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I purchased my first two Westies from the news paper in Richmond, Va in 1974.
My two sons Michael and Mark showed them in 4H clubs and won honors to go to state to compete in Obedience & Conformation. Michael came in second and Mark came in third.
We were very pleased and decided to enter in the AKC shows, little did we know...
they were not groomed like the other WESTIES and both boys took last place in their classes.It was a long drive home.
At that show we met Joanne Glodeck, who was very impressed with the boys and she told me of a breeder in AZ, Hal Heubel.
Hal became our mentor, and pictures were sent to him by snail mail once a month, until finally Hal told us to have the Westies spayed and he would sell us a champion for the boys in Juniorship.
We had never had a male before and I was very reluctant BUT the minute I opened the crate at the Nashville airport, I had to call Hal and tell him...HE WAS PERFECT !
Ch Bel-West Admiral Mac Ken Char, became the love of my life. He was the son of Ch Mac Ken Char's Irish Navigator...number one male and bred to the number one bitch.. CH Olac Moon Penny of Bel-West.
Billy Kaimi was our first handler, he helped Michael in the juniors ring and he then took Georgio into the westie ring. That was a very good summer ! Georgio was finished and we started obedience with him. My only westie to get a CD. We could never do that again.!
Georgio is the father of my foundation bitch, Ch Ken Lake's Misty Harbor Bell we called her APRIL...Her head has been used in many judge studies. Wonderful ear set, eye set, stop and expression.
Everything I have today over 35 champions goes back to the two of them, I've worked very hard NOT to breed myself into a corner. I have frozen sperm on 10 of my male champions, but none from Georgio, I didn't know about freezing sperm back then.
Michael and Mark are now grown up, Michael, is an officer in the US army and just back from a 18 month tour of Iraq. Mark was married here at our home in a beautiful YARD wedding, my daughter-in -law is Christina they live in Clearwater Florida.
John my youngest son, John is 17 and going to the Bluegrass Military Academy to finish his last year of school, and will then attend Murray State University, where my husband Floyd teaches Tax and Accounting.
Our Name KenLake's is the area of Western Kentucky where we live at Kentucky Lake in the summer months, we have a condo. We have a large home in town... Murray, we live in year around it's in the city limits, so we can not have outdoor kennels or Runs. I have a Court yard everyone goes into most of the morning, then they are inside all mid day( it gets very hot here) and then back out in early evening.
We encourage all new owners and my co-owners to come to my home and see the set-up and try to do what we do, so there is little confusion on taking one of my Westies to a new home.
Rose Carpenter May 2008
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