 Michael
Allen passed away November 2007. In addition to breeding her world-famous Baliwick Cocker Spaniels,
Michael was known for her artistic endeavors: As the former owner
and publisher of "The American Cocker" magazine and for the past 11
or 12 years, of "The Royal Spaniels," for Cavalier and English Toy
Spaniel fanciers, Michael was well-known as an artist, not only in
paint, but in pencil, chalk, and other mediums, and last but not
least, as a superb photographer. "Who's Who in American Women"
reported her to be the "most published dog show artist in the
world."
She edited several books, including Rick Beauchamp's latest
effort on type, and both editions of Barbara Garnett Smith-Wilson's
books on Cavaliers in North America. Michael was featured in an
instructional video on grooming the American Cocker, both for show
and for pet......Her book, "The American Cocker" has long been out
of print, but when a copy becomes available, the competition to
purchase it is very heavy...when one recently appeared on the
market, the final selling price was stunning...it is still
considered the best book on the subject by serious students of the
breed.
Michael and her long-time companion,
John Garrison, co-owned a few Whippets in recent years, "Face," won
the National Specialty, and then Michael turned her attention to
field competition, where she fell in love with lure coursing and
other field events. She continued competing in lure coursing with
all three of "the boys," "Face," "Higgins," and "Dougie," and loved
that she was competing in an entirely new arena, and doing it
herself, as usual. She was very proud of her Whippet boys and their
titles, both in the Field and in the conformation arena. In
addition to breeding wonderful Cockers for herself to show, toward
the end of the 1990s, Michael sent an American Champion cocker bitch
to the UK, in whelp - one of the sons of that litter was top gundog
in the UK for 2000, and a bitch was top gundog there in 2001 and
2002...this bitch took time off to have a litter herself, and
returned to hold on to her title of top gundog, number two all
breeds, in 2002. Another from the litter was top gundog in Ireland
in 2002. The original bitch that Michael had shipped over was top
brood bitch all breeds in 2002.
Michael's life in dogs included
Afghan,
German Shorthaired Pointer, Norwegian Elkhound, Chihuahua and
Whippet champions (the GSP a Group winner); National Specialty
winners including a High Scoring Cocker; 8 listed in the top ratings
nationally; 4 Westminster winners; the breeder of the first Cocker
to win BISweeps AND Best in Show Specialty the same day, and she
enjoyed every minute of it!
Any conversation with Michael was
enlightening, particularly about her beloved Cocker Spaniels...she
was a bottomless font of breed knowledge, more than willing to share
that knowledge with those she deemed deserving of such
education...
Michael fought this last illness
as best she could for the past several months...however, the surgery
of a few weeks ago proved to be too much, and she passed away today
-- not yet 70... too young for such a vibrant personality........
The dog world has lost a unique and valuable member...the Cocker Spaniel has lost possibly its
greatest advocate... and some of us have lost a dear, much loved friend.............
Peggy Mickelson (17 November 2006) |
