TOY GROUP JUDGES Q&A
RICHARD LEBEAU
I bred. Beauprix means “beautiful prize” in French. My dogs are always housepets and live with me in my home. Can I list a few of the notable dogs I’ve bred? Any performance or parent club titles? Ch. Beauprix Midnight Monarch was a nice black & tan grandson of Red Rye. We called him “Louie.” I realize now that I did not campaign him, and several others, as I should have. I was kept pretty busy with my work as a baritone at Pittsburgh Opera. A lot of my dogs were never campaigned, or even shown or bred. I bred a beautiful tri-color dog, multiple Group-Winning and BISS Ch Beauprix Baritone, R.O.M., out of a lovely, compact 11-pound imported Blenheim dam, Ch. Cwmhâf Bel Canto, called “Nonnie,” from Mr. & Mrs. Jeff (Rita) Lloyd of Wales, UK. “Bari- tone” was sired by a wonderful, top-winning tri-color dog I did not breed, Multiple Group-Winning and BISS AKC and Canadian Ch. Backroads Man About Town, bred by Susan Plance of Georgetown, Pennsylvania. We called him “Robby.” His sire was a terrific little Tudorhurst dog, Ch Tudorhurst Truly Edward, bred by Mrs. Pen- nington and imported from England. Like his sire, “Robby” sired lovely puppies, too. His son, Baritone, did a great deal of winning, including Best of Variety at Westminster under Mr. Fred Basett in 2008. His full, tri-color brother from a repeat breeding of Robby x Nonnie, Ch. Beauprix The Wildhart, called “Waldo,” was award- ed Best Bred-By Exhibitor in Specialty at the English Toy Spaniel Club of America National in 2005 under British breeder-judge, Dr. Andreas Schemel. Most recently, I campaigned a great-grandson of Baritone, multiple Group-Winning BISS Gr. Ch. Beauprix Legend of London. A small, compact 13.5-pound tri-color dog, “Champ” won seven NOHS Best in Show rosettes and is a Bronze NOHS Champion. Champ was awarded Best Bred-By Exhibitor in Spe- cialty at the 2014 ETSCA National under Mr. Peter Green. I’m happy to say that we do have puppies sired by Champ, but never had an opportunity to breed Waldo, sadly. What are some of the qualities I most admire in the Toy Breeds? The Toy breeds offer something for every taste. All coats, from rough, silky, smooth, Nordic, or even hairless, and all expressions, from keen and alert Miniature Pinschers to soft, pouting English Toy Spaniels can be found in our Toy Breeds. They are devoted companions and easy to travel with, plus, they don’t hog the bed like my English Setter or Boxers always manage to do! Have I judged any Toy Breed Specialties? In January, I judged the Toy Dog Fanciers of Southern California in Palm Springs, Cali- fornia. The setting for this show, outdoors on green lawns at the Empire Polo Club, mountains in the background, the hospitality of the hosting club including the capable ring stewards, and the supe- rior quality of the sizeable entries there made this event an unforget- table pleasure for a Toy judge; truly a classic show like no other in the world. (I’ve heard it’s not so delightful if it is raining!) Can I offer any advice to exhibitors regarding the presentation of these “table” breeds? Toy exhibitors are almost always adept and ready for the table exam. Novice exhibitors and/or novice dogs are to be given a little more time to settle. I always pause away from the table to allow the team to get settled and to see the presentation stack, showing proportion and silhouette. Face, eyes, and overall expression are best seen and assessed on the table. I also want to see feet and toes, obstructed in grass but easily checked on the table. I will reassess this controlled presentation again when the dog is off the table, standing and using itself naturally. I never rush table exams, but it’s always best to move on quickly if a dog is particularly nervous and antsy to get back down. I try to check what I must check as lightly and quickly as possible. Some breed exams at the table will take a bit longer; the newly recognized Biewer Terriers, for example, which must be lifted and held by the handler to allow the judge to check the color of footpads and the color and markings of the underside. The breed is coated, so it is necessary to part the coat to see these markings.
I am a musician, author, and Toy Group judge, living in Pittsburgh. I received my BA in German after resident studies in Austria. A longtime breeder/exhibitor of English Toy Spaniels, I am a member and former AKC Delegate of the English Toy Spaniel Club of America, a founding mem- ber and past president of the English Toy
Spaniel Club of Western Pennsylvania, and Life Member of the King Charles Spaniel Club (United Kingdom). I am a member of the Laurel Highlands Kennel Association, Beaver County Kennel Club, Morris & Essex, and the Brandywine English Setter Club. My 2011 book, Count Noble: The Greatest Dog That Ever Lived , was published in cooperation with the Sewickley Valley Historical Society and is currently in its fifth printing. My articles on dogs and dog history have been internationally published. A professional bass-baritone singer and member of the Ameri- can Guild of Musical Artists, I retired after 20 seasons, performing in over 70 productions, from the Pittsburgh Opera. I was recently honored by an appointment as a Director to the Board of Pittsburgh Opera. I perform occasionally as a free-lance harpist. I remain a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, in honor of my father, retired Steelers Defensive Coordinator and Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Dick LeBeau. Where do I live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a judge? I was born in Ohio. I come from generations of chatty, small-town folk. From age six, I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. Pittsburgh is my home now. I relocated to Pittsburgh 35 years ago. I’ve been approved by AKC since 2010, but had judged a few Open Shows in the United Kingdom a decade prior to that. I’ve been actively involved with English Toy Spaniels continuously for 34 years. I’ve had two re-homed and much-loved pet Boxers, “Ella” and “Heidi,” and until recently, I belonged to a very fine English Setter, Ch. Pemberley Upland Dreamer, called “Monte.” In addi- tion to all Toy Breeds, I am approved to judge English, Irish, and Gordon Setters. What is my original breed? What is/was my kennel name? I lived in an apartment for the first few years in Pittsburgh, so logi- cally decided to look for a small breed. I went to a couple local all-breed shows and went again with the idea to find a show qual- ity Italian Greyhound. As fate would have it, I saw a lady holding a Ruby English Toy Spaniel at the Western Pennsylvania Kennel Association Show in April 1988. I’d never seen such a captivating dog! He looked like the Cowardly Lion from “The Wizard of Oz.” I immediately approached her and started to ask all the typical questions. The lady said, “Here, you hold him,” which I did. This brief encounter led to a lifelong friendship with Rachel Pehr, and Ch. Brynmar’s Red Rye eventually became my dog, which we co- owned. Rachel taught me everything, and I must add the late Vir- ginia Carlson Paine (Vica) and Linda Grahame Lockey (Darby) to the list of important, early mentors in the breed. I showed “Rye” to Best of Variety at Westminster Kennel Club under Miss Doro- thy Nickles in February 1993. He got his name because he was the beautiful, reflective, golden-red color of rye whiskey in the bottle. I did not know our judge and had never shown to her, but Miss Nickles remarked that she couldn’t take her eyes off the pretty little red dog! It was truly a lucky day for us. It was a lucky day in April 1988 too, walking through the crowd at the dog show in Pittsburgh. The importance of being cordial at the dog show and being willing to share your dogs with excited spectators cannot be understated. Within a few short years, I started breeding English Toy Spaniels and using Beauprix as an obvious link to associate me with the dogs
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2022 | 157
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