LYNN PARTRIDGE THE BREEDER/OWNER HANDLER
my 30s. Memorial Day 2014 was my first time in the ring and I haven’t stopped since. I guess my hubby has learned to be careful what he wishes for because, sometimes, I’m gone showing for two or three weeks at a time. He is a very supportive enabler of my dog show addiction and is proud of the quick success we have enjoyed with our dogs. During COVID, all I did was work my real job, as a nurse, since the shows were shut down. It was in those few months that I realized how important dog showing is to me. Although I was caring for COVID patients (and yes, that was important) I didn’t like being just a “regular” or “normal” person. Dog showing makes me much more interesting. 2. How many years as an Owner Handler? As a Breeder? Seven years... and an Owner Handler from the start in May 2014. Breeding shortly followed in November 2015. We’ve been wildly successful with only seven Alura IG litters to date, producing multiple Best in Show, Best in Specialty Show, Best in Show Owner-Handled and Group winners, #1 ranked Male IG, #1 ranked IG All-Breed, Top 3 IGs, a couple of AKC National Championship Puppy & Junior Stakes Best of Breed winners, and a VERY THRILLING Best of Breed win in Orlando for the televised Group. Got Select Dog at West- minster 2019. At our IGCA National Specialty Shows, starting in 2017, with five Alura-bred dogs, we’ve had a Top 20 winner, Sweeps winner, Best Bred-By Exhibitor, Winners Dog, Reserve Winners Dog, Select Dog, and an Award of Merit. Westminster 2021 yielded ribbon winners for Best of Opposite, Select Bitch, and an Award of Merit. Every single one of those achievements was entirely OWNER-HANDLED! 3. Have you attended any show handling classes? Attended handling seminars? I picked the hardest breed imaginable to show. For those not familiar with Italian Greyhounds, let’s just say they’re, ahhh... “sensitive.” I’ve never attended a handling seminar. At the very beginning, I got some handling lessons from my friend and longtime Italian Greyhound person, Trevear Butler. I’ve been ringside mentored by pro handler and IG breeder, Har- ry Bennett, and I’m always advised, encouraged, and guided by my dear friend, Lois March, who helped me get into the breed. 4. Have you found virtual learning tools to be helpful? Classes? Videos? Websites? Social Media? All of these avenues have been helpful to me about breeding and health. Social media has been vital to me for networking with other IG people. 5. Do you compete in the NOHS? Are rankings important to you? Yes and yes. My current Special has been the #1 ranked Owner-Handled IG for the last several months. I hope to keep her there through October. 6. How important is the Bred-By Class to you? How important are Specialties? In our breed, the Bred-By Class is tough. It’s the most prestigious class to win at our National Specialty because those are the pick of the litter puppies. Specialties, especially the National, are extremely important to me. The National Specialty is the highlight and the most anticipated event of the year for me... I’m like a 5-year-old kid—on Christmas morning—hopped up on sugar during that week! It’s where I can meet Facebook friends, sit down with old friends, and mingle with IG enthusiasts from all over.
I’m Lynn Partridge of Alura Italian Greyhounds. I’m a hobby and preservationist breeder, and a proud Breeder/ Owner Handler from Greenville, South Carolina. I’m 55 years old, and a grandmother of five. My “real” job is a long-term care nurse. (And yes, my hair is naturally curly.) 1. When were you first introduced to the Italian Grey- hound? To the sport? I saw my first Italian Greyhound in 1995... the angels sang and I fell instantly in love with the breed. It took until November 2013 before I got my first Italian Greyhound, and my empty nest syndrome was instantly cured! Then, I quickly realized that I needed another IG a couple months later. We had just moved to Greenville, South Carolina, from Cincinnati the year before, and all I did was go to work and remodel our new home. My husband, Scott, had been encouraging me to “get out and meet new people... do something fun... find a new hobby.” So, I figured I’d give the “dog show thing” a try since I’d shown livestock and horses from age 9 into
96 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, AUGUST 2021
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