The American Kennel Club 2024 Breeder Of The Year Group Honorees Announced

The American Kennel Club^® (AKC^®) is pleased to recognize extraordinary breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups as 2024 AKC Breeder of the Year group honorees.

“It is our pleasure to honor this array of esteemed breeders,” said Dennis Sprung, AKC President and CEO. “These individuals have made important contributions to the sport and to the betterment of their breeds, with a strong commitment to temperament and health. Dogs bearing the honorees’ kennel names are a testament to their excellent and responsible breeding programs.”

The 2024 AKC Breeder of the Year award will be presented during the evening competition of the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin on Saturday, December 14, 2024.

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. All group recipients will receive a medallion in recognition of their achievements.

The group honorees are:

Sporting Group: Erica and John Bandes, Kinnike Kennels, Reg.

Erica began a professional handling career after graduating from college. During her professional handling days, she was introduced to, and became enamored with, Pointers.

Erica bred her first litter under the Kinnike prefix in 1979. Breeding an average of one litter a year, Kinnike has produced more than 125 champions, including CH Jason of Kinnike and DC AFC Kinnike Stewart JH CD. Jason, always breeder handled, is still the top male winning specialty Pointer in the history of the breed, a four-time National Specialty winner, eight Bests in Show, and more than 65 group firsts. DC AFC Kinnike Stewart JH CD remains the top specialty winner in the breed with 11 specialty wins, 28 Group firsts, and four Bests in Show. She has the distinction of being the breed’s top conformation and field pointer in the same year and produced several champions.

Kinnike has had a breed record-breaking six Dual Champions, five of which Erica trained and handled in both conformation and field trials.

Erica was awarded the Gaines Medal for Good Sportsmanship and John was awarded the American Pointer Club’s (APC) top obedience, field and conformation breeder in the same year, the only time this has occurred.

Erica, along with a good friend, started the Pointer Associates of New England (PANE), one of the first licensed local AKC breed clubs, where she served as president for many years. She also ran PANE’s and the APC’s field trials twice a year for more than a decade.

Erica and John started the breed’s first rescue organization for PANE and rescued, rehabilitated and placed more than 25 Pointers.

While striving to breed pointers that conform to the AKC standard as well as top field trial contenders, Erica and John believe first and foremost that their breeding produces healthy dogs with excellent temperaments.

Erica and John reside in central VA with six Pointers, a French Bulldog and two horses.

Hound Group: Brian and Chris Flessner, Flessner’s Bloodhounds 

Bryan and Chris Flessner have been involved in the world of purebred dogs since 1989. They visited many local dog shows looking for the right breed for their family and country lifestyle, ultimately deciding on the wrinkly and gentle Bloodhound. They purchased their first show dog, Ch. Ramsey Creek Pebbles.

Bryan and Chris have devoted their lives to improving the Bloodhound, always striving for health and most importantly, temperament. In 1993, after years of showing, they found their foundation bitch, CH. Coshelav’s Sparkling Amber, who went on to be the number one Bloodhound bitch. With the mentorship of Anne Legge “Legacy Bloodhounds” they produced their first home bred Best in Show winning champion, CH. Flessner’s and Tiger Too. Their breeding program continued with many great accomplishments including 100+ champions, 75+ Bests in Show, eight national specialty winners, number one hound in 2014 with GCHP Flessner’s International S’cess and again in 2022 with GCHG Flessner’s Toot My Own Horn, who also happened to be father and son. They had two Westminster Kennel Club group winners, two American Kennel Club National Championship Best Bred by in Show, and one Westminster Kennel Club Best in Show.

Bryan Flessner has served as the American Bloodhound Club President, and both Bryan and Chris have served as the President of the Prairielands Bloodhound Club and have hosted multiple National & Regional Specialties, as well as performance events in Mantrailing and Scent Work. Both Bryan and Chris are approved Bloodhound breed mentors, while Bryan is also an approved American Bloodhound Club Mantrailing Judge.

In 2007, they welcomed Heather Buehner into their breeding and showing program. As a young handler, Heather took their dogs above and beyond their expectations. Bryan and Chris are also advocates for welcoming youth into the breed and the dog show fancy.  

