Showsight - May 2022

LINES FROM LINDA

WAYNE BOYD BELOVED FRIEND SEPTEMBER 14, 1946 - MARCH 25, 2022

BY LINDA AYERS TURNER KNORR

F riends are the most wonderful part of living, and my family is truly blessed that Wayne Boyd was one of our most special ones! Known as a fierce competitor in the show ring, to us, Wayne was a man with a huge heart and a tremendous love for his family and friends. He knew how to express himself and show his love and concern for others. It was his natural way of life. Unforgettable for his tremendous contributions to the sport of purebred dogs, Wayne bred and exhibited multiple all-breed Best in Show winners. For many years, he represented the Bayou Kennel Club as their American Kennel Club Delegate. Along with his wife, Jean, he enjoyed judging both here and abroad. In a chance encounter in the hall of a hotel in Columbia, South Carolina, I first met “Wal- do,” aka Ch. Bandogs Crawdaddy Gumbo as he and Wayne were heading back from a walk. My father, the late all-breed judge Roy Ayers, had shared with me that this was one of his very favorite dogs of the time. When Boyd’s special Bullmastiff greeted me, I could see why. From Bullmastiffs to, later, Great Pyrenees, Wayne and Jean Boyd have been consistently breeding, winning, and sharing their knowledge as ambassadors of their breed. For example, their Rivergrove Great Pyrenees have garnered 13 Bests of Breed at their National Specialties.

Roy Ayers, Sr. awarding Group 1 to Ch. Rivergrove’s Run For The Roses, “TR,” owned by Jean Boyd and Judith Cooper. Shown by Wayne Boyd.

“...Wayne was a man with a huge heart and a tremendous love for his family and friends.”

56 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2022

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