ShowSight Interviews: David Murray, Players Tibetan Terriers BY ALLAN REZNIK continued
I walked in and one of the first dogs I saw was a Tibetan Terrier. I wasn’t sure what breed it was as they had only been recognized by the AKC in 1973 and none were ever shown around the Midwest at the shows I had attended. I talked to a couple of breeders, watched the breed judging and was hooked right back in! I began trying to find a show-potential puppy, met Sue Vroom, and she and Corky helped me get started back in the sport. It was not easy. It took three or four attempts at training different dogs to finally find something to at least fin- ish. After that, it took more time to find something to breed. I really only ever intended to breed something I would be proud to show and never intended to set a type or begin any sort of extensive breeding program. I always said I was an exhibitor first, then a breeder. But I had a vision of what I wanted this breed to be and in order to accomplish this, I needed to breed it myself. I don’t think we give enough credit to our rank-and- file exhibitors; those who may not have bred their dogs themselves but put the time, effort, blood, sweat and tears into
raising, training and conditioning their dogs themselves. It seems to me this is one reason we may be failing. Praises are often given to breeders, handlers and even owners, but owner-handlers are often overlooked. Having said that, I was taught in the beginning that I would need a better dog, that was bet- ter trained and conditioned than the professional handler’s dog to be recog- nized and be competitive, and I took that advice to heart. Like I said, I went through the heart- ache of raising several young TT pup- pies before ever setting foot in the ring. I didn’t just show what I had; I set out to find a good one to start with. Then I had to learn to groom. I received a lot of advice from people like Roberta Lombardi who knew far more about coat care than I would ever hope for. There was lots of trial and error, lots of mistakes along the way. I now consider myself a decent, not great, conditioner. I look at and admire many of my competi- tors’ work in this area, as well as train- ing. I realize I will never know every- thing and always try to keep an open
mind and eye as far as self improvement goes. For me, the challenge and the fun come from molding and shaping a young dog that I like, whether I bred it or not, into the full adult version of the breed that I hold in my mind’s eye. That is what has kept my interest going in the sport for more than 50 years.
Who were your mentors in
the sport? My original mentors were Dick and Ludell Beckwith, Sue MacMillan and Connie Gerstner (Miller). In Tibetan Terriers, besides Corky and Susan Vroom and Roberta Lombardi, my early mentors were Bette LaPoca, Laurel Mac- Minn and Diane DeLaRosa. We all com- peted together and were a tight-knit group in the late ‘80s and ‘90s around Southern California. I would also like to thank all my co-owners and co-breeders who were involved in the beginning, as well as currently. None of this would have been possible without a group of dedicated, like-minded people to share the experi- ence with. Some of those people were Len and Cathleen Schweitzer, Judi and Louis Krokover, Laurel MacMinn and, most recently, much appreciation goes to my co-owners Janet Krynzel, Brian Leonard and Anthony DiNardo. Your Tibetan Terriers are inter- nationally known, highly successful and well respected. What breeding philosophies do you adhere to? My breeding philosophies are pret- ty simple and straightforward. I try to keep some pedigree compatibility, breed type to type, try to offset faults and enhance virtues.
“I REALLY ONLY EVER INTENDED TO BREED SOMETHING I WOULD BE PROUD TO SHOW AND NEVER INTENDED TO SET A TYPE OR BEGIN ANY SORT OF EXTENSIVE BREEDING PROGRAM.”
176 • S how S ight M agazine , O ctober 2018
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