Lines From Linda: Candid Candidates Part II
BY LINDA AYERS TURNER KNORR continued
the American public to like AKC better is a must have engagement to me. Our social media initiatives play well, with defining the public awareness of just who AKC is, and more importantly why. 6. How can we improve AKC’s image among its core constituents and owners of AKC registered dogs? Our challenge is to adapt the social media initiatives at hand; develop a better awareness of who we are truly. If you believe that by going to dog shows bring new fanciers to us, you are just wrong. We do have new people try us out, but many leave us after just five shows. Why you might ask? First, they didn’t even win a ribbon, reflecting nothing in return for their time, energy allocated and yes, expense. Can we do better? Of course, but it requires exceptualism by all of us for the future.” 7. The conformation sport continues to decline. Do you have any thoughts on how to engage more peo- ple in breeding and showing purpose bred dogs? By improving our data entry capabilities, to reflect what occurs when someone new begins showing/exhibiting, will allow us to define why they disappeared after five shows and where they disappeared. This is serious! Did they go to Obedience, Agility or Nose Work? Maybe they left us all and went to Trick Dog! My point is clear, we need to know and ask why they left! 8. How do you reconcile the fact that often the AKC Board of Directors must make decisions that may not please the Delegate body yet may be necessary to fulfill their fiduciary responsibility to AKC? Simple response—the Delegates select and elect those individual Delegates whom in their opinion, will best represent the AKC. Conduct themselves with the Busi- ness Affairs/initiatives with the highest level of responsi- bility. One should trust that the Directors are equipped with substantive business acumen to move the business of the Company without risk to the organization. I get this question expressed quite frequently. My common response is that the AKC Board of Directors is not a social club, but rather a supporting entity to what a $200M Corporation deserves. JAN RITCHIE GLADSTONE 1. Please share your background in purebred dogs including breeding and events. My father was a hunter of ducks, geese, quail, grouse and pheasant so there were always dogs in my childhood. At the age of twelve, after pleading, I became the proud owner of my first AKC purebred dog: an English Setter. Unfortunately, he was not “birdy” but his unconditional love more than compensated for that shortcoming. Following a hiatus necessitated by college, law school and the long hours required on the path to partnership,
I returned ”to the dogs”. Drawn by the intelligence and tenacity of terriers, I studied the breeds like I had prepared for the Bar Exam. With the help of my first mentor, Dawn Diemer, a West Highland White Terrier (Duncan) came into my life. I trained Duncan in obedi- ence and he trained me in an inexorable number of handling classes in which he improved but I did not. Dun- can was ultimately specialed
and successfully used at stud. However, in campaigning Duncan at shows across the country, I found another Ter- rier breed that stole my heart: the Fox Terrier. I have bred and exhibited Smooth Fox Terriers in conformation events for nearly twenty years. I have been fortunate to have owned the Number One Smooth Fox Terrier in 2000, AKC National Breed Winners, West- minster breed and BOS Winners, Specialty Winners, Group Winners and BIS Winners. I am the breeder of the Smooth which was the Number One Dog All Breeds in Puerto Rico for two years and the proud owner of the sire of the Number One Terrier in England in 2005. I have also co-bred Wire Fox Terriers with Jo Hubbs of Evewire and co-bred Cardigan Welsh Corgis with my late husband Steve, under the Aragorn prefix. I have also owned and/or bred or exhibited a Leonberger, a German Shepherd, a Standard Schnauzer and a Toy Manchester Terrier. My most recent litter of Smooths arrived October 15. Past has also become pretext: I now co-own another Eng- lish Setter with her breeder, Rebecca Yuhasz Smith. I judge several breeds in the Terrier Group and one in the Toy Group. I continue to compete in conformation events, working on a Grand Championship title for my homebred Cardigan and a hopeful new championship title for my Setter bitch. While my prime focus has been conformation, finding my chosen breed was not obedience inclined (if they knew better), I believe as stated so eloquently by a friend: there is no wrong way to enjoy your dogs. I have actively supported rally and obedience training and trials at my Clubs, successfully encouraged RDF to offer Barn Hunt and explored with my Board, the financial feasibility of Fast CAT for the Fox Terrier Club of Maryland. I have also participated in Therapy Dog Outreach to Nursing Homes with Arlene Czech and Mary Jo Korpi of the Greater Naples Dog Club. 2. Please share your participation and leadership experience in dog organizations as well as your involvement as a Delegate (length of service, com- mittee membership, etc.) My participation and leadership experience in Dog Clubs includes active roles in my Parent Club, the American Fox Terrier Club; its affiliated Fox Terrier Club of
156 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , D ECEMBER 2017
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