Nekah - who started it all

Am/Can CH Maritza of Kezdet Nekah Am/Can CD,CGC

Sylvia with Nekah in 1999

Today, our foundation bitch would have been 20 years old if she was still alive. She was born in New York state and came to be known as Maritza of Kezdet Nekah.  "Nekah" was our first Vizsla puppy and first female as we had adopted two adult Vizslas before her.  I can still remember so clearly picking her up in Syracuse, NY from Judy Vernon (now Judy Saddlemire).  Nekah wasn't Judy's litter but Judy had 'supervised' the breeding.  We didn't have a crate because we didn't know how big Nekah would be. So we tried to fasten 2 laundry baskets together to bring her to her new home in Canada.  It was about a 5-hour drive and Nekah screamed the entire way!

I dearly loved Nekah.  She became the first Vizsla that I handled to her Canadian and American Champion titles. I also earned her American & Cdn Companion Dog title.  She eventually became, Am/Can CH Maritza of Kezdet Nekah Am/Can CD,CGC.  We lost Nekah at too young an age but she started the Varazs legacy. She was dam of:

• 1993 VSO Booster Best of Breed: BPIG Am/Can CH Varazs Kiraly Sassy Sasha Am/Can CD, Am/Can CDX, FDJ, Am RE, Am RAE, TT, CGC, CGN (Sasha)

• #3 Vizsla in Canada in Conformation (1998):  Ch Varazs Blackbullets onthe Wing - Rex

• Best Cdn Bred, Vizsla Canada National Specialty Show (1998, 1999) - BPIG Can/Am CH Varazs Abracadabra TT (Abby)

• #4 Vizsla in Canada (1999): Ch Varazs Blackbullets onthe Wing - Rex

• #5 Obedience Vizsla (1998): BPIG Am/Can CH Varazs Kiraly Sassy Sasha Am/Can CD, Am/Can CDX, FDJ, Am RE, Am RAE, TT, CGC, CGN - Sasha

• #3 Obedience Vizsla in Canada (1999): BPIG Am/Can CH Varazs Kiraly Sassy Sasha Am/Can CD, Am/Can CDX, FDJ, Am RE, Am RAE, TT, CGC, CGN - Sasha

• Best of Opposite Sex, 1999 Vizsla Canada National Specialty Show & Vizsla Society of Ontario Specialty Show: BPIG Can/Am CH Varazs Abracadabra TT - Abby

• 5 Group Placing Dogs - Sasha, Rex, Abby, Tasha, Amber (1993, 1998, 1999, 2000)

• My first Agility-titled Vizsla (Keira), my first Rally-Obedience (AKC)-titled dog (Sasha, 2005)

• VSO 2007 Tibor Reiter Trophy winner for versatility - Sasha

• Varazs Summer Solstice (Bob), who was the inspiration of the book, Mr. Bob's Magic Ride in the Sky

And she is the grand-dam of:

• #4 Obedience Vizsla (2002) & #1 Obedience Vizsla in 2003: M-OTCH Szuni's Shooting Star CD CDX UD FDJ FD FDX TD AGN AGI AGDC AADC (Mila)

• Best of Opposite Sex, 2004 N. California Vizsla Club's Specialty Show: Am CH Varazs Sara's Full of Grace MH ROM - Sara

• IABCA Best in Show Veteran: Am/Cdn/Int'l/UKC CH Varazs Kiralyi Kedvesem FD, NAVHDA NA Prize III, JH, Am/Cdn CD, Am/Cdn RE, Am RAE, CGN - Miska

• First Vizsla in Canada to earn the RAE (rally) title from the Cdn Kennel Club: RMCH Varazs Mokany Ficko FDJ, Am/Can CD, Am/Can RN, Am/Can RA, RAE AgNJ, AGN, RACL (CARO), RVCL (CARO), RXCL (CARO), SSGDC, SADC, CL1-R, CGN CGC - Milo

• Our first AKC Master Hunter and our first Registry of Merit (Vizsla Club of America) Vizsla - Am CH Varazs Sara's Full of Grace MH ROM (Sara)

• Group placing or puppy group winning dogs:
•      BPIG CH Varazs Vidam Lolamae - Lola
•      Am/Can CH Varazs Kiralyi Vadaszat FDJ, Can/Am CD, NAVHDA NA Prize II, JH, RN   (AKC), RA (AKC), CGN - Vadasz
•      2X BPG CH Blackbullets Heart of Varazs - Cooper

Thank you Nekah for being a big part of my life, although not for long enough, and for starting it all.  Happy 20th Birthday! You are still loved, greatly missed and will never be forgotten.

Best of Breed with Judge Nigel Aubrey-Jones (1994)