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​​Ponderosa Sapphire Sky Dalmatians, now also known as Sapphire Dalmatians, is owned by Linda Daly, who first named the kennel in 2014, as she lives in a Ponderosa forest.  There is a gem in the Rockies called the Ponderosa Sapphire, which inspired her to rename her kennel, as the first name has been a little long for most registered names of Dals, so in 2025 she shortened the name to Sapphire Dalmatians.  Sapphire Dalmatians is home to visiting kids, grandkids, a cat two horses, two veteran Russell Terriers and three Dals.  Current Dals include a veteran, a Foundation Dam and male stud.  Our Foundation Dam is MBISS GCHG Dakota Snowood Secret Wish BN CGC DCAT.

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Linda Daly grew up on a farm in Kansas with Dalmatians her parents owned, Debbie and April, black and white females.  Linda's paternal grandparents owned a male and female liver Dalmatian pair, Beau and Sadie.  Linda Daly always loved Dals and could not wait to have them in her life again as an adult.   Their Sapphire Dalmatians past and present have always been beloved family members. 

 

In 1986, Linda Daly purchased a pet quality female descended from CH Fireman's Freckled Friend ROMX named Nicky, aka Nicole of Arapahoe.   CH Fireman's Freckled Friend ROMX was a famous distant ancestor of all Sapphire Dals.  HIs Grand Sire was the well-known CH Coachman Chuck-A-Luck ROMX, whose known ancestry in Sapphire Dalmatian's Foundation Dam extends to the American Tatoo and Tally-Ho lines in the early 20th century and late nineteenth century in England. 

 

Linda and her husband Stephen raised Nicky with their young children, aged 7 and 3 upon having Nicky join the family.  The Daly family was given a pedigree for her but did not register her with AKC.  They were living in Colorado at the time and not too long after moved to an east bay suburb of San Francisco.  

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In 2000, Linda Daly went to a well-known Dalmatian kennel and purchased a male pet quality Dal from Aberdeen Dalmatians, bred by Denise Powell.   He was named Apache and was a beautiful patched Dal, whose formal name was Aberdeen's Apache Tears and on AKC paperwork Jones puppy #5.  If not for his patch, he would have been a champion, as he had lovely conformation and spots.  Five of his littermates went on to become champions.  Many people told Linda Daly that he was the best-looking Dalmatian that they had ever seen.

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Apache's Sire was Sawyer, whose AKC name was CH Aberdeen Sawyer Brown (L) ROMX, also bred by Denise Powell.   Sawyer was owned by John and Kristine Benoit in Illinois.  With Apache a tradition of all the Daly Dals at what was to be known as Sapphire Dalmatians having Sawyer heritage. Eventually wwe were connected back to Dakota Dalmatians and the familiar name of Kristine Benoit in getting our Foundation Dam.  Additionally, Apache's Dam was Sapphire Dalmatian's Foundation Dam's namesake, CH Aberdeen Lady Mandoline.  She was a 5th generation ancestor of her Dam and was a littermate named Piper, whose AKC name was CH Aberdeen's Magic Flute.   Note the famed  Brackett formula for successful breeding includes as one step the idea that it is important to have one or more Common Ancestors from the 3rd or 4th generation in both the Sire and dam pedigree to build type.​

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In 2002, a half- sister to Apache joined Sapphire Dalmatians, a pet quality Dalmatian, who loved all dogs and people more than any Dalmatian the Daly family had ever met.  Their new female Dal's name was Franchesca, whose AKC name was Aberdeen's Franchesca Blues.   She had the same Dam as Apache and her Sire was CH Firebuster's Comic Relief, ROM.  Cash and Lily's Dam had heritage behind Sawyer.   Sawyer's Sire, CH Madurhason Yazoo ROM was a Grandson of Am CH/Can CH Madurhason Tanfastic (L)  and Madurhason's The Breakers.  Those ancestors appeared three times in CH Aberdeen's Lady Mandoline's pedigree, though not Ch Aberdeen Sawyer Brown himself.      

