Showsight September 2018

Showsight Interviews: Richard Eichhorn...

BY ALLAN REZNIK continued

the AKC. A multi BOB winner at West- minster, he holds the record as the only Tibetan Mastiff with a Group placement at the Garden (2009). 7. Please comment positively on your breed’s present condition and what trends might bear watching. I never thought I would live to see the day when the Tibetan Mastiff would hold such a global center stage. There was such a scarcity of bloodlines in the ‘70s and ‘80s, then a boon of new lines in the ‘90s via Taiwan, only to experi- ence a genetic deluge of DNA out of China/Tibet in the last decade. Com- bine that with the social media access and international exchanges of blood- lines and the feared extinction of the breed, post-1959 Chinese occupation of Tibet, that did not come to pass. New genes and a bounty of lines are every- where to be found and now it is the job of dedicated and educated breeders to sort through it all while embracing the historic Tibetan ideal. The pendulum is swinging back to a more balanced and functional working dog. 8. The sport has changed greatly since you began as a breeder-exhib- itor. What are your thoughts on the state of the fancy and the declining number of breeders? How do we encourage newcomers to join us and remain in the sport? Breeds and organizations go through seasons of change and people get involved and participate at different lev- els. My first 27 years in the breed were

in the rare-breed world, while the last 13 years have been filled with all things AKC and FCI. That has been a huge change. When it comes to Tibetan Mas- tiffs, there has been a steady increase of breeders and involvement, especially in the last decade. The international, explosive phenomenon of the breed in China has gone beyond anyone’s wild- est dreams. Russia has embraced the breed fully, and has risen to top levels of competition and production of top- quality dogs in the last five years. The breed is becoming mainstream, and it is not uncommon to see Group and BIS placements on any given AKC or FCI show weekend. When it comes to this breed, it is all about encouraging the right type of newcomers, those quali- fied and experienced with very large, willful, independent dogs. Using all social media platforms to satisfy the public demand for photos and informa- tion about purebred dogs needs to be fully taken advantage of. Mentoring and forming relationships is vital to provid- ing the support that breed enthusiasts need to continue on, especially during the tough times. 9. Where do you see your breed- ing program in the next decade or two? I plan to do more of the same: Pro- ducing my signature top-quality dogs that founded breeding programs and that are competitive and successful on international levels; providing healthy, temperamentally sound family compan- ions to those seeking a large guardian

breed; and influencing the future of the breed through my judging placements. It took a long time to get here and I’m going to continue riding the wave. 10. Finally, tell us a little about Rick Eichhorn outside of dogs... your profession, your hobbies. I used to have quite a diversified life as a professional cosmetologist (35 years), a professional singer (commer- cials, touring groups, wedding singer), and a dog fancier and hobbyist. That changed dramatically after our Barnes won the breed and made the final cut of six dogs in the Working Group at Westminster in 2008, the first year the breed became eligible to compete. It was then that we decided to go whole- hog-dog, if you will, moved to a ranch in the country and entered the next phase as full-time preservation breeders. I also keep a couple of outdoor flights of Eng- lish budgies/parakeets, have a large Koi pond and enjoy family times and kara- oke on occasion. My “Big Red” child- hood dream of having a kennel in the country came true and I am so thankful for it all.

“I PLAN TO DO MORE OF THE SAME: PRODUCING MY SIGNATURE TOP-QUALITY DOGS THAT FOUNDED BREEDING PROGRAMS AND THAT ARE COMPETITIVE AND SUCCESSFUL ON INTERNATIONAL LEVELS; PROVIDING HEALTHY, TEMPERAMENTALLY SOUND FAMILY COMPANIONS TO THOSE SEEKING A LARGE GUARDIAN BREED; AND INFLUENCING THE FUTURE OF THE BREED THROUGH MY JUDGING PLACEMENTS.”

110 • S how S ight M agazine , S eptember 2018

Powered by