About Atibox in South Africa
ATIBOX Objectives Practised in Distant South Africa
by Karin Rezewski
Boxer Blätter February 2003, translated by Ute Füglister
For 26 years I have followed with great interest and involvement the development of the Federation of Boxer Clubs of Southern Africa (FBCSA). The organization has been in existence for 42 years and consists mainly of breeders of various South African Boxer clubs, who have committed themselves to the promotion and maintenance of strict breeding principles.
In 1976 I judged the Inter-Club Championship show in Johannesburg, as the first judge from the Boxer Klub Munich, and I returned home greatly impressed. The Boxers entered under me appeared of good quality. I well recall the Best in Show, Allena’s Siovan, and the pleasing progeny of Int Ch Jandaire’s Justice of Peace, imported from Canada, as well as Int Ch Aracrest’s Courier of Holly Lane, imported from the USA.
When one takes into consideration that the nearest orientation points for the South African Boxer friends are North America and Europe, some ten thousand kilometers away, I was surprised when one day a young couple from South Africa stood at my door in Worpswede.
Ute and Franz Füglister, on recommendation of far-sighted breeders in the FBCSA, wanted to bring the then successful bloodlines of Ch Witherford Hot Chestnut into the country. This is how Wiking vom Schütting, inbred to this sire, came to South Africa in 1978.
Wiking encountered a totally unrelated genetic base there. Although he never became a winner in the show ring, he was used because, as a result of his prepotent linebred ancestors, he stamped the breed with his unequivocal family type. When in 1984 my colleague, Helmut Göbel, awarded the Wiking son, Jakkalsdans Fire & Ice, Best Dog on Show at the Northern Boxer Club Championship Show, a period of enthusiastic development followed in the FBCSA.
Wiking achieved the highest breeding awards becoming a Sire of Merit and from 1982 to 1988, a total of 7 successive years, he was Sire of the Year. He produced a total of 19 champions.
At the same time further imports were made to retain a constantly broad breeding base. Among others, Rembrandt v d Aakant from Holland and Junior World Champion Filou v Nassau-Oranien from Germany were brought to South Africa. Although both dogs brought unrelated blood they also offered a connection to Witherford Hot Chestnut.
It is understandable that during these years a great deal of interest developed for the Boxer world in Europe. Competent specialists and enthusiastic young breeders regularly visited the “Jahressieger” breed shows of the Boxer Klub Munich and the ATIBOX breed shows as well as meetings of ATIBOX. As I could follow in the annual publications of the Boxer Bulletin of the FBCSA, the impressions gained here were always seriously discussed.
Besides HD and heart examinations, which one has known for many years, disposition tests were introduced in the breeding plan of individual breeders on a voluntary basis. Since 1994, the year of international recognition through the membership of ATIBOX, all litter results are published.
As an example, according to the statistics to hand, in 2001 a total of 78 litters were registered. With 71 bitches 50 (!) different males were used. Only 6 litters were born by caeserean section. Noticeable also is the relative low number of defects (6,8% testes faults, 0,6% cleft palates, 7,8% white puppies).
In the meantime, the long serving President of ATIBOX, Mr Günter Karg, has visited this small close-knit community at the other end of the Boxer world twice as a judge. My colleague, Ralf Brinkmann, has also been there a couple of times. In his report in the Christmas edition of the Boxer Blätter he wrote that at the FBCSA’s 40th Anniversary Championship Show the majority of the dogs he judged were typey, dry and tight and not too big and heavy as seen in some of the European countries.
After I judged the Inter-Club Championship show on 16 November 2002, I can fully endorse this statement. Since the inception of the FBCSA the majority of imports at the beginning came from the USA and since the 80’s a total of 20 imports were brought into the country mainly from Europe. In this way the genetic base was always refreshed. It is therefore not surprising that the breed has been maintained in good balance. The Boxers presented to me hardly showed any extreme characteristics.
The last male imported from Germany, Ch Osiris v. Okeler-Forst has contributed considerably to the sound state of the breed. The now 10-year old son of the well-known European champion Patrick v. Stedinger-Hof descends from a granddaughter of the equally successful champion dog Gayus v. Schatzkästlein. Osiris was Sire of the Year in 2000 and 2001 and above that became a Sire of Merit.
The latest imported male from England, Ch Witherford Iced Mango, appears to me to have been brought in at the right time. Under Mr Brinkman he was the best male and was awarded Best Opposite Sex. From him and an Osiris daughter, Ch Tambay’s Dunja, two littermates were my best puppies. Over and above that I chose the 10-month old Tanyati Gotta Feeling to be the Best Bitch and awarded her Best Opposite Sex, as I wanted to draw attention to her ideal head and lovely expression. Best Dog and Best in Show went to the three-year-old Ch Jetaime’s Effendi of Hendrichristie (Ch Tambay’s Beau Regard x Ch Jetaime’s Aurora). He was presented in excellent condition and caught the eye through his elegance and outline.
Making up a champion in the FBCSA is by means of a points system. Points are awarded on a 4-2-1 basis. The first four placed dogs in each class over 12 months, that do not have a championship title, compete. My two 4 point winners left a lasting impression. They are both typical representatives of their gender. While the just 18-month-old male Tanyati Endeavour (an Osiris son out of a Witherford bitch) impressed through his stallion like appearance, the bitch Tambay’s Gabriella (Ch Tambay’s Beau Geste x Maroelani’s Ruby Doux) showed, despite her compactness, an outline of the finest. I only realized later that this male was the only one out of 110 exhibits that had an undocked tail. Later on I heard that he was the only puppy out of a litter that luckily survived a problematic whelp.
I have not regretted the exertion of the trip. On the contrary, I felt challenged, which brought a good feeling. Although the show with the very high entry and 34° C in the unaccustomed, summery heat of South Africa was no walk in the park, it was an experience that will be very difficult to surpass. It was great to be respected for my work. My thanks to all exhibitors and to the team of the FBCSA my heartiest - for the many pleasing Boxers and for the sporting, relaxed atmosphere.