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In 2005, the Daly family relocated back to Colorado and bought a home in a rural setting, north of Colorado Springs, where Apache and Franchesca lived the rest of their lives.  In 2014, Linda Daly acquired two new Dalmatians, male and female littermates, who were Show Dalmatians from Monumental Dalmatians.   The male Monumental Dal, named Cash, passed in 2022.   His AKC name was GCH CH Monumental Always a Rockstar at Ponderosa Sky.  His littermate, named Lily, is still living at Sapphire Dalmatians.  She earned a DCA Versatility award and her AKC name is CH Monumental Always Up to Something RN BN RI CGCA CAX and FCAT. 

 

Both Cash and Lily have Sawyer heritage in their pedigree and are Great-Grand pups of a Dal named Ian, whose DCA titles include DCA All Time Top Dal MBIS MBISS Top 20 Winner and his AKC name is GCHP Spotlight Ruffian ROMX.  All of Sapphire Dalmatian's subsequent breeding stock and proposed Sires go back not only to third or fourth generation Common Ancestor Sawyer but Mandoline's Great Grand SIre Gryffin and his parents.  The Sire is on the DCA All Time MBISS list  and his AKC name is CH Spotlight Scandalous and Dam is on DCA All Time Top Dal list.  Her AKC name is CH Spotlight Spontaneous ROMX.   Cash and Lily's Sire was GCH CH Rockstar's Coldplay CGC and their Dam was GCH CH Monumental Highly Resembles a Rockstar (L) CD  BN RN TD CA THDX CGC, however they are not Common Ancestors of any prospective Sires.    ​

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Sapphire Dalmatians Dals from Monumental Dalmatians were bred by Tana and BJ Rugg and co-owned with Tana Rugg.  Tana kept Lily her first nine months, to avoid Cash and Lily developing littermate syndrome.  Tana mentored Linda Daly to join a local AKC All Breed club, Colorado Springs Kennel Club, the Greater Denver Dalmatian club, network with other dog fanciers and support DCA.  Tana and a good friend of hers, showed Lily to her championship.  

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Tana and BJ later bred a litter-mate of Cash and Lily named Savvy, whose AKC name was Monumental It’s Always Better with Chocolate BN RI TD CA FAT THD GC TKI with Nate, Sapphire Dalmatians future Foundation Dam's Sire, whose AKC name was All Time Top Dal, MBIS MBISS Top 20 Winner GCHP Dakota Into the Woods, bred and owned by John and Kristine Benoit.

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Tana encouraged Linda Daly to consider another puppy of that heritage, when she and her husband began to look at acquiring another Show Dalmatian.  This along with the Daly family previous experience with owning Apache, a son of Sawyer and our Monumental Dals with the Common Ancestry of Ian's parents, led Linda and Stephen Daly to Sapphire Dalmatian's Foundation Female with confidence.

 

The Daly family lives only a few miles from Tana and BJ and had seen how Cash and LIly's beautiful littermate, Savvy, GCHS MonumentaI's It's Always Better With Chocolate (L), in a single litter produce with Nate, two Top 20 males, professionally handled Cooper, whose AKC name is GCHS Monumental's Oh Danny Boy (L) owned by Leah Levins and Tana Rugg and owner-handled Finn, whose AKC name is GCHS Monumental's Kissin' The Blarney Stone owned by Jann Rhodes and Leslie Smith, as well as Tana's keeper, Roisin, GCHS Monumental' Shenanigan (L).  Roisin is a DCA Versatility award winner and AOM winner, with many performance titles.   Cooper in conjunction with CH Artisan n Cimarron Talk of the Town bred by Barbara Morris and Carol Capri produced MBISS GCHG Artisan N Wildwood Aisling Runnin' Down a Dream, who was a Top 3  Dalmatian All Systems in 2023, owned by Leah Levin and Barbara Morris.

