THOSE FEW BRIEF YEARS of the Markovo breeding programme produced a wealth of excellent young stock, some of which went on to become the keystones of modern Seppala lineage while others, equally fine, quietly disappeared without leaving a mark, their genetic potential forever unfulfilled.
![Mia, Mokka, and Minka of Markovo with J. Jeffrey Bragg in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in the fourth year of the Markovo rescue.](sssd_images/mpupsmkv.jpg)
MIA, MOKKA and MINKA, 1974
![Markovo's Maraq in the last year of the Markovo Kennels rescue project.](sssd_images/maraqmkv.jpg)
THE MARKOVO M-LITTER (by VANKA OF SEPPALA out of FROSTFIRE ANISETTE) had tremendous influence almost entirely through MOKKA. MARAQ, though a fine dog, was little used, while MARKO and his sisters MIA and MINKA left no genetic heritage to the Seppalas of today.
HELEN OF MARKOVO turned out to be virtually the mother of the SSSD breed, while her sister HOLLY was only cross-strained and brother HAAKON was used at stud just once, by me. In order to lease DUSKA OF SEPPALA for her one litter by DITKO OF SEPPALA, I was obliged to let her owner have four of the seven pups in the litter, so none of those contributed to Seppala strain.
![Haakon of Markovo as a youngster in 1971.](sssd_images/haakon.jpg)
![Helen of Markovo in 1973 at Oxford Station, ON.](sssd_images/helenmkv.jpg)