TONYA is a Seppala Kennels homebred, sired by XPACE OF SEPPALTA (by Uelen's Ebony of Sepp-Alta ex Dynamikos Ruby) out of RIVER VIEW'S SPRITE (by Peter of Sepp-Alta ex Powder of Markovo). She developed rather strangely; at three or four months she was so stocky and compact that I called her "my little show puppy;" then as a yearling she became super-skinny, and became known as "Tonner the Twig." Throughout all the changes she maintained a terrifyingly strong attitude: as a youngster she felt compelled both to run and to make her way to the pinnacle of the kennel's social hierarchy.
As she came into her prime, TONYA ran with our best leaders, SEPALLEO and SEPALLOP. Particularly when paired with LLOP, we found that putting Tonner at lead in any given team would probably cut an average of five minutes off the total time of an eight-mile run. It was TONYA who first proved to us that the Russian-cross Z-litter could run as fast as our pure Markovo-Seppalas if they were hooked with a high-attitude front end. (Previously we had mostly run them with our slower utility leaders.)
TONYA grew in trustworthiness and reliability as she matured. Unlike her frequent running-mate SEPALLOP who was stubborn and sometimes persistent in his refusal to correct an error, Tonner proved compliant and cooperative, always trying to do a better job.
TONYA has known heavy responsibilities all her life. Although her career is not yet over, her main focus now is training her successors and enjoying her unquestioned status as Queen Bitch of Seppala Kennels. She has done her final stint in the whelping box, giving us a pair of "Russian Princes," (Prince Ivan and Prince Igor) and it would seem that she has already helped train a new leader in LIZAVETA who may eventually be every bit her equal. For all all you have done for us and all that you may yet do, Ton-Tonamera, Noble Lady, Gorgeosa, your old Bossie thanks you from the bottom of his heart!
Excerpts from the Seppala Kennels training log:
- "TONYA’s name should be "Straight Arrow" these days, just total attention to running, head down and straight ahead." (19 March 1995)
- "TONYA as usual frantic to go, wild at hookup." (21 March 1995)