 

Sapphire Dalmatians has also been greatly assisted by their next door neighbors, AKC Award Winning Breeders and Westminster Winners, Doug and Michaelanne Johnson and his family in these endeavors, as they inspired the Dalys to show and to come to their training center.  The Johnson's son Colton and wife Heather helped show Cash to his championship and as a special,   He later guided the Dalys to handler Laura Bergstraffer, who completed his Grand Championship, in conjunction with Kat Wallis.  All of the Daly Dals and dogs, past and present, have liked to run the fence line together with Doug and Michaelanne's Old English Sheepdogs and Bouviers. 

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In addition to their Dals, the Daly family acquired from Linda Daly's father upon his death an Australian Cattle Dog named Sam, who lived the rest of his days with them and enjoyed playing with Apache and Franchesca.  Later the Dalys acquired two Russel Terriers, who are still with them, UKC CH Annabella Xmas Angel RN RI BN CD from Spanky's Kennel in Colorado in 2012 and AKC CH Rivendell Beau Bentley from Rivendell's Kennel in Canada in 2015.  Linda Daly showed Annabella to her UKC championship.  Colton Johnson showed Bentley and later Greg Strong in Maryland finished him, as his breed was new to AKC and it was extremely hard to get majors going in the Rocky Mountains for that breed. 

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​                                                    Breeding Stock

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In 2021, Linda Daly purchased Sapphire Dalmatian's Foundation Dam Mandoline, DCA All Time MBISS list GCHG Dakota Snowood Secret Wish BN CGC DCAT, 2022 #2 in Fast Cats, from breeders Kristine Benoit of Dakota Dalmatians and Meg Hennessey of Snowood Dalmatians, along with Deborah Smith.  Kristine Benoit is a co-owner.   Mandoline is the daughter of a famous Dal named Nate , whose AKC name is GCHP Dakota Into the Woods ROMX.   His many DCA Tittles include DCA Top 20, 2x DCA BOB, DCA Best in Sweepstakes, All Time DCA BIS list, DCA All Time Top Dal list and DCA All Time MBISS list.  Mandoline's Dam is CH Dakota Snowood When You Wish Upon a Star ROMX.  Daisy is a full sibling to Nate, whose AKC name is Dakota Snowood's Starry Stary Night ROMX and a DCA Top Stud tied with Nate one year and another year number one Stud on his own.

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Sapphire Dalmatian's Foundation Dam shares with the Daly's previous Dalmatians going back to 2000 , the Common Ancestor of Sawyer, as she is a Grand Daughter of Dirt, whose AKC name was MBISS GCHS Enchanted Hart Down n Dirty ROMX, whose Grand Sire was Sawyer.   Sapphire Sky's Show Dals, Cash and Lily, as previously suggested also had Common Ancestry through Mandoline's Great Grand Sire Gryffin's parents.  Gryffin was a littermate of a Dal named Ian, whose AKC name was CH Spotlight N Dakota Gryffin.   So Ian himself is not in her pedigree, however Ian and Gryffin's parents are Common Ancestors to Mandoline, through her Sire's Dam's Sire and are in Mandoline's pedigree.  While the history of the non-breeding stock may seem unnecessary, they brought first-hand knowledge and understanding of the conformation, temperament and health of the lines.

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​​Sapphire Dalmatians decided to obtain another male puppy named Sundance in 2022, as they had lost Cash.  He was bred by Amber Spradlin at CarriageHIlls Dalmatians in Maryland and is a son of famous Dals named Gram and Fury,  Gram was # 1 Dalmatian All Systems in 2024.  Fury was #5 All Systems in 2018 and 2019.  Their DCA titles of All TIme Top Dal MBIS MBISS GCHG Spotlight No Filter needed at Amethyst and DCA All Time Top Dal MBISS GCHG CarriageHills Make Way for the Furious. 

