NEWS RELEASE: THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB 2021 BREEDER OF THE YEAR GROUP HONOREES ANNOUNCED
David has had many personal achievements in the sport, including the 2006 Dogs in Review award for Best Professional Handler, 2009 AKC Toy Breeder of the Year, 2009 Pekingese Club of America Mentor of the Year, AKC Outstanding Sports- manship Award, as well as many Top Breeder Awards. David is a member of The Pekingese Club of America, The Progressive Dog Club, and The Pekingese Club of New Jersey, serving on their boards. He is also a member of the Maryland Kennel Club. The Pequest Pekingese continue working towards their goal of producing healthy, quality dogs with great tempera- ments that are suitable for the ring as well as companions. David says, “With all the great successes aside, great pleasure comes from the Pekes that end up bringing their unique character and love to companion homes.” NON-SPORTING GROUP: CONNIE WAGNER, SPOTLIGHT DALMATIANS Connie Wagner bought her first Dalmatian in 1982 and has never looked back. She is an AKC Gold Breeder of Merit, having bred many top-winning Dalmatians, including a combined total of more than 85 Bests in Show and more than 500 Group One wins. In addition to all-breed dog shows, Spotlight Dalmatians have also been successful at the Dalmatian Club of America National Specialties. Connie’s Dalmatians have achieved five Best of Breed wins, five Best in Futurities, as well as numerous Top 20, Winners Dog, Winners Bitch, and BOS winners. Three Spotlight Dalma- tians currently reside in the Top 10 conformation Dalmatians. Health and temperament are integral parts of Connie’s breed- ing program, as all of the Spotlight puppies go to live as someone’s beloved companion. HERDING GROUP: GUY A. & THELMA J. MAULDIN, KISMET KENNELS Guy and Thelma Mauldin have been involved with Shetland Sheepdogs for decades. After acquiring their first Sheltie puppy shortly after they were married, Kismet Kennels was formed and a lifelong commitment to Shelties began. In addition to breeding countless champions, they spent many years as professional handlers, putting titles on various breeds for themselves and others. They retired from handling in 1995. They believe in using best breeding practices that allow them to focus on producing healthy, show quality dogs. Kismet Kennels prides itself on following the AKC Shetland Sheepdog standard. Learn more about the award and past honorees at: www.akc.org/about/awards-and-honors/breeder-of-the-year/.
Their dogs have achieved over 60 Best in Show wins in the United States and internationally. Cathy, a retired hospice nurse and AKC judge, and Mike, a lawyer, are members of the Del Valle Kennel Club, the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America, and the Portuguese Water Dog Club of Northern California. TERRIER GROUP: MARY REMER, BANBURY BEDROCK BULL TERRIERS Mary Remer has always loved animals. Her first Bull Terrier arrived in 1971 and attended Boston University with her. She and her mentor, Winkie Mackay-Smith, established Banbury Bedrock Bull Terriers in Pennsylvania and Virginia, breeding and showing award-winning Bull Terriers that have consistently produced dogs at the top echelon of the breed. Mary’s work in the Banbury Bedrock breeding program and beyond earned her recognition as a Breeder of Merit by the AKC. Spanning over 40 years and producing dozens of Champions, Spe- cialty winners, Group winners and placers, some of whom have also earned multiple performance sports titles, the program focus- es on health, type, and soundness of mind and body. The overall exceptional quality of Banbury Bedrock dogs is a reflection of the breeding program’s success. As a two-term President of the BTCA and a long-standing board member, Mary also served on multiple other committees, including the Bar Sinister, Judge’s Selection, Mentorship, and Ethics Committees. She has also been an AKC Licensed Judge since 1991, judging in the US and abroad. In addition to breeding and training champion dogs, Mary has worked tirelessly to change the reputation and the public’s percep- tion of the breed. Over the course of her career, Mary has dedi- cated her life to improving the quality, temperament, and health of Bull Terriers, as well as emphasizing the essential connection between animals and their humans. TOY GROUP: DAVID FITZPATRICK, PEQUEST PEKINGESE David Fitzpatrick began his lifelong passion for Pekingese in the early 1970s. It has proven to be a long and successful path to 2021. With well over 100 homebred champions produced, 17 have become Best in Show winners. Awards have included Best in Show at The Pekingese Club of America, Morris and Essex, West- minster, the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, as well as Best Bred-By Exhibitor in Show at the AKC National Championship.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs, and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners, and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regula- tions each year, including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite, and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org. Become a fan of the American Kennel Club on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @AKCDogLovers.
188 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2021
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