American Chesapeake Club

Jane Pappler got her first Chesapeake, Petunia, in 1974 and joined the ACC shortly after. She bred her first litter in 1977 and kept a male pup. In 1979, Jane made her debut in the NSS ring with that first Redlion dog and at the end of the day, he received the final nod from the judge and was awarded Best of Breed! He went on to become CH Redlion’s J J Sample, Am/Can CD, Am/Can WD.

From the beginning, Jane set herself on a course to prove that a dog can have both exceptional breed conformation and proven working ability. She has made a point of showing that she can accomplish great things in the show ring and in the field with the SAME dog and with Jane as handler in both. A few examples:

• Am/Can Ch* Taraglen Buckshot’s Legacy***c, CWCX, WDQ, CGC – “Ripper” was an Am/Can Champion with group placements, an Am/Can QAA and a FT placement in the Open.
• Am GCH, Can CH Redlion’s Notorious Wren***c QA2, MH, WDQ, CGC – “Wren” was a Grand Champion in the US and a Champion in Canada. In the field, she was a QAA and a MH.
• SUCH/Am/Can CH Redlion’s Hit Doctor**c Am/Can MH, WDQ – “Joe” was a CH/MH in three countries (U.S., Canada, and Sweden) with qualifying placements.
• CH* Redlion’s Bear of Upper Creek** WDX – “Bear” was the first Chesapeake with a Group 1 and AKC All-Breed licensed Field Trial Completions.

Jane has clocked an enormous number of hours volunteering for our club. She was an ACC Regional Director in NJ for 16 years. She held training days, eye clinics, a supported show, many WD/X/Q’s and the club’s first three breed seminars ever held. In addition, Jane chaired the ACC National Field Trial Specialty in NJ in the mid-80’s. She chaired the Electronics Committee and was a longtime webmaster for the club. She built webpages for both annual specialties and ensured that results and photos of those events were archived on the club’s website. Jane also served as Program Chair for the club’s Working Dog Program.

Jane has also made a significant contribution to the future of the breed by mentoring people. She welcomes anyone to pull up a chair ringside at a dog show or in the gallery at a hunt test. Jane is a natural teacher and anyone who has ever been lucky enough to sit with Jane has walked away with a deeper understanding of our breed. Additionally, Jane encourages everyone to join the ACC and to serve the club.

What can we all learn from Jane about stewardship of our breed?

• Breed for a dual-purpose dog and then go out and show the world what they can do.
• Work hard for your club so that your club can best serve the breed you love.
• Give your time freely to anyone who wants to learn about Chesapeakes so that your breed has a strong future.

Submitted by Gina Downin