 

Sundance is a Great-Grandson  of a Dal named Dirt, previously introduced to the reader as a Grand Sire of Mandoline.  Sundance also shares with Mandoline a Common Ancestor, Dirt's Grand Sire Sawyer.
 

Sundance is also twice related to another Dal previously introduced to the reader as a Great Grand Sire of Mandoline named Gryffin, as well as Ian, as Gryffin is Ian's litermate.   Sundance's Sire Gram is a Grandson of Ian and his Dam Fury's Grand Sire Dane, Dakota Paradise Alley was sired by Ian’s littermate Gryffin.   The Sire of Fury is Siren N Dakotas' Heir to the Throne.​

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In 2024, Linda Daly obtained co-ownership of a male puppy named Fred, Enchanted Hart n Green Starr's Hold the Phone.   He is a son of DIrt and CH Enchanted Hart n Jam Up and Jelly Tight and Great Grand son of Ian.  HIs Dam was sired by the last available semen of DCA All Time Top Dal list, DCA All TIme MBISS list CH Green Starrs Colonel Joe ROMX. born in 1974.  His Grand Dam was sired by Ian's son CH Spotlight Storm Chaser ROMX.  Fred resides in Tennessee with his breeders and owners Linda Stafford and Samantha Stafford and was also bred by the late Ada Luttrell.  He is still growing up and will continue to be evaluated as a potential stud at Sapphire Dalmatians.  He did win first in his class for both Futurity and Sweepstakes at the 2025 DCA National.

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​​                                               Upcoming Two Litters

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Currently Sapphire Dalmatians hopes to have two litters of puppies with their Foundation Dam Mandoline, in fresh chilled or live breeding mating with young males with Common Sire Ancestors for linebreeding and superior Grand Sires and Grand Dams with outcrossing to bring quality and diversity.   

 

Linda Daly admires the success of the Brackett formula for her future Grand babies of her Foundation Dam at Sapphire Dalmatians, which calls to let the Sire of the Sire be the Grand Sire of the Dam.  Slight modifications or inverses of the sex in the formula can also work well.  The Brackett ideas include the importance of Superior quality males and quality outcrosses, along with study of the actual results, genetics for phenotype, health and temperament.  The presence of Common Ancestors from the 3rd or fourth generation is understood, along with the effect of distant ancestors that repeat themselves and dangers of lack of diversity.  Meanwhile it has become understood that the female can be just as important as the male in genetics, recessive genes can skip generations, some traits can be bred out and  that others can be emphasized to retain type in preservation breeding.

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The first breeding of Mandoline is being done in cooperation with Mandoline's well-known, very experienced Award of Merit breeders Kristine Benoit  of Dakota Dalmatians and Meg Hennessey of Snowood Dalmatians, along with Linda Daly at Sapphire Dalmatians.   Mandoline will be bred and puppies whelped at Sapphire Dalmatians and will be available in Colorado, where Sapphire Dalmatians is located and some will be driven to Illinois when 8 weeks of age to prospective owners in that area, as Kristine Benoit and Meg Hennessey reside there.

 

The second hoped for litter breeding plans have been developed at Sapphire Dalmatians with considered study of pedigrees, the Dalmatian standard, observation of other Dalmatians at the 2025 National and consultation with Rosie Branaman, the owner of the Prospective Sire of that breeding.  The breeding and whelping will be at Sapphire Dalmatians.

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The prospective Sire of Mandoline's first hoped for litter is named Dante and owned by James Lyons and Kristine Benoit.  Dante brings line-bred genes in his first three generations, consistent with Mandoline's more distant Common Ancestors.  The first three generations are known to produce 90% of the genes of a puppy.   Dante is a son of Ian and Grandson of Sawyer.  As Mandoline is a Grand Daughter of Dirt, Great Grand Daughter of Sawyer and Great Grand Daughter of Gryffin, Ian's littermate, such a breeding would also closely connect to the successful Bracket breeding formula.

