BREEDER/OWNER HANDLER Q&A
“MY MILESTONES CHANGE EVERY YEAR, OR AS I REACH MY GOALS OF THE PAST. HAVING GOALS HELPS TO KEEP PUSHING YOURSELF AND YOUR BREEDING PROGRAM. WHEN YOU REACH ONE, YOU CREATE A NEW ONE. ”
9. Who have been your mentor(s) as an owner handler? As a breeder? My original breed mentor has played a great role in helping to make sure I had a solid foundation in my breed and the confidence to be able to go out and show my dogs among the best. I’ll forever be grateful to her. And also, through the years, just the show community as a whole; having strangers come up to you when you leave the ring to tell you what a joy it was to watch you show your dog and [to acknowledge] the teamwork between the two of you. 10. How important is the breeder/owner handler to the future of the dog sport? We are the backbone of this sport. If you eliminate us, your sport will soon die. The shows that I go to are made up of about 70 percent or more owner handlers or breeder/owner handlers. 11. What are your goals as an owner handler? As a breeder? Is there a milestone that has eluded you? I want to continue to do justice to my breed. I want to continue to preserve my beloved breed and inspire more owner handlers to get out and show their own dogs if they can. I wasn’t born into dogs. I decided
that I wanted to get a show dog one day and compete with all the other folks who were doing it. My family thought it was a silly school girl dream, but I never gave up on it. It wasn’t always easy, but was it worth it? Absolutely! ! My milestones change every year, or as I reach my goals of the past. Having goals helps to keep pushing yourself and your breeding program. When you reach one, you create a new one. 12. Is there a funny story that you can share about your experiences as a breeder/owner handler? When I won the National Specialty years ago with my Bred-By Champion, I think everyone realized I had won before I did. I was placed at the beginning of the line in front of the soon-to-be Best of Winners bitch and the placements in order behind, and the judge sent us all around one last time. My friends in the crowd where yelling and screaming because they knew what just happened. I was so concentrat- ed on my dog that I didn’t realize it until the judge started down the line, pointing. That was a day I’ll never forget.
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2021 | 173
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