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PAT & CHARLES FARLEY Norton, Massachusetts
Our story starts back in 1961 when Charlie was stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina. We were given a young puppy to keep me company when Charlie was on maneuvers, who happened to be a Pekingese-Chihuahua cross. She was adorable and loved by everyone. We named her Daisy Mae. After we returned home several years later, I happened to run into an old high school friend. She told me she had a new hobby - raising show Pekingese. The rest is history.
We purchased our first Pekingese in February 1967 from Beverly Green of Greenbriar Kennels. Nikki was a tri-colored parti male, and he taught us many delights of Pekingese ownership. - -In December 1970 we acquired our first bitch, Chu Lai Little Sissi-Su, who also came from Greenbriar, out of Fourwinds and Dah-Lyn bloodlines. Sissi was bred to Nikki, producing the first Peke puppy born at Chu Lai. He was named Chu Lai's Dan Dee Ting. This puppy earned his championship in less than seven weeks, winning five Best of Breed over Specials, and taking Group Placements while still in the classes. Ting was campaigned in the New England area, and won more than 50 Best of Breeds plus numerous Group Placements prior to his retirement. When Ting's dam Sissi came back into coat she, too, was shown, becoming our second champion. Several months later, Sissi was bred to Ch. Bracewell Giacomo, an English import. This breeding produced two males; one was stillborn, the other became Chu Lai's Sissi's Sir Oliver. We are sad to report that fourteen hours after whelping her litter by caesarean section, our beautiful Sissi died. We were devastated and for some time considered not breeding or showing anymore. After much consideration we decided to continue, as we loved our hobby. Oliver never was shown due to an eye injury; however, he produced our well- known parti-colored bitch, Ch. Chu Lai's Painted Lady, who finished in record time.
During the summer of 1981 we finished five new champions: who finished with four majors, the last by winning Best of Winners at the Pekingese Club of America Summer Specialty. Black Bandit was a son of our Ch. Chu-Lai's Dan Dee Ting. - In September of 1981 we acquired a puppy, Bar-Her's Buddha of Chu Lai.Buddha finished his title very quickly, and went on to sire several champions for us, including our Best in Show Specialty Winning Am., Can. Ch. Chu Lai Touch of Buddha, Ch. Chu Lai Pleiku Amy's Legacy, Ch. Chu Lai Oriental Spice, and several other champions for other breeders. - -In March of 1986 Briarcourt's Cedric Gable and Briarcourt's Sunbursts Sonata came to live at Chu Lai. Cedric Gable is the litter brother of the famous Ch. Briarcourt's Coral Gable. Cedric finished quickly and, at this writing, both are still with us at thirteen and half years old. Cedric is the sire of Ch. Chu Lai Cedric's Hunee Bear who was bred to our Ch. Chu Lai Touch of Buddha. These breedings resulted in our Ch. Chu Lai Special Touch, Ch. Chu Lai Sassi Touch, and our Ch. Chu Lai Buddha Bear, who now resides in Lompoc, CA, with his friend Terry Bearman. Buddha Bear is the sire of our new Ch. Depau Bear Essentials (Louie). Sonata is the maternal Grandsire and our Ch Star Chaser is the sire of our Best in Show Specialty Winning Ch. Chu Lai Pleiku Dream Chaser, who has given us our Ch. Chu Lai Pleiku Sweet Dreams. Charlie and I had never been to Canada, and had heard that the Canadian shows were a lot of fun. Charlie was specialing a lovely Papillon dog for our veterinarian named Ch. Anarion of L'ete (Rocky), and I was showing Chu Lai Touch of Buddha (Skeeter as he was known to his friends), who was just over one year old. It was September of 1986 when we drove our motor home to the Quebec City Dog Shows. We had a wonderful weekend! Charlie finished Rocky with three Group Ones and an All Breed Best in Show. Skeeter had been used at stud for the first time shortly before we left for Quebec, and he was being quite obnoxious in the Group ring. We returned to Canada nine months later to finish Skeeter with two Group Ones, one of those being won under Pekingese authority Mr. Nigel Aubrey-Jones (St. Aubrey-Eldson). - Between June 1987 and April 1989, we campaigned our Am., Can. Ch. Chu Lai Touch of Buddha in the New England area, and made him the number four Pekingese in the country. We were very pleased with his accomplishments since he was always owner-handled, and shown in only a small area of the country. Skeeter was a Best in Show Specialty Winner and a Multi Group Winner with numerous Group Placements. We loved him dearly and are sad to report his death on September 8, 1994. We are thankful that we had