Working Group: Liz Hansen, Sketchbook Standard Schnauzers

The Standard Schnauzer that would become the foundation for Sketchbook entered Liz Hansen’s life in 1977. Today, there are more than 160 Champions, dozens of Grand Champions and more than 250 performance titles earned by dogs wearing the Sketchbook name. From the start, dogs who are both beautiful and capable workers have been a priority, and many of the dogs have titles at both ends of their names.

A member of the Standard Schnauzer Club of America and local all-breed clubs through all these years, Liz served in many offices, taught numerous classes, served as show chair, stewarded, presented judges’ education seminars, and mentored prospective judges.

Sketchbook dogs have consistently ranked in the top 10 for the breed over most of the past 40 years. CH Scarlights Seasar TD NA, a son of Sketchbook Foreign Diplomat, who was exported to Sweden as a puppy, came back here to become #1 SS in the nation & SSCA Dog of the Year three times, BB at Westminster four years in a row, multi-BIS winner, and #14 Working dog in the country in 2005 – all completely owner-handled. As a sire, he is a SSCA Hall of Fame Producer and has been Stud Dog of the Year multiple times.

Seasar’s son, Vegas, GCHS Sketchbook Neon Lights HSAs is the youngest BIS winner in the breed. A grandson, Zack, GCH DC Sketchbook Stack The Deck RA HSAx HIAx HXAxM is the first Standard Schnauzer to go High In Trial at an all-breed herding trial, the first dual CH when he earned his Herding Trial CH, and is also a Group placing dog. Many have earned SSCA annual awards as the top in the breed for Obedience, Rally, Agility, Herding, and other performance events. Ten Junior Handlers have presented Sketchbook dogs, and four of these were the top Junior in the breed for multiple years at a time. Several dogs have become service dogs, as diabetic alert and gluten detection dogs for their owners, and literally changed their owners’ lives.

Terrier Group: Vandra Huber, DVM, McVan Scottish Terriers

Growing up, Dr. Vandra Huber had always wanted a Scottish Terrier, so when she graduated from college, she moved out of the family home and rewarded herself with a pet Scottish Terrier. Forward 10 years, she discovered the sport of purebred dogs and wanted to be an active part of it. She acquired her foundation bitch, Ch. Maggie McMuffin V and hasn’t looked back since.

With the support of her husband Michael Krolewski, Vandra founded McVan Scottish Terriers in 1982. A boutique kennel, McVan® Scottish Terriers typically produces only one or two litters a year. From the beginning, the focus has always been on quality, not quantity.

McVan Scottish Terriers have achieved some of the highest honors a breeder can receive. Scottish Terriers owned or bred by Vandra have gone Best in Show at four of the most prestigious dog shows in world — the Westminster Kennel Club, Crufts, the Euro Asia Dog Show and Benelux World Show. McVan Scottish Terriers have won the Scottish Terrier Club of America’s (STCA) National Specialty 17 times. McVan Scottish Terriers also hold the record for winning the most Scottish Terrier specialties in breed history and have garnered more than 55 Best in Show awards.

Vandra has been an AKC judge for more than 25 years and currently judges Terriers, Toys, Herding, most Non-Sporting breeds and Junior Showmanship. She has judged the STCA’s national specialty and will judge it again in 2025. She also has judged specialties in all four groups. She routinely mentors prospective judges on terriers and Scottish Terriers specifically.

Vandra and Michael have served on the Board of Directors of the Scottish Terrier Club of America (STCA). Vandra was the co-founder of the STCA’s top 20 and is currently the editor of the STCA’s upcoming 125^th anniversary handbook. Both Vandra and Michael have been recipients of STCA’s silver service medallions. Other national awards including the STCA’s most prestigious Lloyd Award and the Scottish Terrier Club of California’s National and Rotating Best of Breed Breeder’s Awards as well as many others.

Vandra is the president of the Washington Scottish Terrier Club (WSSTC), and Michael is the treasurer. Both are members of the Olympic Kennel Club and have been members and officers of the All-Terrier Club of Western Washington (ATCWW).

Toy Group: Joy Barbieri and Rebecca Movall, Andi Pugs

Joy Barbieri is a second-generation dog person. Her mother Eileen Barbieri bred and showed Salukis from the late-1970s to the mid-1990s. Joy got her first pug as a pet when she was 7 years old and showed pugs in Junior Showmanship as a teenager. Joy and Rebecca (Becky) Movall met in 2005 and got married in 2010. Together, they have bred and raised pugs for nearly 20 years.

