Interview with Nancy Kelly of Golden Pine Kennels by Pat Herschman

This month I had the opportunity to interview Nancy Kelly of Golden Pines Kennels.  Since Nancy was so gracious in her time spent answering my questions, I found that I needed to break this interview into two parts.  This first part explores Nancy ’s background in Golden Retrievers, while part two will involve Nancy ’s thoughts on breeding and the future of the Golden Retriever.  I hope you will enjoy this interview as much as I did. 

PH: Could tell our readers about how you started in Dogs?

            NK: Our family always had cats and dogs. I was born in Jackson Heights , New York . When I was four we moved to Connecticut , first to Darien , then we moved    to Stamford where I lived most of my youth. My Godparents had collies which I adored. I spent many hours walking with them in the rural areas New Milford , where my Godparents lived. In 1951 as a Christmas present (I was 10 years old) my God Parents gave me a tri-colored collie from the famous Sterling Collie kennels owned by Ed Pickhardt. At that time my sister rode at the Ox Ridge Hunt Club and told me about the obedience classes that were held there in the indoor arena as part of the Ox Ridge Kennel Club. I trained my collie through to CD, and did some confirmation with him but he had been sold because he would probably not become a champion. Our family had a Field Spaniel as the family dog that I trained through to his CDX.

       When I wanted to get another dog but my Dad did not want another collie as he thought collies were too big. Some friends had a Golden Retriever, which he liked. He worked in New York on Madison Ave in the advertising business. He heard of a litter of Goldens in Shrewbury , New Jersey that was available. We made the arrangement that if I paid for the puppy and its expenses I could have one. I was 14 at the time. When we went to look at the puppies there were only two left. I talked my mom into taking the two, a male and a female who became Brandy & Sherry. The cost was $25.00 per dog.  The dogs were well bred from Tonkahof bloodlines.

I started training them in obedience. Sherry did much better than Brandy. Then I started showing them in confirmation. Once they were mature I started winning points with both.  All the shows in my area ( Connecticut , New Jersey , New York , and Massachusetts ) were benched and run by the Foley Dog Show Organization. You were required to be at a show from about 9a to 5p spending the majority of time in the benching area when the dogs were not being shown. Therefore you got to know the other exhibitors and the handlers in your breed; I finished my male and had half the points on my female. Unfortunately, Sherry was by hit by a car, which ended her career in the breed ring.

Keeping in mind I had to support my Goldens’ expenses I performed various tasks. A friend and I started a grooming and bathing business. I boarded friend’s dogs.

When I was 15 I saw Pat Leary wins Best Junior in the US at Westminster and then Pat Madsen win when I was 16 (1957) and made it my goal to qualify for Westminster in 1958 the last year I would be eligible. Bearing in mind I had to support my Goldens a friend and I started a grooming & bathing business. Plus I boarded dogs. Then I started working for Lloyd Case, a well known handler of Goldens and  as well as other breeds. I took care of private kennels while the owners were away. I ran rings at the dog shows (calling exhibitors to their rings) since they did not have the public address systems they have now. I’d earn just enough to pay the next entry fee. I started working for handlers, the first being Lloyd Case, a well- known Golden Retriever handler who also handled other breeds.

When I got my Goldens I started actively showing in Junior Handling. When I was 15 I saw Patty Leary win Best Junior at Westminster . When I was 16 I saw Pat Madsen win the title. I made it my next goal to qualify for Westminster in 1958, which would be the last year I would be eligible.

PH: Explain how you first met and formed a relationship with Mary Louise Semans.

NK: Lloyd Case, the professional handler who lived in Torrington Connecticut handled Marilu and Jo Semans Goldens. I met the Semans through Lloyd Case. The Semans lived in upper New York State .  The Semans were renown because of a litter they bred where 5 littermates finished their championships... The sire of the litter was Ch. Little Joe of Tigathoe owned by Touch Flynn who lived in Greenwich , Connecticut , The dam was Ch. Wessala Pride of Golden Pine sired by the Semans first Golden Ch. Duke of Rochester , II CD. One of this litter was a dog campaigned by Lloyd which was a multi best in show winner called Ch. Golden Pine’s Brown Bear that that I just adored... Marilu and Jo did not have any children so I was like an adopted daughter that shared their sincere interests in Golden Retrievers.  They cheered for me in juniors. They were present when I won champion Junior Handler at Westminster on my seventeenth birthday in 1958, what a fabulous birthday present.

PH:  How did she help you develop your breeding program and how did you become Golden Pines West?

NK: In 1959 I went off to college to the University of Arizona in Tucson , Arizona . But I always stayed in touch with the Semans. But I continued my interest in dogs. During the summers I worked for other handlers since Lloyd Case had retired such as Anne Rogers ( Clark ), Jane and Bob Forsyth. I also worked at private kennels with other breeds such as the famous Bel Tor Poodle Kennels, and Taunton Hill Dachshund Kennel in both in Connecticut .

In 1965 I graduated from the University of Arizona in Tucson . College took longer because my dad had gone bankrupt after my freshman year and thereafter I worked while attending college.  In Tucson I worked at Rincon Kennels which offered boarding, grooming and raised Standard Poodles. I was active in the Tucson Kennel club.

I had visited Northern California while attending college and loved the area. When the opportunity came to move to bay area in 1966 I took it. By this time my collie and Goldens had passed away. I only had a Standard Poodle which had been gift from Becky Mason the owner of Bel Tor Kennels. I had finished the Poodle while attending college in Arizona .

I started my career in the travel industry by joining TWA as a reservations agent in 1967. After a year I had travel passes so I would fly back to the eastern specialties and other large shows to show for Marilu (Jo Semans had passed away in 1963 and Marilu had moved to Maryland) and other Golden friends.

In 1971 I wanted to get back into Goldens. I really liked Ch. Misty Morn Sunset, (Sammy).  Marilu had bred her female that I really liked called Ch. Golden Pine Punkin Pi.to Sammy.  I had an opportunity to get third choice male (there were 9 males and 1 female). My pup was Cognac , i.e. AM.CAN Ch Golden Pine’s Courvoisier, AM. CAN CDX, WC, AM WCX, He was a group winner, did well in performance, an outstanding sire, and one of the first Sammy son’s in the west.

Marilu and I tended to like similar lines and types of dogs; particularly Tigathoe, Cragmount, Ch. Misty Morn Sunset and Gold-Rush.  I always used the Golden Pine prefix for my litters as I considered it an honor. Since Marilu had no children she had promised to leave me the Golden Pine Kennel name. To differentiate our different areas, I started calling myself Golden Pine West and Marilu was Golden Pine East. We really did not discuss our separate breeding programs. When I was starting to get more involved in breeding Marilu was getting out of breeding.

This will conclude the first part of my interview with Nancy .  The second part will be in next month’s issue of Everything Golden.  Have a great month and if there is somebody that you would like to see interviewed, please contact me at: Patriciaherschman@webtv.net