2014 American Kennel Club Breeder of The Year Award Group Honorees Named
The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced today the 2014 AKCBreeder of the Year Award group recipients, recognizing seven breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups that are dedicated to excellence and the advancement of the purebred dog.
“Breeders are the heartbeat of the American Kennel Club and we’re proud to recognize deserving breeding programs each year with the AKC Breeder of the Year award. The 2014 honorees represent hundreds of combined years of canine and breeding knowledge and their work has done much to enhance the sport of purebred dogs,” said Dennis B. Sprung, AKC President and CEO.
The 2014 AKC Breeder of the Year will be announced Sunday, December 14, 2014 at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Orlando, Florida. A canine portraitist will be commissioned to commemorate a prominent dog from the Breeder of the Year’s kennel, and their name will be added to the perpetual trophy and plaque on permanent display at the AKC headquarters in New York City. All group recipients will receive a medallion in recognition of their achievements.
The group winners are:
Sporting Group: Valerie Nunes-Atkinson and Yvonne Hassler-Deterding, VJK-MYST German Shorthaired Pointers
VJK-MYST dogs have earned everything from number one in the breed, Bests in Show and group wins to National Specialty wins, Best in Specialties, and National Sweepstakes and Futurity wins in both the United States and countries around the world. Valerie and Yvonne are proud that each generation of VJK-MYST German Shorthaired Pointers improves the breed and produces happy, healthy, well-adjusted family companions that can succeed in the show ring and still go out and do what they were originally intended to do.
Hound: Jeanine Sudinski and Mechelle Sudinski-Stall, Lucene Dachshunds
Many of today’s top-winning Dachshunds have the “Lucene” kennel name somewhere in their pedigree. Together, the mother-daughter pair has produced 300 champions that have won major awards at many of the most important events in dogdom, including the Dachshund Club of America National Specialty and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Working: Gwen DeMilta and Carissa DeMilta Shimpeno, Alisaton Doberman Pinschers
To date, 166 champions carry the Alisaton name. Alisaton Dobermans has bred numerous generations of Register of Merit (ROM) dogs that have launched many breeding programs and are behind some of today’s top producers. Alisaton dogs have won all-breed and specialty Bests in Show, Doberman Pinscher Club of America (DPCA) National Specialties, Top 20 in Conformation and Obedience, numerous DPCA Winners Dog and Winners Bitch awards, Grand Prize Futurities and a Westminster Kennel Club Group First.
Terrier: Matt Stander and Eugene Zaphiris, Cragsmoor Skye Terriers
Matt and Eugene’s enchantment with the Skye Terrier rose out of a long-standing friendship with the late Walter Goodman. In 1972 the pair purchased their first Skye Ch. Glamoor Too Good To Be True from Walter and his mother, Adele Goodman. Since then, dogs in the Cragsmoor Skye Terrier breeding program have included the top-winning Skye Terrier in the history of the breed, the 2011 Purina Show Dog of the Year, the first terrier of any breed to win the Terrier Group at both the World Dog Show and the Westminster Kennel Club, and top-producing sires and dams. Cragsmoor dogs have won 85 all-breed Bests in Show to date and over 400 Terrier Group firsts.
Toy: Kathleen Kolbert, Turyanne Yorkshire Terriers
Kathleen was born and raised in a family dedicated to the dog fancy. Her father bred Smooth Fox and Norwich terriers, so no one was surprised when her love affair with the Yorkshire Terrier began in 1963. Over the years, her “Turyanne” line has produced more than 225 champions, including two World Champions and several International Champions. Register of Merit sires and numerous obedience and agility titlists have also come from the ranks of the Turyanne Yorkshire Terriers.
Non-Sporting: Rod and Patti Strand, Merry Go Round Dalmatians
Merry-Go-Round Dalmatians is known for producing long-lived dogs with excellent temperaments, good movement and spectacular beauty. The Strands have bred, owned and shown numerous top-producing sires as well as dams, more than 150 champions, many top 10 winners, and Best in Show dogs, including the top-winning Dalmatian in breed history. After 45 years in the breed, one of their greatest rewards is working with people who have dogs from their line, some for as long as 40 years and four generations.
Herding: Jim Buzzard, Buzzard Australian Cattle Dogs
Jim Buzzard’s passion for the Australian Cattle Dog (ACD) began as a young ranch hand on a cattle farm in the early 1960s. He learned quickly that the better the quality of the dog, the more work it could do and the longer it would be around to do it! The very first Herding Excellent (HX) title ever awarded went to a Buzzard ACD named Ch. Buzzards Red Tubs. That dog also sired 90 champions, a record for Australian Cattle Dogs that has yet to be matched. The breeding program has produced close to 400 AKC champions.
Learn more about the award and past honorees.
Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=55500
Posted by chesliepickett
on Aug 19 2014. Filed under Breaking News, Featured.
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