 

Ian would be the Sire of the Sire with Dante being the Sire in the formula.  Mandoline would be a Great Grand Daughter of Gryffin, instead of a Grand Daughter, as in the formula.  Gryffin is not Ian, but a littermate.  Ian genes and those of his parents and littermate Gryffin, would be reinforced  by the fact that Ian was also the Sire of Dante's Grand Dam named Madison.  Note Dante's Dam was sired by Sawyer.  Dante's Grand Dam would bring superior outcross St. Florian and Cranbrooke genes to a breeding with Sapphire Dalmatian's Foundation Dam.   

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The prospective Sire of Mandoline's hoped for subsequent back to back or second litter, is named Boone, whose AKC name is Choco Chip n Hattrick' Home Run.  Boone is a half-sibling of Sapphire Dalmatian's Sundance through their shared Sire named Gram, who has titles of BOB at the 2025 AKC Championships in Orlando, as well as a DCA AOM and multiple top 20 Nominations.  Furthermore he is on the All Time DCA lists for MBIS, MBISS and Top Dalmatians.

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Boone's Dam is a Choco Chip liver champion whose AKC name is CH Hattrick n Choco Chip California Dreamin'.   Dante's maternal Grand Dam was named Pauli, whose AKC name was CH Paisley Choco Chip Brownie Delite (L).  She was a DCA

All Time Top Dalmatian and Top 20 winner.  Her parents, CH Paisley InspirD by Broadway ROMX and CHChoco Chip TCJ Bon Voyage ROMX are outcross Dalmatians to Mandoline, although their ancestors have some distant 6th generation or later crossover, such as Prince Hart, Troika Snow Hill As You Like It, Tuckaway Winged Foot, Tuckaway Augusta, Satin's Clown'n Around and Fireman's Freckled Friend.  ​

 

Boone is a beautiful liver and as Sapphire Dalmatians Foundation Dam is liver factored, Linda Daly would love this breeding and the possibility of adding liver Dalmatians to the kennel.  Boone is a moderate-sized dog without any known faults.  Boone is owned by Rosie Branaman and WIll and Patti Clifton.  He was bred by Rosie Branaman at Choco Chip Dalmatians and Michael and Maureen Deer at Hattrick Dalmatians. 

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​                                                 Future Generation Thoughts

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Ian would be the Grand Sire of a possible daughter of Mandoline and Dante potentially named Nightengale, with the AKC name of Sapphire's White Diamond Diva, if a girl is the keeper. 

 

The Sire of the Sire paired with a Grand Daughter could be Ian.  Nightengale could possibly then be paired with semen of offspring of Ian and a very successful Dam.  The lineage of a Dal in mind would have with Dirt and Sawyer heritage, whose AKC name is CH Spotlite Twice Is Nice ROMX.  She won Brood Bitch  at the 2023 National.  It appears that she is a littermate to Eddie, DOB 0927/2017,whose AKC name is GCHP Spotlite & Dblshot's Premier Edition RN TKN CGC ROM.  He was Winner of the 2023 Top 20 People's Choice Award & Select Dog and 2024 BOB and Stud Dog and 2025 BOB.  Her Sire is Hunter, GCHP Spotlight Where We Left Off for Amethyst, whose Sire was Dirt and his Dam was CH Spotlight Salutation.  Hunter was a Top 20 Winner.   Hunter is a Great Grand son of Sawyer and on his Dam's side a Great Grand Son of Ian.  CH Spotlite Dblshot of Pure Bliss is her Dam, whose Sire is CH Tramac Look At Me Shine CD BN CGC and Grand Sire CH Merry Go Round XKE and whose Dam is GCH Tramac & Spotlite Pure Imagination (L) the Dam sired by GCH Paisley NspirD By Broadway paired with the Dam CH Tramac Plenty of Moxie.   

