Freeze
Kiowa’s A Place In Time, **MH WCX CCA OS
3/1/00-1/21/14
A tribute to a once in a lifetime dog
To have lived nearly 14 years with such a special Golden as Freeze is an undeserved blessing we will forever be grateful for. Brian and I have always had a shared goal of producing not just a dual purpose dog, but a Dual Champion. A lofty goal, no doubt, but a goal that keeps our breeding program on track to put a truly balanced Golden at the heart of all of our breeding decisions. When the opportunity for Freeze to join our family became a reality, we knew we were living with a special piece of history, and we were excited to see what such old genetics would be like in a modern world. What impresses us the most as we look back on Freeze’s life, accomplishments and kids is ultimately the consistency that shows through in his offspring…..a true testament to the strength in his genetics, carefully preserved by his breeder, Pat Sadler.
Freeze was a quick study as a puppy and impressed us with his understanding of not only basics, but the technicalities behind our human reasoning for things like 2-sided heeling, casting drills, and pictures used in fields and on training ponds. As silly as it sounds, I felt like he could truly understand if I told him the blind was “through the 2 pine trees and to the end of the field just past the small patch of brush”. He’d move his gaze ever so slightly and lift his ears to show that he got the “picture”. He was never wild going to the line, but always a gentleman in his manners. The only time I remember him being a bit on the unruly side was at the 2008 Master National. He pulled me into each holding blind with a naughtiness I’d never seen before in him and proceeded to keep me on my toes on the land quad, praying that he’d sit still long enough to watch 4 birds down. He was downright cocky all week long as he went out and earned a pewter plate with a confidence that makes me smile to this day.
But all competitive memories aside, what I will remember most about Freeze was the love he had for me. It is a presence that I didn’t realize was so strong, so constant, until it was gone. What may have started out as a pursuit of glory and fame, ultimately led me to a place where I realize that it’s not about the titles, human praise or notariety, but about an undeserved love that surpasses all understanding. A quiet, all-encompassing love that never takes His eyes off of you and wants to spend every moment of your life at your side.