Female

Born July 21, 1998
Died January 5, 2013

Breeder/Owner Patricia Nance
Weight 19 lbs

Sire: ABS7 FC Karl Brink v Dorndorf L
Dam: ABS15 FC Ilsa v Dorndorf L

Photos          Pedigree

"Marta jumps right in."
It was her MO for everything.

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Marta's mother Ilsa had her first litter in April, 1993. Bred to Madison v Turner L (son of FC Hessisan v Dorndorf L CD), that litter produced FC Judo v Dorndorf L. In the next few years, while amassing an astounding record in field trials, Ilsa was bred two more times. The first mating was via artificial insemination to DC Siddachs Donazetti, a PJ son bred by Sidney Stafford and living in New Jersey. The second, which I witnessed, was a natural mating to the redoubtable CH Boondox Yorktown, bred and owned by Dan Harrison in Indiana. To my dismay, Ilsa did not become pregnant either time. I sorely wanted a second litter from this wonderful girl!

At the spring field trial of the Wolverine Dachshund Club in Michigan in April, 1998, I talked about Ilsa with dachshund owner and veterinarian Steve Burns as we walked in the field. Steve observed that she'd become pregnant for her first litter while mated at home but not the next two times when mated after traveling. He said that some bitches tend to shut down when mated away from home. Steve advised that I "keep her home" and try again.

The following month, Ilsa came in heat and was ready to mated over a weekend I was scheduled to judge at the Badger Dachshund Club field trials in Illinois. It was the first time I'd had to call and back out of a judging assignment and I hated to do it. But I did do it, stayed home, and Ilsa was mated to her sister's son FC Karl Brink v Dorndorf L that weekend. In late July, eight weeks after she turned eight years old, Ilsa whelped three bitch puppies. I named them Marta, Maya, and Minx.

Maya and Minx were the sweet sisters and Marta was little miss allspice. Marta exhibited game voice and high prey drive early; Stan Knoll calls bitches like her "bloodthirsty." She also proved to be a compulsive retriever like her father Karl.

In keeping with my personal protocol of putting dogs into field trial competition after they turn two, I entered Marta in her first field trials in September, 2000. These were the Central Ohio Dachshund Club trials, followed the next weekend by the Wolverine Dachshund Club trials. At the end of the day on Saturday in Michigan, in three field trials in the span of eight days, Marta had earned her Field Champion title with three 1st Places and two Absolute Winner awards. This was, and is, a record for our breed and if I would detail her competition in those trials her record would be more impressive yet.

I thought I had the dachshund field trial world beater!

Marta came in heat and sat out the rest of the fall trial schedule. I couldn't wait to run her the following spring!

Unfortunately, when the spring trials rolled around, it was evident that Marta had - as the beagle men say - "blown up." That is, she had become too hot, too charged, too competitive. Her intense enthusiasm had boiled over into impatient impulsiveness which is a hazard to success in the field trial venue. Her tremendous drive stood her in occasional good stead and she did go on to win four more Absolutes but Marta was inconsistent and I do not enjoy competing with inconsistent performers. However, breeding good dachshunds is more important than winning field trials, (though the latter is some reflection of the former), and Marta demonstrated marvelous consistency in the whelping box.

Her two litters, in March, 2002, and in June, 2004, produced the Dorndorf N and O litters. The N litter was sired by my Walmar/Boondox dog Luke and the second litter by my Swedish import Kasi. Therefore, the puppies are all the result of outcross matings but they are remarkably similar in drive and talent and they all give voice on game. Six of the seven O puppies are Field Champions and all of them have won at least one Absolute! (The seventh, Odin, tracks deer during hunting season and has never been to a field trial.)

You can read about Marta's offspring on other pages of this website. It will be obvious to anyone who does that my present dogs and my future in dachshunds are in great measure owed to Marta.

Marta, 14 years. Photo by Christian Stock Photography