CH Rush Hill’s Money Changes Everything

When I first started in Goldens, the boys ruled our house! We had Chance and Gat’r and it definitely kept things simple! Well…..that is until Princess Lyra came! Tonya asked me to “babysit” ok….maybe it was “kidnap” Lyra while she went to the 2002 GRCA National in Orlando. When she went to Orlando, there was a present waiting for her there-a bear and balloons wishing her luck that she still has today! Lyra never came back to Tonya’s after that and we co-owned our first dog together! (I think the bear sealed the deal!)

 A year later, Lyra went to 2003 GRCA National in Cleveland Ohio and this was my very first National.  With Tonya on her lead,  she won the 12-15 class Sweepstakes class under judge Thomas Oelschlager and went onto win Best Opposite in Sweeps under judge Joe Vergnetti. Then in a complete downpour, she won the 12-18 month class with a huge entry of 76 bitches under Anne Rogers Clark. Oh what a thrill….and these photos and ribbons still grace my walls in a huge frame!!

After the National, Tonya and I took turns showing her depending on the circumstances and venue. The first time I showed her, I put a RWB under Judge Lester Mapes and I knew we could do better! We went to California and she hit the Christmas Long Beach shows with a bang winning from the 12-18 classes in competitive competition. Wanting to finish her before 18 months and seeing Lester Mapes on a slate, I decided to fly out to St Louis to see if I could do it! And we did it-New Champion! (the story on what he said to me is for another day-lets just say it’s a colorful farm saying!) 

Lyra was my first group placing golden and won multiple best of breeds. We also took a little trip to Canada and she is a Canadian Champion too!  

 Lyra became the foundation of River Road Golden Retrievers. She was bred to Chaos, BIS BISS Am Gch Rush Hill’s Run’n Amuck at Abelard OA OAJ AXP NFP WC VCX SDHF OS  producing the Pay litter and her litter produced:

BIS BISS Am Can GCH Rush Hill’s River Road Payoff WC SDHF -Vegas

Am Can Ch River Road ‘s Pay’N It Forward, OD -Karma 

I cant thank Tonya enough for letting me “kidnap” Lyra. She will always be the matriarch of River Road Golden Retrievers. Her photos and memory hang in our family room for all to see how it all began….and she will always be Princess Lyra in our household! 

… Suzanne Rapier