"Baxter" CH Angelwing Chevas Regal Sire: CH Krisala Constant Comment DAM: CH Hot Stuff From Ragmop Baxter is our first Tibbie and the beginning of the foundation for Vickford Tibetan Spaniels. He was bred by Sharon and Ned Shevelson of Angelwing Tibetan Spaniels and has a pedigree that contains some of the finest lines in Europe and the United States, including several TSCA National Specialty Winners. As a puppy Baxter was, in the words of a well-known Tibbie breeder and AKC Judge, 'a puppy flyer.' He finished his championship at nine months of age with majors and BOB wins over specials.

We met the Shevelsons, members of the TSCA, at the Golden Gate Kennel Club show in 2006 when they were showing Ch Flolin Ain’t It A Fact. After several months of research and talking with several breeders we were pleased that Baxter came to live with us at our home in San Francisco.

We immediately began being mentored by the Shevelsons and attending weekly conformation classes with the San Mateo Dog Training Club. We are especially grateful to Sharon and Ned for their kind attention and availability to us, for patiently introducing us to conformation showing and the Dog Fancy, and for allowing us to learn from their long history in breeding excellent dogs, first as Papillion breeders and then as Tibetan Spaniel Breeders.

We are also indebted to Cathy Blink of Driftwood Dalmatians and the San Mateo Dog Training Club for her encouragement and good humor as our first conformation class instructor.

Larry and Jane Jensen of Wanasea Tibetan Spaniels (Wanasea.com) continue to be a great source of support and we are grateful for their friendship and advice. We look forward to working closely with Wanasea in our future breeding program. A special 'thank you' to Larry Jensen for his help and experience in developing our first website.

Pat Sarles of Wassong Tibetan Spaniels is an on-going inspiration to us, both personally and professionally. Pat generously shares with us from her wealth of knowledge about the breed and we prize her 'counsel' and guidance in the critical decisions before us in building a strong foundation for Vickford's future.

We have also been helped and taught about this wonderful breed in new frendships and conversations at local shows here in Northern California and at the 2007 and 2008 Tibetan Spaniel Club of America National Specialty shows with such well known breeders as:

*Pat Sarles & Kevin Wassong (Wassong Tibetan Spaniels),
*Li and Greg Craven (Tamzil),
*Pam Talbot (Toreana),
*Alison & David Gray (Carousel),
*Pat Burris (Ragmop),
*Kelly Kerns (Te Amo),
*Dianne Tyree (Wexford),
*Yvonne 'Corky' Mariani (Midsummer),
*Nancy Cook (Nanjo),
*Cindy Swaim (Le Mar),
*Chuck St. John (Kolumbia), &
*Elaine Oxborrow (Aquila).

Finally, conversations with Mallory C. Driskell (Ambrier Tibetan Spaniels) and Kay Dickeson (Tibroke Tibetan Spaniels) at the 2007 and 2008 National Specialties have been especially enjoyable and helpful. Both the Ambrier and Tibroke lines are abundantly represented in Baxter's Pedigree and we value their experience, history and knowledge of the Tibetan Spaniel in America.