Showsight December 2017

Lines From Linda: Candid Candidates Part II

BY LINDA AYERS TURNER KNORR continued

much “red tape” from our events to simplify and reduce administration time and costs.

tough decisions and understand that you cannot make everyone happy all the time, but you have to do what is right for the fancy and the organization. HAROLD “RED” TATRO III

6. What is your motivation for wishing to serve on the AKC Board of Directors? What difference do you hope to make? We need someone who has and does participate in the many aspects of what we do. I really love dogs and the AKC. We are the best thing out there and I think it’s time to tell the world and I think I can help do that. I bring to the board a fresh perspective on performance events and motivation. It’s time to take a fresh look at what we are doing and I believe I can and will make a difference simply by getting everyone to think about what we can accomplish. I would like to work with the board and staff to provide as many tools as possible and remove as many roadblocks as possible to enable our clubs to increase membership and succeed. We have to start promoting the “Grass Roots” nature of our clubs that can and I think want to promote an organization that they are proud of. We do a lot. We need to get the message out. We cannot afford TV ads and we have made a great start in the digi- tal media area, but we need to get them talking and doing real “Public Education”. 7. Bringing and retaining new people into AKC sports is essential if our sports are to survive. How would you address this challenge? I have been involved with a local Pointing Dog Cub since before it became an AKC club and our core is under the age of 50 with a large number of the younger generation and youth. Make it fun and they will come. Youth have a lot of activities to compete for their time. We made the club valuable to them by teaching them how to train their dogs to hunt and then taking them out to do so. Get kids a pure bred dog, get it registered and show them how fun it can be and they will come. 8. How can we improve AKC’s image among its core constituents and owners of AKC registered dogs? Tell them what we do. Why we do it and keep them involved. Get the message out that we are here to help you succeed. We do a lot—we have to sing it loud and long. 9. 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? We have to do whatever it takes to help our breeders. Statistics show that when more litters/dogs are regis- tered, we have more entries. It’s simple math, more AKC Registered purebred dogs, more exhibitors. 10. 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? The delegate body is congress and the board is the execu- tive branch. Staff is employed by all of us and directed by the board. Elect board members that listen to the del- egates and the committees and are not afraid to make the

1. Please share your back- ground in purebred dogs including breeding and events. My involvement with animals began in 4-H as a child living in northern Vermont. As an adult living in Texas, I first purchased a Doberman Pincher and started out in Obedience in 1982. I then acquired a Lakeland Terrier and entered the conformation world. I have bred and owned several

champions, Group winners and Best in Show winners. In 1988 I married my wife, Denise, who had Whippets. We have continued to breed Whippets under the Redglen kennel name ever since, having the good fortune to produce many quality dogs—champions, Group winners, Best in Specialty winners and foreign champions. I am still an active breeder and actively compete in the follow- ing AKC events with our dogs: Conformation, Obedience, Rally, Lure Coursing and FAST CAT. We also train and compete in Whippet straight track sprint racing with a non-AKC organization whose purpose is to promote pure- bred Whippet racing with dogs that conform to the AKC breed standard and disqualifications. Their motto is “We race what we show and show what we race.” I have been an AKC conformation judge since 2003, approved for the Terrier Group, 25 Hound breeds, Miscel- laneous Group, Best in Show and Jr. Showmanship. I have had the pleasure of judging the national specialties of both my breeds, Whippets and Lakeland Terriers, as well as several specialties in the US, Sweden and Australia. I have recently interviewed for the five remaining Hound breeds needed to complete that group. 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.) American Whippet Club: 1989 to present, currently serv- ing as President for last five years, served on national show committee in various positions since 1989, notably as the national show treasurer from 2012 to 2017, serve on the Education committee pertaining to the breed standard evaluation and judges education programs, am a Parent Club Mentor and approved seminar presenter for the US Lakeland Terrier Club: 1982 to present, served on the Board of Directors for many years since 1989—Past President, Treasurer, Secretary and Director, currently

172 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , D ECEMBER 2017

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