I have had Scotties since my childhood. 

My neighbor Pam Floyd raised and showed Scotties, with the able guidance of the renowned Scottish terrier man, Ron Schaffer.  So when she had a litter, my family acquired our first Scottie, Heather. 

Later when I married, and Tom and I bought our first house in Manhasset, I got my first Scottie as an adult, Fala. She was a great pet, but became bored with me at work all day. On Ron Shaffer’s advice, we got Fala a male companion, Andy, acquired from Pat Gilmore, of Blackwatch kennels. Pat later bred to our great Scottie Friendship Hill Dr. Watson, and President Bush’s Scotties Barney W and Ms. Beasley were the result.

Andy and Fala were great companions, until an unfortunate accident took Andy.  Fala was in deep grief, going from room to room in our house looking for him.  I immediately started researching other Scottie people with litters. Jackie Seelbach, another Schaffer acolyte, told me Luis Arroyo had a male he wanted to place.

I went in to NYC to see Luis and acquired Brookhill Troubadour, Andrew, the brother to the great Ch. Brookhill Morning Edition, Lola, who won Montgomery BIS twice.

Unfortunately, Andy never “bodied” up to be shown, and his coat was problematic; but later, out of another of my Scotties, Bonnie, I got my first homegrown champion, CH. Friendship Hill Debutante, Lottie.  I selected Friendship Hill as my kennel name, in honor of Albert Gallatin’s farm in Pennsylvania.  Albert Gallatin was the Secretary of the Treasury under Thomas Jefferson, and my husband Tom is his direct descendent. 

From Lottie, we got CH Friendship Hill Anchorwoman, Katie, named after Katie Couric, who became the #3 Scottie in the country.  Katie was named Anchorwoman as her sire was  CH Sandgreg Reporter, out of Barbara De Saye’s breeding, and as he was “from” the print medium, I went with a name from the electronic medium, as I also worked in the telecommunications industry.

Peggy Browne was my handler, with her husband Geoff, but when Geoff got a job with Pedigree, there was a conflict of interest, as in those days, the Pedigree people had the Pedigree Award, for the dog in each breed with the most BOB wins.  Peggy had to stop handling, and then she started showing and breeding with me.

We imported the great AM SW CH So What Moriarty, Tyson, who we gave to Peter Green to handle, and Peter piloted Tyson to #1 Scottie in the country, the Scottish Terrier Club of America’s Lloyd Trophy, the STCA’s highest award; and the Pedigree Award.  CH Friendship Hill Dr. Watson, out of Tyson’s first litter, followed in his father’s footsteps, this time piloted by a neophyte Ernesto Lara, Peter Green’s assistant, who has gone on to become one of the greatest handlers in the USA.  I was the first to recognize and use Ernesto and take credit for his rise to fame.  Watson’s daughter Addie, CH Grampien’s Irene Adler, named for another Sherlock Holmes’ character, was shown by Amy Rutherford, and was also #1, and all three were BOB at Westminster.

CH. Friendship Hill Crown Royal, Rex, was born and raised in Peggy Browne’s house and named by her children.  He too was shown by Amy, as by this time Ernesto was thoroughly occupied with other clients.

Rex came home to live happily with Tyson and Watson, while GCH Friendship Hill Stars and Stripes took center stage and came #2 Scottie, also shown by Amy.  Stars and Stripes, Connor, was named after the famous America’s Cup boat and its captain Dennis Connor, as my husband and I are boaters in our spare time.  

Connor is now happily retired, and we are awaiting a new specials dog from our partner Masa Fegus Siroka, of Slovenia.  Peggy will travel to Masa’s to pick the puppy, which is out of AM CH Peabar’s Goodness Gracious, Marica, who is owned by Peggy, Masa and me, and in limited showing by Peggy, was #3 Scottie and Award of Merit winner at Westminster.