LINES FROM LINDA: WAYNE BOYD
The sentiments shared by the following friends portray the kind of person Wayne Boyd was to them: “We are deeply saddened by the news that we lost yet another icon in our breed. Wayne Boyd was a highly respected breeder/owner/handler of the world-famous line of Rivergrove Pyrenees with his wife Jean Boyd. But he also influenced the Bullmastiff breed more than 35 years ago with two other high- ly successful dogs. Wayne piloted the top-winning Bullmastiff of all time, Ch. Bandog’s Crawdaddy Gumbo GROM, to No. 1 Working Dog and No. 2 All-Breed in the mid 1980s. Before that, he owned Ch. Huck’s Last Hurrah who became the first multiple Best in Show Bullmastiff. These two Bullmastiffs were proudly co-bred by Louise Sanders and myself. I will miss Wayne’s yearly holiday calls to say hello and reminisce those successful years watching these two Bullmastiffs in the ring. Wayne would always shed a tear when speaking, espe- cially of Waldo who lived to be 14. Now many will shed a tear when we remember those dog show days with Wayne. My sincere condolences to Jean and family and all his friends.” — Helene Nietsch
“Waldo” and Wayne
Lauren Hall reminisced about her days as a Junior Handler, when Wayne encouraged her: “I’ve been at a loss for most of the day after reading about the passing of someone who had an enormous impact on many of us in the dog community, and my breed especially… A man who largely influenced my love for the Great Pyrenees. I genuinely do not think I would be as involved as I am in this breed if it hadn’t been for Wayne and Jean Boyd. When I first met Wayne and Jean, I was barely tall enough to even see over a Great Pyr. My Dad and I were at the Syracuse Dog Show where we watched Wayne and ‘Trump,’ his special at the time, win the Breed and compete in the Group. Over the years, Wayne continuously encouraged and cheered me on in Juniors. Anytime he saw me with a dog besides one of my Great Pyrs, he would always say something along the lines of, ‘Where’s your Pyrenees!? You gotta show a Pyr in Juniors! Stick with the Pyrs!’ He would brag to anyone sitting with him, saying, ‘This young lady shows a Pyr in Juniors. She always does such a tremendous job.’ He always asked how my dad was doing, always asked how things in life were going, if I graduated school yet, if I got a job. His love for the sport, this breed, and his friends and family were very apparent. If he wasn’t in the ring, he could ALWAYS be found seated at one of the ring corners to watch the showing. His support was endless, no matter who you were, and he was always welcoming. I’ll forever be grateful for his kindness and encouragement.” — Lauren Hall
Wayne with Ch. Bandogs Crawdaddy Gumbo, “Waldo”
60 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2022
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