Rokeena Gordon Setters: Imports That Made A Difference

Click on the names to see more on each of these dogs and scroll the new window that opens for more pictures.
Am.Aust.NZ Ch. SUTHERLAND HALLMARK
"Guy" (Imp USA)

This dog arrived in Australia in the early 1970's. He was imported and owned by Graham and Jayne Lack (now Stewart) and had a huge impact on the Gordon world as he sired successful litters for many kennels and some very memorable Gordons. I tentatively used one of his sons "Aust. Ch. Triseter Black Aidan" at first, who produced my first homebred Bitch in "Aust. Ch. Rokeena White Heather" (Bracken). I subsequently used this wonderful dog three times over different bitches adding richly to gene pool that helped produce some of my present day Gordons.

Am.Aust.Ch. ROCKAPLENTY'S QUEST FOR ROSES
"Paul"

In the late 1980's, I found myself in desperate need of new blood to add to the gene pool I had created for Rokeena Kennels. There was no where left for me in Australia as there were just not enough Gordons here then and I give eternal thanks to Mrs. Elizabeth Clark of "Rockaplenty Kennels" in the USA who took on board my request to find me a dog to fulfil all the specifications I put to her. At the time, I felt, in general, Australian Gordons, and specifically my own, needed a dog that had and could produce a strong front, standing and moving, a good hard topline with a correct tail set and, most of all, a solid temperament. PAUL had all these qualities and had a far reaching effect on the Gordons Setters in Australia, to the extent that at Specialties for a couple of years every Gordon entered had him somewhere in his/her pedigree!! His most successful progeny was "Ch. Latchmere Navajo Joe" who was used extensively at stud by most kennels of the time.

Ch. LATCHMERE NAVAJO JOE
"Rocky"

Although not a true import, LNJ (bred and owned by Latchmere Kennels) is by Paul out of a bitch that was a product of a father/daughter mating by the name of "Ch. Triseter Black Miranda" with her father/grandfather being the other US Import to Australia - Guy. This made this dog almost 3 quarters American. Along with being one of the top winning Gordons in Australia's history, he also sired a number of wonderful puppies for many kennels around Australia and helped create Rokeena's and one of Australia's most successful litter of the time.

CH.SHOJIN'S LAFFINGRAVEY

As techniques changed and evolved, bringing new blood into the country became easier with the development of the ability to freeze and use frozen semen successfully. This led me to the importation of semen in partnership with Triseter Kennels and to the formation of an extra Kennel name for us to use along-side our own and, as partners, to use to import and breed. After much thought, we came up with a name that included a little of both of the primary Kennels' names 'TRIKEENA'. So, in the mid 1990's, semen arrived in Australia for the use of Trikeena Kennels from a USA dog called Ch. Shojin's Laffingravey. (Unfortunately this lovely dog died not long after the semen arrived)

A son of his in Australia...

TRIKEENA PITTSBURG PETE (AI)
"Pete" (Taken at 9 mths)