Showsight January 2017

I was more familiar with their vehicles than they were in those days. The shows in the western states required more traveling time due to the longer distanc- es. This meant more time on the road, unfortunately. Thankfully in those days we were only gone weekends. Today, I find myself on the road for months at a time with hundreds of thousands of miles on our vehicles. No longer does the phrase “weekend warrior” apply. My lovely wife, and partner in business, have managed to break up the long miles endured with a wonderful road- side attraction now and again, taking in the sights afforded us by traveling along these distances and our ultimate talent for finding every antique mall no matter where we are, which we have a great collection of dog-related art to show for it. One memory that stands out to me the most when I was young, was that it was not uncommon to see the judges and exhibitors in the grooming areas discussing breeds—this was more com- mon than exception. All would gather and contribute knowledge to the teach- ing and learning of our sport. I remem- ber seeing some of the greats of that era like Derek Rayne, Alva Rosenberg, Haskel Schuffelman, Forest Hall, Percey Roberts, Isadore Schoenberg, Maxine Beam and so many more conversing on the sport. I feel I have been so blessed to have grown up in the sport at that time and been able to have been wit- ness to these events. I feel when I started my handling career these people and events truly shaped the way I have and continue to approach my business. I had very solid foundation on which to build from.

Later on, I moved to Los Angeles, Cali- fornia to make my start. What a great choice that would prove to be. I was blessed to work with many people in the Hollywood industry—great times and great people. My real passion, even as a young child, was the breed of French Bulldog.

When attending Westminster Ken- nel Club show in the mid 50s, I would always end up at the French Bulldog benching to visit Mrs. West. I remember her saying to me, “Well Master Lee, here you are again.” To her side was her lovely Frenchie bitch and she said to me, “I know you

94 • S how S ight M agazine , J anuary 2017

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