the insight to have his sperm frozen for future use. Skeeter is also a Register of Merit Sire. - We acquired a son of Skeeter's in 1988 named Wun Chun Lucas of Chu Lai, who we co-owned with his breeder, Judy Pomato. Luke quickly finished his championship and went on to become a back-to-back Best in Show winner. Luke is the sire of our Ch. Chu Lai Star Chaser and Ch. Chu Lai Peiku Traces of Love, both having finished their championships at Specialties from the Bred-by-Exhibitor classes. - During 1992 we attended very few all breed shows, concentrating on the specialty shows. Our Chu Lai Star Chaser won WD, BOW at the Allegheny Pekingese Specialty, and finished under breeder/judge Michael Hill(Akarana). Chu Lai Buddha Bear won WD, BOW for a 5-pt. major at the Pekingese Club of Southern New Jersey Specialty under Canadian breeder/judge Barbara Melless (Rodari), from the Bred-by-Exhibitor Dog class in October 1992. Bear was only shown once in 1993 before going back to the Southern New Jersey Specialty in October 1993 to finish his championship for 5pts, again from the Bred-by-Exhibitor class. - We were also starting out several bitches in 1993, namely Chu Lai Pleiku Sassi Touch, Chu Lai Pleiku Flaming Star, Chu Lai Traces of Love, Chu Lai Pleiku Flaming Star, Chu Lai Traces of Love, and Pleiku Fanci Touch of Chu Lai. We had interrupted Fanci's show career to raise a litter sired by Star Chaser; the result of that breeding was Flaming Star. At that time Fanci had 8 points, including a major. She was the oldest of the four bitches, and after much discussion it was decided to give her to David Fitzpatrick to finish her championship. She was back with us in no time. Sassi Touch finished her championship under breeder/judge Mr. Don Sutton at the Pekingese Club of Southern New Jersey Specialty, held at the pier in New York City. Our Flaming Star was Reserve Winners Bitch at the same show. -As our Orient Express ad stated, following the Atlanta, GA, Roving Specialties: "We chased our dream to Atlanta, and she made our dream come true." Our 10-month old puppy bitch Chu lai Pleiku Dream Chaser was Best Puppy at both the Pekingese Club of Alabama and the Pekingese Club of Georgia; she was also Reserve Winners Bitch at both Specialties. At the Pekingese Club of America Roving Specialty the next day, Dream was Winners Bitch and Best of Winners for a 5-pt. major under English breeder/judge Mrs. Pam Edmonds. Her next Specialty was the Pekingese Club of Southern New Jersey under Dr. Steve Keating, and she was Winners Bitch, Best of Winners and Best of Breed over nine Specials, from the Bred-by-Exhibitor Bitch class. The following month we were in Pennsylvania at the Allegheny Pekingese Specialty. The Mitchells (Micklee Kennels) from England were judging, and Dream was awarded Best in Sweeps by Mrs. Joyce Mitchell; Mr. Jack Mitchell gave her the nod for Winners Bitch, Best of Winners, and Best of Breed over eleven Specials,again from the Bred-by class. As a dream come true, she finished her championship with three 5-pt. Specialty wins. Her sire is Ch. Chu Lai Star Chaser, her dam our Chu Lai Pleiku Seranade.
When our Ch. Sassi Touch finished her championship, she was sent to be bred to the number one Pekingese in the country, Ch. Briarcourt's Damian Gable. That breeding produced Ch. Chu Lai Pleiku Damiette, owned by Beryl Williams; Chu Lai Pleiku Damielle (who is pointed), owned by Terry Bearman; and Ch. Chu Lai Pleiku Betty Gable. She is also the dam of our newest Ch. Chu Lai Pleiku Truffles. - -We have traveled to the Pekingese Club of America Roving Specialties, which have been held in Dallas, Washington State, Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco, and are looking forward to attending the 1998 Florida Specialty. - - This past year we have finished our little bitch Ch. Chu Lai Pleiku Truffles in California, and the young dog we brought back from California, Ch.Depau Bear Essentials at the Canton, OH, shows. He is co-owned with his breeder Terry Bearman, and is a son of Ch. Chu Lai Buddha Bear x Chu Lai Pleiku Damielle, along with Ch. Chu Lai Pleiku Sweet Dreams, and our newest Ch. Chu Lai Pleiku Rebecca, who was recently finished by her co-owner, Ruthellen Viall. That gives us four new champions for 1997. We are now showing our little black girl, Chu Lai Oprah Win-Fa-Me. - -We breed on a limited basis, and any pets are sold on a spay/neuter contract. If the situation warrants that the purchaser can no longer keep or care for the dog, the dog is returned to us. -- -This is a wonderful hobby. We have met many wonderful people over the years and hope we're around long enough to meet many more.
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