In Memory of Ruthellen Viall

A life committed to canine excellence

Born into the fancy, Ruthellen Viall represented everything that’s right with our sport. Her keen understanding of the concept of breed type was manifest in her ability to achieve utter excellence in breeds across multiple groups.

Her first showdog was a Bichon, whom Ruthellen began presenting at just 6 years of age. Her mother, Dorothy Wilson, had one of the top Bichon kennels in the US and Canada. After college, she began to be drawn to Pekingese and other Toys, showing the #1 Peke, and culminating in the pivotal role she played in the development of the Havanese in America. The brilliance of type, movement and temperament she was able to achieve in her Viva Havanese breeding program was stunning.

She loved Westminster and only ever missed one -the year her son was born the same time as the show! One of her most treasured moments was when her Havanese foundation bitch, Margarita Rose won BOB at the Garden at just 18 months of age.

Her countless BIS, Group firsts, and specialty wins were only icing on the cake for her. The main goal was to preserve these breeds in their original form, and be able to hand that project on to the next generation. To this end she threw herself into judges education as a crucial component of ensuring the future of the breed. For Ruthellen, this wasn’t so much a showring endeavor, it extended to making sure the dogs had the right homes -whether pet or show- and that the best ones got into the right hands for breeding. When a new form of VWD was found in Havs, she worked with breeders to ferret out what was going on, and with Cornell to develop a strategy for fanciers to slowly breed away from it without losing quality. Depth of commitment to breeds, and to each and every individual dog is a hallmark of those born into dogs. There’s a certain quality of intuition there that can’t be learned any other way. She maintained that “every Havanese should have a child & every child should have a Havanese.”

Becoming intrigued by Pyrenean Shepherds shortly before recognition, Ruthellen and her son Roger Krieger spent a great deal of energy on the breed in the last 15 years of her life. Here again, she was able to cut through to what mattered most about breed type, movement and character. Her RBIS at the Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s AKC National Dog Show is testament to her skill.

Ruthellen gave the sport the gift of two wonderful and talented young people -Courtney Norris and Roger Krieger. Roger shared his mother’s enthusiasm for Pyr Sheps, while Courtney began with Pekes and then moved on to become an all-breed handler, where she is a powerful force in several breeds.

As everyone who knew and loved her could tell you, Ruthellen was tough as nails. No-nonsense in and out of the showring, with an alternately wry and sharp sense of humor. She was never one to pull punches or mince words. This served her in every aspect of her life. When first faced with a cancer diagnosis, she just plowed on. No treatment was enough to daunt her, and thanks to Take the Lead, treatment was top drawer. Her son says: “She was the picture of human defiance until the end. Just like she lived.”

Ruthellen died surrounded by loved ones, and will be mourned by a legion of friends, competitors, and admirers. The fancy needs to live up to her example and nurture the excellence she has given us.

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=315670

Posted by Liz on Jan 3 2025. Filed under Featured, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.