Frank and Brigitte acquired their first Swissy in 1987 in Switzerland. Gerry v. Burg Schwaertzenberg "Bello" accompanied them to their final foreign service overseas assignment in Morocco prior to Frank's retirement in 1989. Bello died in a car accident on Christmas eve 1989 when he wandered through an unfinished part of the fence onto Highway C.
This first Swissy was followed in 1990 by another Swiss import, Ch. Prinz von Vorderbirch who was also named Bello in honor of his predecessor who introduced the Rhineharts to this wonderful breed. Bello was followed by many other Swiss and American Swissys. However, he is truly the dog who laid the foundation for the Brush Creek Swissys. Without him, Brigitte might not have gotten involved in the breed as much as she is today. In early 1993, this handsome dog caught the eye of Cathy Cooper of Shadetree Kennels, a well-known Swissy breeder in Virginia who encouraged Brigitte to let her show Bello (this fine dog died in 1999 of hemangiosarcoma).
One thing led to another. A trip of Swissy enthusiasts to Switzerland in 1994 was followed by another excursion to Sweden in 1996 and another Swiss trip in 1998. From 1996 to 2002, Brigitte was a board member of the "Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America" GSMDCA and after a 6 year hiatus, joined the GSMDCA board again for the '09-10 term. Since 1996, Brigitte has also been a member of other Swissy regional clubs such as the Ozarks GSMDC, the Lake Shore GSMDC and the Southbound GSMD as well as AGSBA, the "American Greater Swiss Breeders Association", she is also the treasurer for Ozarks and AGSBA.
Brigitte currently co-owns a variable number of Swissys with other Swissy breeder friends. Her principal co-owners are:
Kathleen Borgmeyer of Landhof Swissys, her husband Henry owns and operates a 400 acre crop and cattle farm in Martinsburg MO
The Everman family, Sheila, Mike, Elizabeth, Collin and Jenna of Hans Haven in Smithville MO
The Beebe family, Kelly, Jerry, Megan and Carter of Willow Swissys in Lathrop MO
Some of our breeding Swissy females live with foster families. This is a great arrangement for the dog, the foster family and for us as breeders. The dog lives with the family in between litters and becomes its permanent pet companion after she retires which is usually between 4 and 6 years. The foster families are listed in the female section below.
Brigitte and Kathleen also co-own several Swissys with owners of Brush Creek/Landhof puppies, some of these dogs that are actively shown in AKC conformation are listed in the male and female section below.
The goal of Brush Creek Farm is to breed and raise healthy and temperamentally sound Swissys as family companions, as active working dogs for activities such as obedience, tracking, herding, weight pulling, draft and pack dog and other events, as therapy dogs and for conformation shows and breeding. Our breeding approach follows, to the extent possible in this country, the Swiss breeding regulations, which are quite strict with regard to health and temperament of the breeding stock.
Thanks to our unique location in a very rural area, we can raise and keep our Swissys very close to how these dogs were and often still are kept in Switzerland. We do not need to confine or kennel our dogs (exceptions are bitches in season, "lovesick" males, brood bitches and their pups), they have access at all times to the approx. 6 acres of fenced in area around the house and the farm outbuildings.
Health clearances: You can access the OFA data of each dog by clicking on the link in "Health clearances". We hope to eventually also be able to provide a link to the PennHIP data which is not available at this time.
