Cedarwoods Calendar Girl Cally

NA112 UT / 189 Prize II

Throughout the history of performance dog breeding it has been accepted that in order to produce successively better dogs, only above average performing animals should be utilized for breeding. In doing so many dogs stand out from their peers as not only great performers, but exceptionally good producers. These dogs end up being utilized by many kennels as they have proven the axiom that a rising tide lifts all boats. In the NAVHDA German Shorthaired Pointer world it is hard not to notice the impact of Dual Champion, Hillhaven Hustler, as his blood has served a foundational role for an overwhelming number of top kennels. For wirehairs, VC Ken Vospet would be an excellent example of a dog who has been responsible for helping to raise the breed to the level it is currently enjoying.

The rarest of these dogs however is not a stud dog, but rather a “blue hen”. That is a female whom who, as Bob Whele once said “could be bred to a fence post and still produce great puppies”. Cedarwoods Calendar Girl is the definition of a blue hen, and over twenty years after her last litter, her influence continues to provide a conspicuous path for breeders to follow. As we will discuss, Cally is, without a doubt, the most influential pudelpointer in North American History.

Before we attempt to justify that admittedly bold statement, lets explain just how lucky the pudelpointer world was to ever have Cally. Bob Farris reports that Cally’s sire, Adonis v. Shulkey was roundly considered to be an exceptional hunting dog. Adonis was reportedly owned by one of Bodo Winterhelt’s clients, however Bodo retained the breeding rights. Legend has it, fearing that breeding Adonis would result in a change in his personality, the owner reportedly lied to Bodo and stated that the dog’s hips had been tested and found evidence of hip dysplasia. When the owner passed away his wife gave the then nine year old Adonis back to Bodo along with OFA paperwork indicating that his hips were just fine! Bodo then used his considerable influence to convince Bob Farris to breed his Utility prized female, Haverhill’s Aleeta, to the unproven Adonis. Bodo is rightly applauded for the many things he has done, not only for the pudelpointer but also the greater versatile dog community, however this seemingly innocuous act would undoubtedly be one of his most meaningful.

So how can one justify the admittedly bold statement that Cedarwoods Calendar Girl is the most influential pudelpointer in North American history? The answer is quite simple actually. Her blood has flowed through the veins of more, great pudelpointers than any other dog, male or female, in North American history. Consider that to date, there have been a total of 42 pudelpointers who have attained the title of NAVHDA Versatile Champion. Over 73% (31/42) of those VC’s were descendants of Cally! A more in depth analysis of these dogs is even more revealing. For you see, Cally’s influence on these dogs was not that of some unimportant dog, forgotten and minimized in the pedigree. Using Breedmate software one is able to determine the genetic contribution Cally has made to each of these outstanding dogs. This calculation is known as Wright’s Coefficient of Relationship. The average Correlation of Relationship (COR) between Cally and these 31 VC’s is an astonishing 24%! For reference, in a complete outcross breeding a grandparent will give a COR of 25%. This high COR isn’t simply a function of highly successful dogs who may have seen their prime a decade, or more, ago. The 2022 NAVHDA Invitational saw six new VC’s crowned and all six were descended from Cally! Twenty one years after her last litter, Cally contributes a COR of 27% to newly crowned, 2022 VC Safari South Axel, while she contributes a COR of 23% to VC High Standard’s Good Boy Charles! Lastly, the thirty one VC’s who descended from Cally, represent sixteen separate kennels, demonstrating that Cally’s impact truly reaches all corners of North America.

Looking beyond NAVHDA it is believed that only three pudelpointers have obtained a National Shoot To Retrieve Championship. Those dogs, VC Cedarwoods Man o’ War, Ripsnorter’s Shoot and Miss, and Windy Sage High Roller are all descendants of Cally. It is further believed that there have been only two pudelpointers which have obtained a UKC Hunting Retriever Championship. Those two dogs, VC Cedarwoods Man o’ War and Tall Timber’s Backwater Deacon also carry Cally’s blood.

Speaking of Man o’ War, he is the only dog in history, regardless of breed, to have obtained a NAVHDA Versatile Championship, a UKC Hunting Retriever Championship, and a National Shoot To Retrieve Championship. He is perhaps the greatest testament to the legacy to his grandmother, as he carried a 50% COR! As is always the case, a dog such as Cally, was the product of the genetics found within their pedigree, coupled with proper training. If you wish to learn more about the breeders who continue to work with these genetics, please visit the North American Pudelpointer Alliance website at https://pudelpointer-alliance.com/breeders.