Site Owned by:   Nancy and Whitney Coombs

of

 Maranatha Great Pyrenees

In the late 1960's Nancy and I began our search for a Great Pyrenees. We spent three years contacting all the leading kennels, visiting many of them, and watching the Pyrenees breed classes at local dog shows. By 1972 we knew that we wanted to get a Quibbletown bitch from Edith and Seaver Smith. That year also happened to be the 10th anniversary of our marriage. To celebrate that occasion, we considered two options: return to Bermuda, the scene of our honeymoon, or buy our first Great Pyrenees. We have never been back to Bermuda.

We started Maranatha Great Pyrenees in New Jersey. Over the years we have bred and exhibited our dogs on a limited basis, producing one or two litters each year. Atari (Ch. Maranatha Space Commander), one of my favorite house dogs, was whelped in New Jersey and went on to become Winners dog t the 1985 GPCA National Specialty and Nancy showed him to Best of Breed at the 1987 National. That same year we relocated our kennel to a 200 acre farm outside historic Gettysburg, PA.

There are presently about 20 Great Pyrenees in our planned breeding and showing program at Maranatha, ranging in age from young puppies to 12 year old senior citizens.   In addition to Atari, we have won Winners Dog at the National with Cory (Ch. Maranatha Cormoryn O'Brygyn) in 1994, Cory's son Dickens (Ch Maranatha Pyreau's C Dickens) in 1999, and Dickens's daughter Lizzie (Ch. Maranatha Bizzie Lizzie) won Winners Bitch at the 2001 National. We also have four Pyrenean Shepherd Dogs, the breed that was used in France to herd the flocks that the Great Pyrenees guarded.

2004 marks my 30th year as a member of the GPCA. During those years I have served on the Board of Directors for 18 years in a variety of different capacities. Presently I am involved with the club's judges education committee.