Note: Register of Merit ROM: Males must have 10 and females 5 AKC champion offspring to qualify for this title
Whelped: 7/2/2015;
Health clearances: PennHIP OFA shoulders, hips, elbows & eyes
Breeder: Maria Jensen
Owners: Kelly Beebe & Brigitte Rhinehart
Gilbert lives with the Beebe family in Lathrop MO and occasionally spends time at Brush Creek Farm
Whelped: 8/1/2013;
Health clearances: PennHIP OFA hips, elbows, shoulders & eyes
Breeder: Irena Ambrosova, Czech Republic
Owners: Brigitte Rhinehart, Anna Hansen & Carol Jana
Globi lives with the Jana family in Illinois
Whelped: 12/11/2013;
Health clearances: PennHIP OFA hips, elbows, shoulders & eyes
Breeder: Ruud & Maurice Blezer, The Netherlands
Owners: Kathleen Borgmeyer & Brigitte Rhinehart
Waylon currently lives with Kathleen & Henry Borgmeyer in Martinsburg MO
Whelped: 5/1/2017;
Health clearances: PennHIP OFA hips, elbows, shoulders & eyes
Breeder: Juanita Jones
Owners: Brigitte Rhinehart, Kathleen Borgmeyer & Erin Kaminski
Luke lives with the Kaminski family in Linn Creek MO
Whelped: 6/21/2008;
Health clearances: PennHIP OFA hips, elbows, shoulders & eyes CERF
Breeder: Nancy Sturgis
Owners: Kathleen & Henry Borgmeyer
Robert lives with the Borgmeyers in Martinsburg MO kborgmeyer@windstream.net
Whelped: 4/27/2016;
Health clearances: PennHIP OFA shoulders & eyes, OFA prelims hips & elbos
Breeder: Brigitte Rhinehart & Kathleen Borgmeyer
Owners: Brigitte Rhinehart & Kathleen Borgmeyer
Gracie makes her home between the Borgmeyers in Martinsburg and Brush Creek Farm
Whelped: 4/8/2017;
Health clearances: PennHIP OFA shoulders & eyes, OFA prelims hips & elbows
Breeder: Brigitte Rhinehart & Kathleen Borgmeyer
Owners: Brigitte Rhinehart & Kathleen Borgmeyer
Jeanie makes her home between the Borgmeyers in Martinsburg and Brush Creek Farm
Whelped: 7/8/2017;
Health clearances: OFA shoulders, hips, elbows & eyes
Breeder: Brigitte Rhinehart & Kathleen Borgmeyer
Owners: Jessica Kalupa, Brigitte Rhinehart & Kathleen Borgmeyer
Kip lives with Jessica Kalupa & Mary Beth Usery at Suma Kennels in Marshfield MO
Whelped: 10/6/2017;
Health clearances: PennHIP OFA shoulders & eyes, prelims hips & elbows
Breeder: Brigitte Rhinehart & Kathleen Borgmeyer
Owners: rigitte Rhinehart & Kathleen Borgmeyer
Kat makes her home between Brush Creek Farm and the Borgmeyers in Martinsburg MO
Whelped: 5/11/2015;
Health clearances: OFA hips, elbows, shoulders & eyes
Breeder: Brigitte Rhinehart & Kathleen Borgmeyer
Owners: Eric Showalter & Deborah White
Jessie lives with Eric and Debbie on a small farm in Spencer Indiana.
Arbaz was born in Germany on 3/14/99 and died 5/7/08 on Brush Creek Farm.
He arrived at Brush Creek Farm a few months after Bello's passing and remained with us all his life. Of his 135 offspring from 16 litters, most went on to live the life of cherished family companions. But the owners of 10 Arbaz babies also got involved in AKC conformation. Those pups became champions, thus putting Arbaz into the GSMDCA Register of Merit.
Arbaz was a great Swissy and we still miss him very much.
Zandra was born 2/6/1997 and died 9/15/08
She lived with Gerald and Lois Neher in Anna IL except when she came to Brush Creek Farm to have her babies. Of her 43 offspring from 5 litters, 7 became AKC champions thus inducting her into the GSMDCA Register of Merit. But first and foremost, Zandra was the Nehers beloved canine family companion until she succumbed to the rigours of old age at almost 11 1/2 years.
Patrick was born 9/17/1992 and died on 3/3/2004
As most of his offspring were placed in show homes, he has numerous AKC champions.
Bello was born 3/27/90 in Switzerland and died on Brush Creek Farm 1/3/99.
He was the Brush Creek Farm Swissy foundation male but above all, he was a much loved family companion and the reason why Brigitte got involved in Swissys and eventually became a breeder.
Bello came to this country before the breed was recognized by the AKC and achieved his AKC championship shortly after AKC recognition in July 1995.
