Ringside Thoughts

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76 – August, 2023

By Kerrin Winter-Churchill

Have you ever stopped to consider that we have all been born with a particular gift of spirit? Some of us are healers, some are artists, others among us may be teachers, communicators–the list goes on. An old world legend tells how right before sending each of us to earth, God kissed His index finger and placed it upon the soft tissue just below our nose. The indentation that we all wear is how our special gift was infused into our bodies. “Born of free will,” the legend continues, “none of us may ever realize our gifts” and if we somehow stumble upon them, they may seem insignificant even though in years hence, one tiny, action grows into a mighty force. It’s not always a great act of heroism that advances understanding in the world. It’s often the small things that we do–one little ripple that spreads across a pond. And that is how I blend the lives of two of my favorite characters in Dogdom, Rudolph Tauskey and Maribeth O’Neill.

Known as the “dog person’s dog person” AKC Executive Vice President, Maribeth O’Neill is a familiar personality to all who live and breath the sport of purebred dogs today. A recipient of the Canine Health Foundation’s President’s Award; an inductee to the Anne Rogers Clark Dog Show Hall of Fame; an ardent volunteer and board member of Take the Lead, it is easy to understand that Maribeth works her tail off for all of us. Officially, “MBO” is the Vice President of Sport Services for the American Kennel Club, and it’s been a long-running joke to anyone in dogs needing information that their answer is, “I don’t know, ask Maribeth.” In reality, it’s no joke; if MBO doesn’t know the answer, she’ll know who to ask, which is why her phone is constantly ringing.

Twenty years ago, I didn’t know Maribeth at all when I was smitten by a dog she owned. The breeder of that dog introduced us and eventually we bred Maribeth’s “Bernie” to my “Prudence.” The breeding was clandestine. It was the foundation of our co-bred family of English Cocker Spaniels and over the years we have developed a deep, friendship. Maybe not surprisingly, Maribeth was an educator before she came to the AKC. She holds a Masters in Reading and she is forever teaching and sharing her depth of knowledge with the rest of us in the sport of purebred dogs. Over the years I have become increasingly aware of the uncanny fact that Maribeth is always at the center of important movements within out sport. She knows exactly what to do in any crisis and I believe this is her gift and why she was put on earth.

Girl Meets Legend

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76 – August, 2023

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Posted by AnthonyA on Aug 9 2023. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.