Toad was our first GSP(and George's first ever dog) and the description of her as our foundation bitch seems hardly adequate but her two litters to Ch. Stradivarius Renaissance (Reuben) form the basis of just about all the GSP's in our yard. Reuben could be said to form the other pillar of our kennel and he was imported in partnership with Valache and Sevoier Kennels. We obtained Toad from Anne and Garth Raymond's Valache Kennels in South Australia and it was clear from her first show that she would be successful. At that show in Murray Bridge her litter brother, Ch. Valache Silk Degrees (Dempsey) won Baby in Show and our Toad going Opposite Sex Baby in Show. A few years of sibling rivalry ensued. Her show career was curtailed when we went to live in the US. We subsequently moved to Brisbane where she was shown and had her second litter, the first was bred under the Valache prefix.

The following is the text of the Valediction written for Toad.

"The world has changed for us. It is with a sadness that I thought we would never know that we announce the passing of our beloved Toad. It seems but a blink of the eye since she arrived in our lives, a whirling bundle of energy that soon consumed our hearts. That first time sitting on the floor of Anne and Garth Raymond’s living room, being licked, nibbled and generally interfered with, did not foretell of the journey that we would undertake.
It is seldom that a breeder gives a complete stranger such a promising bitch, a promise that was fulfilled, and we thank Anne and Garth for the opportunity and privilege of owning and loving “our Toad”. She was such a character! At shows she would often stand at the very end of the lead while waiting to enter the ring as if she was telling the world I don’t want to go in there! Especially with him! However, once past the threshold she put most to shame. She was the consummate show dog, winning hundreds of challenge points in spite of being rather lightly shown.
While we lived in the US she stayed with Anne, Garth and Katie and found Garth’s speedway car just the best place to sleep! The most hilarious episodes in her life involved Toad and Dempsey’s quest for the brain cell, often shared but seldom lost.
Those that knew Toad will appreciate her legacy. She passed on her most endearing qualities to her offspring. It is in these that her true worth is displayed. Her two litters producing seven champions, one of which went on to become a Grand Champion. A producer in every sense of the word!
We miss her!"