Kirk

Kirk's Health Testing:

AKC DNA Registration # ~ V98015
MICROCHIP ID # ~ 045 057 639

OFA Hips EXCELLENT (MF-5200E35M-PI)
OFA Elbows NORMAL (MF-EL2286M35-PI)
OFA Cardiac ~ MF-CA417/16M/P-PI
OFA Patellar ~ MF-PA533/16M/P-PI
CERF ~ normal/normal
MSU Thyroid ~ normal
VWD ~ 104 %
UPENN Cystinuria ~ negative
OPTIGEN PRA ~ negative (Homozygous Normal)
DDC Coat Length DNA ~ clear/not a carrier
CMR carrier

Frozen semen available  for breeding to health tested bitches of merit.

Critiques:

08/09
AKC and INT judge Jane Roppolo
Excellent shape for age
Overall: Very nice representative of the breed
Coat: Short/ Dense
Head: Well developed
Bite, mouth: Under
Eyes: Dark
Ears: Well set
Chest: Deep
Front angulation: Good bone
Back angulation: Strong
Top line: Near level
Tail: Well set & carried
Movement: Excellent movement for age
Rating: V1

08/09
AKC and INT judge Richard Beauchamp
Overall: Amazingly sound for his age!
Coat: Correct
Head: Very impressive
Bite, mouth: What is there is good
Eyes: Still good!
Ears: Nicely set & carried
Chest: Well developed
Front angulation: Well laid back
Back angulation: In balance with front
Top line: Still holding a good one
Tail: Well set & carried
Movement: great for this oldtimer
Rating: V1

Trenton 5/07 show
Judge Nick Waters
Veteran Dogs, 1st.
Ch Celestial James Tiberius. A lovely type that made my cut for BOB, had shape balance and size, correct head, strong neck, well developed body, adequate bone, good angles and went well.

Somerset 9/07 show
Sweepstakes Judge Jess Bahlman
Veteran Dogs
Ch Celestial James Tiberius.
Excellent movement, for any age, but especially for his age. Showed beautifully. Could use more breadth of chest, a shorter muzzle and more breadth of muzzle and skull. Nice rear, excellent topline.

____________________________________

Highlights:

With limited showing Kirk won (2010)
65 breed wins, 
11 breed wins as a Veteran, 
30 Best Veteran wins, 
13 veteran Group placements
1 Reserve Best Veteran in Show 
3 Best Veteran in Shows.
He last won Breed at the age of  10 years and 7 months to add another major toward his Grand Championship!

At age 9, Kirk was ranked #37 on the AKC Top 100 Mastiffs list for 2008!
Kirk won Best of Breed 6 times,
Best Veteran 10 times,
Veteran Group 2 once,
Veteran Group 3 once,
Veteran Group 4 once

Kirk had an excellent year showing as a Veteran in 2007. He won Best Veteran 11 times, earned 3 Group 3s and a Group 1 under respected Judge Jane Forsyth!

He also won Best of Breed in the Infodog Virtual Dog Show out of 39 mastiff entries. His beautiful daughter Bella took Best of Opposite.

Kirk won Best Veteran both days at the Connecticut Working Group show as well as an Award of Merit in Breed!  03/07

Kirk earned 1st in a nice Veterans Class at Trenton and made the cut for Breed! (114 mastiffs were entered!) 05/07

Captains Log Stardate 10.29.2011:

We are in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime storm which is only fitting as we say goodbye to our once-in-a-lifetime Mastiff, AKC/Int BVIS CH Celestial James Tiberius, CGC, “Kirk”. It gives us some comfort to think of the Heavens wailing along with us. Kirk was not our first Mastiff but he was the first in so many ways. We are so thankful to Eileen and Michael Durante for entrusting Kirk from their very first Celestial litter to us! Many people know what a wonderful showman he was. How he enjoyed the ring, the competition and all of the people who cheered him on. It was such a special part of his life. We had to be careful about even saying the word “show” in front of him. He would start dancing and singing and twirling in the hallway. We have thanked everyone who has ever clapped and hooted for him before and we hope you all feel our sincerity. It was a gift you all gave him and us as well. Whenever Kirk would show and hear the cheers he would begin to swell up with joy and that feeling would transfer right up the leash to anyone lucky enough to take a turn with him. Mostly Joe and I showed Kirk but there was no handler who ever took him that didn’t bring him back and say he was fun. He infected us with his spirit and addicted our whole family to showing.

We are thankful he got to show at Bucks and the Specialty. We even got in one more show in June where he took Select Dog with his great-grandson. His write-up from the Parade of Titleholders at the National included this:

... At the age of 11.5 Kirk has enjoyed a long and successful career. With limited showing he has won 65 breed wins, 11 breed wins as a Veteran, 30 Best Veteran wins, 13 veteran Group placements and 3 Best Veteran in Shows. He last won Breed at the age of  10 years and 7 months to add another major toward his Grand Championship!

At home he was so patient with his girls. We have photos of his head resting on the end of the highchair waiting for Veronica to feed him one Cheerio at a time. He would always snuggle with Morgan for an afternoon nap and watch over them with a keen eye whenever we were out. On more than one occasion he positioned himself over their carriage until a questionable person or dog had moved away. He could be quite a fusspot and demanded that things always be just so. He could not bear spit in the water bowl--even his own. His food needed to be stirred to prevent goober build up. He had to have his spot on couch and his toys. And of course with a woof he got his way.

He was a great trainer of puppies. Kirk did not allow any “unseemly” behavior. He was a firm believer in proper Mastiff demeanor. Even at a show if he saw pups rolling around he would stand near them and bark “none of that!”

Kirk was a momma’s boy through and through. He would sing to me and it would sound like he was saying MAAAAMA! I never wanted to show a dog until I took Kirk in for breed. He was so much fun. When we started to show in Veterans it was a great team effort for us. Special time that we really enjoyed. No interruptions just us and I am so glad that we were able to do it even as late as this past June. I will always remember our first Breed win, our first Veteran Group 1, our 3 Best Veteran in Shows, the Breed wins from the Veterans class and winning the Veteran Sweeps at Bucks.

He helped me more times than I can count. He snuggled me through bad news. He kissed me between contractions when I went into labor early with Veronica and Joe was madly racing around packing a bag. He walked with me while I soothed sick babies. And would always join in if he heard laughter.

Kirk was never sick a day in his life. I don’t believe he would have thought that proper. He was enjoying life right up until the morning he left us. He woke up with us to start the day and we realized very quickly that this was it. The whole family gathered around him— his great-grandson Spock at his feet, his grandson Bones at his back, Veronica and Morgan, Joe and myself all petting him through tears telling him how much we love him and to go easy. The girls were very brave. It was as gentle a passing as it could be.

He was such a special soul. I will miss his bossy face coming up and shoving my laptop out of the way. The way he demanded fresh water. The way he sang to me. I do not think he consider himself a dog at all. Today the snow from our once-in-a-lifetime storm is gone and so is our beloved once-in-a-lifetime Kirk.

In the words of his namesake Captain James T Kirk,

“Of my friend, I can only say this: Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most… Human.”

Boldly go — Old Man, Kirkus McGurkus, Mr Jow-li, Crankameister,  
Moldie Oldie, Kirkie — boldy go!

AKC. INT. BISV. CH Celestial James Tiberius " KIRK"
Dec. 7, 1999 — Oct. 29, 2011