DANSAYERSVISITSWITHLYDIAFREY
BGCH LAMZ Let Them Eat Cake CA CGC. Bred by Laurie Zembrzuski and Gabrielle Gilbeau of Centreville, Virginia, “Tony” proved to be a most dependable partner. As Lydia puts it, “I practiced stacking, moving, and free-stacking to the point where I didn’t need to say anything to him, he knew what I wanted and he performed perfectly.” She kept her charge in good condition with thrice- weekly baths and avoided putting undue pressure on the dog. “That, I think, was the secret to suc- cess for me,” Lydia offers. By the time the pair stepped onto the green carpet at Madison Square Garden in February of 2015, their bond was unshakeable. “My main focus was making sure it was a good experience for him. We were both calm and focused on each other which made a real difference,” she explains. That difference was acknowledged when Mr. Michael Dougherty awarded Lydia Best Junior Handler at Westminster. Five months later, she once again rose to the top when Mr. Hugo Quevedo of Peru selected the young American as his winner from
Like the true professional she has become, Lydia doesn’t settle on minor regrets. Instead, she looks forward to the future and achieving her next goal. “I always planned on judging Junior Showmanship once I aged-out,” she reports. “I knew I wanted to give back to the sport the way it has given to me.” Lydia has already attended sem- inars on judging Junior Showmanship. “I then did the necessary paperwork and scheduled an inter- view,” she notes. In the meantime, Lydia plans to attend North Carolina’s High Point University in the fall where she will study communications with a focus on public relations. Thankfully, the dog sport will continue to benefit from her participa- tion. “I plan to be in dogs for the rest of my life and look forward to getting licensed to judge breeds and Groups,” she promises. In Grayslake, Illinois, Lydia surprised everyone when she stepped into the ring to judge Best Junior in Cluster. “I was quite nervous before- hand,” she reports. “Though once I got out there, I felt right at home.” When it came time to select her winner, Lydia found sup- port from the words of
“I always planned on judging Junior Showmanship once I aged-out,” she reports. “I knew I wanted to give back to the sport the way it has given tome.”
Michael Dougherty. “After awarding me Best Junior at Westminster, he said that he was told by his father to always pick the handler that you would want to show your dog if you had that breed,” she shares. “With those words in mind I picked a lovely
among the junior handlers competing at the World Dog Show in Milan, Italy. Throughout her years competing as a junior, Lydia honed her skills by assisting several profes- sionals. “I have worked for Margery Good, Anna Stromberg, Whitney Meeks and Heather & Zack Helmer,” she notes. By working for professional handlers, Lydia gained experience by showing breeds in each of AKC’s seven Groups. “Through working for professional handlers and helping breeders, I have been able to show lots of great dogs,” she says. According to Lydia, the best part of traveling with a handler is the knowledge that is gained. This includes how to show dogs, of course, but also included is mentoring on the important role animal husbandry plays in the care of show dogs. Lydia points out, however, that there can be a down side to assisting the profes- sionals. “The hardest part can be when there is a conflict and your dog doesn’t get enough prep time — or get shown at all,” she admits. “It rarely happens, but it’s definitely upsetting.”
Newfoundland handler [Lynzze Grispin] who made a less than enthusiastic dog look graceful.” No doubt Lydia’s own father would have been proud of his daughter’s selection and of her deci- sion to contribute to the sport she loves as a breeder, an exhibitor and as a judge. n Dan Sayers covers the dog sport with a particular interest in the people who’ ve served to promote and preserve pure- bred dogs. His articles feature breeders and exhibitors of the past as well as those who work tirelessly on behalf of the fancy today. A self-taught artist, Dan’ s artwork is represent-
ed in collections worldwide and his illustrations appear in the award-win- ning Encyclopedia of K-9 Terminology by Ed and Pat Gilbert. Since 1981, Dan has exhibited pri- marily Sporting breeds and Hounds. He’ s bred both Irish Water Spaniels and Rhodesian Ridgebacks and has judged a variety of match shows and sweepstakes, including the Irish Water Spaniel Club of America National Specialty twice.
S how S ight M agazine , J uly 2017 • 149
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