In 1931 Basquaerie brought to the United States from France the first Great Pyrenees for the purpose of establishing the breed in America (Urdos and Anie);
In 1932 Basquaerie exhibited the first Great Pyrenees in American
Kennel Club competition, in Miscellaneous Class (Urdos);
In 1932 Basquaerie brought to the United States from France the young adult bitch Blanchette to be the dam of America's first Great Pyrenees litter as Anie had been lost to distemper;
In 1933 the Great Pyrenees was formally recognized by the American Kennel Club as a pure-bred breed eligible to complete in all AKC competition, this due in large part to the efforts of Mary and Francis Crane towards achieving this recognition;
In 1933 Basquaerie became a registered kennel name with the American Kennel Club, the first Great Pyrenees kennel to register a kennel name;
In 1933 Basquaerie bred the first litter of Great Pyrenees born in the United States (Urdos x Blanchette);
In 1934 Basquaerie showed the first Great Pyrenees to become an American Kennel Club Champion (Urdos);
In 1934 a Basquaerie Great Pyrenees becomes the first of the breed to win the Working Group (Patou);
In 1938 Basquaerie earned the first ever Obedience degree on a Great Pyrenees in American Kennel Club competition (Koranne);
In 1939 Basquaerie exhibited the first Great Pyrenees to be awarded an all-breed Best In Show in American Kennel Club competition (K'Eros);
Basquaerie imported the finest dogs in all of France to the United States (Estat, Estagel, and others);
Basquaerie imported the finest bloodlines in all of France to the United States (de Soum, Langladure, d'Argeles, du Val D'Aure);
Basquaerie preserved the finest Great Pyrenees dogs and bloodlines in the world from the ravages and hostilities of WW II in Europe;
Basquaerie imported nearly 60 Great Pyrenees from France and Europe to the United States, representing more than 10 distinct bloodlines or kennels and a diverse population of Great Pyrenees;
Basquaerie established the world's largest kennel of Great Pyrenees dogs and diverse bloodlines prior to World War II;
Basquaerie provided show and breeding foundation stock to many of America's early Great Pyrenees kennels;
Basquaerie Great Pyrenees were exported to many countries as show and breeding foundation dogs;
Over 125 Basquaerie owned or bred Great Pyrenees were awarded American Kennel Club Championships.
Also At Basquaerie:
In 1934 the Great Pyrenees Club of America was planned, organized, and formally founded as the "parent club" of the Great Pyrenees breed, resulting in the American Kennel Club "voting in" the GPCA as a member club in 1935;
In 1936 the first Great Pyrenees breed history book in the English language was compiled and written;
In 1937 The Great Pyrenees Club of America held it's 1st Annual Sanction Show on the grounds of Basquaerie;
The outstanding collection of Great Pyrenees art by prominent dog artists Edwin Megargee, Helen Wilson Sherman, and the artist Fath, was commissioned and assembled;
AND
Basquaerie bred or exhibited over 50 English Cocker Spaniels;
Pyrenean Sheepdogs, the Berger des Pyrenees of France, were imported by Basquaerie with an eye toward launching the breed in America;
In 1935 Basquaerie exhibited the first Pyr Shep to be shown at an American Kennel Club dog show.
This original article appeared on a website we designed and authored
as a Basquaerie Great Pyrenees tribute and memorial website.
Select pages from our Basquaerie website have been relocated to this website.
