This little woman is a great lady in the world of the Great Danes. Her selection is famous on the 5 continents, just like her judgement as an international judge.
Marie Josée Labrousse is an unavoidable person in the world of the Great Danes. With all the dogs born at her kennel, she can boast more than 400 champion titles throughout the world. A list of achievements that very few French breeders can boast of too. She agreed to answer our questions, and so we get a chance to know better this woman, who’s seen almost half a century of Great Danes selection.
Marie Josée Labrousse: Well, I actually did my first steps hung at the neck of a Great Dane! That was the beginning of a story that will never end. My mother, Mrs Mérat – a name that all those implied in the breed have in mind – often found me in the middle of a group of Great Danes, like a rugby ball in the middle of a scrum. Picture of the German stud Dieter Vom Eimtereck.
Marie Josée Labrousse: My family was naturally crucially important. My mother was the President of the French breed club – the Doggen Club de France – for more than 30 years. She played a major part for the recognition and love of the breed in France. My father was a veterinarian, and he shaped me. I could say I chose my family before becoming involved in the future of the breed.Picture of the brindle bitch Orore de Terbel, issued from one of Marie Josée’s first litters, in 1965.
Marie Josée Labrousse: After WWII, there were almost no Great Danes left in France. My mother had found again a bitch, which she had given before the war broke out. With this bitch and other imported dogs, she started breeding again. In the 50’s, I was very impressed by a beautiful bitch (picture below); Mum had imported her from Germany a few years after… She was the first Great Dane of mine, and because of her quality, I could only be tempted to breed myself. She had everything I liked in the breed: she was more than beautiful, she was really great, with so many qualities, and she was so harmoniously built. And what was more, she was very clever, far above average. For instance, she knew how to simulate what I expected from her. She was truly an exceptional bitch. She could be winning nowadays. She had won the most prestigious titles. She had won the titles of French and International Champions in 1955. That’s why I say that there’s been almost no qualitative improvement in the type for the last 50 years. There only was a quantitative increase. The name of this extraordinary bitch was Zinga Von Kuerenberg (Baldur Von Der Burg Nurnberg x Yrvi Von Kuerenberg), and she can be found in the ascendancy of all my current fawn and brindle dogs.
Marie Josée Labrousse: I began breeding in 1964, after I settled at Jumeaux, in the French region of Auvergne. I was lucky that Zinga, which was then aged 7, gave birth to a beautiful litter. She gave birth to an excellent bitch, Lessie, which was just like her mother French and International Champion. Lessy was also a great reproducer, as she gave birth in 1965 to my first Bundessieger – Federal German Champion – the dog Ombre de Terbel (Ch Logos de la Templerie x Ch Lessie de la Templerie). Ombre won the title in Germany in 1996 and 1968, as well as the title of International Champion. Terbel was the name of my first kennel, which I gave up after my divorce.
Then for a period of 6 years, I bred under my mother’s affix, De La Templerie. I gave my mother Runy, which was her second Bundessiegerin, and I bred the beautiful and unforgettable Champion Vahiné de la Templerie (Ch Steff de Tapendiola, a son of d’Ordos de Terbel, half borther of Ombre and Ch Sirène de la Templerie), the mother of many champions, among which was the famous stud Phales des Terres de la Rairie, a great dog born in 1979. Let’s not forget to mention his litter sister Perlane des Terres de la Rairie, which won the title of World Champion in Dortmund, Germany, in 1981.
Marie Josée Labrousse: There were very few beautiful dogs at that time, only a few exceptional subjects, among which was Zinga Von Kuerenberg. After WWII, there were beautiful dogs in Germany, among which was the famous line of the Paladin (Picture of Almont Paladin), which produced many German Champions.
Marie Josée Labrousse: Although I started breeding in 1961, and was appointed judge by the Doggen Club de France the same year, I started with my current affix only in 1972. Well, only in 1972 , that’s already 30 years ago. (She laughs.) And I never gave up this name. Picture of a young blue puppy from the 2001 generation.
Marie Josée Labrousse: That’s completely right. Iamos des Terres de la Rairie was born in 1963, and he was French, European, and Club Champion, as well as Bundessieger. He was issued from two Danes from the de la Templerie kennel, Ch Viking (Steff de Tapendiola x Sirene de la Templerie) and Ch Umbra (Varus Von Harlequin x Sirene de la Templerie). He was also the father of many great champions, especially in German kennels. But Iamos was not issued from my first litter, as before him I had had a litter of blue dogs, from Sacha de la Templerie.
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