WHIPPET PHOTO BY EVELYN SHAFER
Many of the Grayarlin staff moved on to successful careers in various aspects of the sport . Four won Best in Show at Westminster as handlers ( Mark Threlfall , Kathy Kirk , Scott Sommers , Doug Holloway ). Several judged at the Garden and at many other impressive events around the world . In addition to handlers and judges , others became prominent breeders , AKC officers and staff , dog writers , television commentators , a few Winkie winners and one veterinarian ( Dr . Elliott More ). The University of Grayarlin . Once you worked there , you always worked there . The last day I worked there was Monday , September 26 , 2016 . I ’ m certain the other Grayarlin graduates share the same sentiment .
It Was More Than the Dogs
We learned a lot about dogs at Grayarlin , but we also learned a lot about life . Bob was far more than a great dog man . He could talk knowledgeably about anything from current and world events to history , sports and politics . He loved to read , and his interests were wide and varied . There is so much to say about his life before Grayarlin , before most of us knew him : his brilliant and impressive time in the military , his work with war dogs , his first kennel with the late , great Roy Holloway ( father of the one and only Douglas R . Holloway , Jr .) and so much more .
I don ’ t know much about those years , but I do know that in the 50 years I knew him , he meant more to me than any other man besides my father . I ’ m not the only one to think of Bob as my “ other father ,” and I ’ m not the only one who will be forever grateful for the things he taught us in and beyond the sport . He taught me about dignity , integrity , standing up for what you believe in and how to move past the mistakes we all make . He taught me about a passion for dogs , the best of care for every single one of them , and he taught me the importance of learning as much as you can about the real world outside of the sport . On the road , after the dogs were settled , we were expected to be clean , on time and present at dinner with Bob , Jane and the clients . You learned when to speak and when to listen — there was a lot of listening . He even taught us about table manners . Was it Bob or Janie who would remind us to sit up straight with a little tap on the shins under the table ?
A Heart of Gold
Yes , Bob was tough . Yes , he did stitch up his own leg with a needle and thread when he cut it on an axe , and yes he liked things done his way . Under that exterior , though , was a heart of gold that he didn ’ t always like to show , a generational thing I suppose . Fortunately , he cracked open that door a little more over the last few years .
Losing his wife , Janie , “ mother ,” was so sad for so many of us , but for Bob , it was absolutely devastating . Bob was without Janie for a little more than a year , clearly the most difficult time in his storied life . Over the summer , Bob and I had a few good long phone calls . Like many of us , I wish I ’ d called more often , but I
am grateful for those last few calls and for Sioux ’ s help in doing so . Those last conversations started with a few current events and some talk about dogs but always ended with how much he missed Janie . She meant the world to him , as he did to her . You could say they depended on each other , I guess , but it was certainly not in a needy way ; it was a caring and special way that grew over time .
Bob and Jane ’ s daughter , Sioux , was there by his side in his last months . Anyone around could see and feel his pride and love for Sioux from the day she was born . While he may have tried his best to let his tough exterior cover it sometimes , he unconditionally loved every inch of ground Sioux walked on . How wonderful that the time they had together allowed Sioux to see even more of the love and pride he held for her in his heart .
There are many who spent more time with Bob than I did over the years . There were many whose lives he touched in and out of the sport . A bunch of us were the lucky ones , fortunate enough to get to know the whole man , not just the dog man . I loved Bob Forsyth , and I ’ m so very proud to have known him , to have learned from him , so proud to call him a friend . How comforting that he spent his last moments with his family , and how appropriate that his Whippet , Birdie , was at his side . If there is solace , it ’ s knowing he ’ s with his beloved Janie now , where he very much longed to be .
Top : The Whippet Eng . Am . Ch . Courtenay Fleetfoot of Pennyworth going BIS with Bob Forsyth . Above : Jane , Sioux and Bob Forsyth .
DECEMBER 2016 DOGS IN REVIEW 89