CH. MILLCOATS MAXIMUM YARDLEY

"Yardley"

(CH. MILLCOATS TITUS x Millcoats Portia)

Born:  June 23, 1991               NM289176/01

Breeders: Caroline and Duane Miller

Owner:  Nancy Rose, D.V.M. and Robert and Brenda Newcomb

      Yardley was the Bulldogger cover dog for issue Number 86 (November 1998).   His owner wrote of him:

Yardley was born on June 21, 1991.  A single puppy, he was free-whelped in the yard and that's how he got his name.  In December of that year I made the two day trip from West Virginia to Kansas to look over the dogs that Duwane Miller had for sale.  When I entered the Miller kennel, a six month old red male opened his kennel gate and bounded out to greet me.  He seemed to say, "What took you so long?  I've been waiting."  Although I viewed the other males carefully, I had already made my choice and that evening Yardley went home with me.

Yardley was a very intelligent dog and was always figuring things out.  He flipped pans, opened gates, removed things from cabinets and shelves and kept everyone entertained at my veterinary practice where he went with me every day.

He was a fun dog to show and finished easily at 13 months.  At the same time he sired his first litter which contained Ch. LNN's Maximum Yardley Tucker.  That fall he won his first BISS under Judge Carol Newman from England.  He won seven specialty shows form 1992-1994.

In September 1994 I moved from West Virginia to Oklahoma and Yardley remained behind with my best friend, Linda Tucker, who I cannot thank enough for caring for him while I found a new home for us in the west.  By March of 1995 Yardley and I were reunited and Yardley had two new co-owners, Bob and Brenda Newcomb. That year we all showed Yardley to specialty wins, but it was Bob and Yardley who made the most formidable team.  Under Bob's expert hand Yardley had reached his full potential.  That year Yardley own seven more specialty shows in four months.  He won three out of four days in Phoenix, the prestigious PCBC and all three days in Denver.  He also won Best in Show in El Reno, OK.

Just 10 days after his 4th birthday and seven days after the birth of his last natural litter that would contain four specialty winning champions, Yardley was gone.  He died due to the negligence of Delta Airlines somewhere between Salt Lake and Portland.  Bob was flying with him to the specialties there.  At the time of his death he was the #1 Bulldog in the U.S.A.

Needless to say we were all devastated.  Calls and cards arrived form all over the country to share our loss.  I think the late Cal Riggs described Yardley best of all.  He was going over Yardley, who was to be his choice for BOB at his last judging assignment at PCBC when he told Bob, "You must have searched the world over to find a dog like this."

Yardley was the stuff dreams are made of.  There will always be a special place in my heart for the Yard-Dog.  He was my first champion and my friend.  He left behind his own legacy and this year we are very proud that he is a candidate for the BCA Hall of Fame.  Yardley, we still mss you and are reminded of you daily by your children and grandchildren.  And yes, there's even a few that open gates.