 

So the Grand Sire of the Dam named Nightengale's Dam, who is named Spotlite Twice Is Nice is Dirt, while also a Grand Daughter of her Sire Ian.   A Son of Dante and Mandoline, would be a Grand Son of Dirt, as well as Ian.  So this is a version of the Bracket formula, doubled up.

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Again the Grand Sire of the Dam's Dam, who is named Spotlite Twice Is Nice is Dirt while also a Grand Daughter of her Sire Ian.   A Son of Boone and Mandoline, would have Gram as the Sire of the Sire and Ian is the Great Grand Sire on the Sire's side and Great Great Grand Sire on the Dam's side of the Sire.  Dirt is the Grand Sire of Mandoline and Great Grand Sire of her son.  Dirt is also a Grand Sire of the Dam of Gram.  The Dam would hopefully be a grand-daughter of Ian and Spotlite Twice Is Nice would again be a Grand Daughter of Ian and Dirt.  So again a version of the Bracket formula is at work doubled up.

 

GCH Spotlite Twice Is Nice is the Dam of a Dal named Luca, whose AKC name is GCHG Spotlites' Dappled Shinning Light CGC TKN; a Dal named Sterling, whose AKC name is GCHS Spotlite's Silver Bullet (L) CGC; and a Dal named Skye, whose AKC name is GCHB Spotliite's Sunrise at Horizoncrest (L), all born 04/13/2022.   All three of these Dals were Top 20 2024 Qualifiers.  Skye won WB in the 2023 DCA National and won the 2025 Top 20.   Sterling won Best Senior in Futurity at the 2023 National, and by 2025 won five BIS, was nominated to the NOHS Top 20 and won many Groups, with a #8 ranking All Systems, as well as an AOM at the 2025 National.  Luca, by 2025, achieved 4 BIS, 5 BISS, was #2 Dal All Breed and won an AOM at the 2025 DCA.  CH Spotlite Dblshot of Pure Bliss is her Dam, whose  Sire is CH Tramac Look At Me Shine and whose Dam is CH Tramac & Spotlite Pure Imagination.    

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If Sapphire Dalmatian's keeper from a Mandoline and Dante pairing is a male, he might be named Thor with a AKC name of Choco Chip, Dakota N Sapphire's Legendary Thunder.  His Sire would still be a Sire of the Sire, Ian.   Thor could possibly then be paired with a purchased daughter from offspring of one of the Ian and CH Spotlite Twice Is Nice ROMX, who goes back to Tramac lines.  The purchased female Dal might take on the name of Nightengale, Sapphire's White Diamond Diva. 

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Boone's Sire, Gram, was the #1 Dal All Systems in 2024 and is liver factored.  Gram is a Grandson of Ian and Great-Grandson of Dirt.  Dirt's Grandsire was Sawyer.  Sapphire Dalmatian's Foundation Dam is a Granddaughter of Dirt through her Sire and his Grand Sire Sawyer appears multiple times in her pedigree, as she is also a Great-Great Granddaughter of Sawyer through her Sire and a Great Granddaughter of Sawyer, as he was her Dam's Sire's Sire and her Great Grand Dam's Sire. 

 

Foundation Dam Mandoline and Boone in a pairing might result in having a daughter be named Marisol, with the AKC name of Choco Chip, Dakota N Sapphire's Tiger Eyes.    Breeding Marisol to another son of Gram would meet the Brackett formula.  The Sire of the Sire would be Gram and Sapphire's Tiger Eyes would be a Grand Daughter of Gram through her Sire Boone in a 2/3 generational pairing.   Also a breeding with a son going back to Ian and Ch Spotlite Twice is Nice would work well as Gram is a grandson of Ian to bring in linebred strengths.  A son of Boone and Mandoline might be called Sapphire's Tropical Tiger Surprise with the call name of Henri.