Andi has produced 69 home-bred Champion Pugs, including Best in Show and Best in Specialty Show winners. Some recent notable dogs are MBIS MBISS MRBIS GCh. Andi In Cahoots, co-owned with Carolyn Koch, BIS MBISS MRBIS GCH. Andi Abracadabra, owned by Rebecca Hoskins, MBISS MRBIS GCh. Andi On The Road, owned by Kim and Ron Smart, and MBISS GCh. Andi My Cousin Vinny at Foursquare, owned by Dr. David and Judi Johnson.

Joy has been a member of the Pug Dog Club of America and the Pug Dog Club of Greater New York for more than 22 years. She is the current President of her local all-breed club, the Mid-Hudson Kennel Association. Joy is a Junior Showmanship judge and has judged Sweepstakes at specialties of an assortment of breeds.

Joy and Becky have set a goal of breeding pugs that are true to type and are also sound and healthy. Joy is the one and only AKC Gold Level Breeder of Merit for Pugs, having produced more than the requisite 50 Champions, and having shown a steadfast commitment to OFA health testing. Joy is also a member of the Pug Dog Club of America’s Health Committee. Joy has received the Pug Dog Club of America’s Breeder of the Year Award twice, in 2019 and 2022.

In their lives outside of dogs, Becky is a Manager of Environmental Systems with Metro-North Railroad. Joy is a licensed Real Estate Salesperson and holds an MBA from Isenberg School of Management. The couple have three young children, Matthew, age 10, Abraham, age 9, and Hazel, age 8.

Non-Sporting Group: Beth Blankenship, Trumpet Keeshond 

Beth’s first Keeshond was a companion, but she became the foundation of Trumpet Keeshond, finishing her CH title with a group placement and being honored as a Register of Merit producer by the Keeshond Club of America.

An AKC Breeder of Merit Platinum, Beth has bred 161 champions, 21 GCH, 95 national and regional specialty winners, 15 All-breed BIS/RBIS winners, and much more. She has also owned 106 champions.

Beth has served on the Keeshond Club of America (KCA) board for two terms and has been a member of multiple committees, currently the Health, Breeders Education, Breed Standard Revision and Event Planning committees. She was nominated for the AKC Good Sportsmanship Award in 2024.

In 2022, Beth established A Keeshond Retreat at her home where she teaches grooming, training, animal husbandry, nutrition and wellness. She is also a mentor for new dog owners and juniors in the sport.

Herding Group: Sandi Lyon, Margaux Bouviers 

Sandi purchased her first Bouvier des Flandres in 1988. He was far from show quality, but his personality and temperament hooked her on the breed. Curious about AKC events for purebred dogs, she attended a local dog show as a spectator where she saw her first quality Bouvier. Then she was determined to have better.

After seeing the famous Bouvier Ironeyes at the Westminster dog show, Sandi knew she wanted something from him and she was fortunate enough to acquire a dog and a bitch, one sired by him and the other sired by the number one dog in Europe. These two were the foundation for Margaux Bouvier des Flandres. Believing that sound working structure is worthless without sound temperament, Sandi has established a prepotent line of bitches. Margaux Bouviers has 20 bitches in the ABdFC Register of Merit program, one of whom is the top producer in the breed and three more are in the top ten. Additionally, Sandi has six stud dogs who have qualified for the ROM program with three in the top ten. The emphasis on both structure and temperament has produced 13 total Best in Show winners, over 160 Champions, 36 Grand Champions, a National Specialty winner, a Top 20 winner, 24 Top 20 conformation qualifiers, 16 Top 20 performance qualifiers, and 2 Dual Champions (herding). Margaux Bouviers are also highly successfully in agility, rally, obedience, scent work and carting.

Sandi is an AKC Platinum Breeder of Merit. She has been a member of the National Club for over 34 years and served for 12 years as the editor of its publication. She is one if the founding members and chaired the Bouvier Health Foundation for seven years. She is a 36-year member of the Northeastern Illinois Bouvier des Flandres Club and is Vice President of the Rockford Freeport Kennel Club.

Learn more about the award and past honorees.

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Posted by Liz on Nov 13 2024. Filed under Breaking News, Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.