Sandi Lyon Named 2024 AKC Breeder Of The Year

Sandi Lyon was presented with the 2024 AKC Breeder of the Year award for Margaux Bouviers at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin on Saturday, December 14, 2024.  The annual award honors those breeders who have made an impact on their breed and dedicate their lives to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs.

“We are proud to honor Sandi Lyon with the 2024 AKC Breeder of the Year award,” said Dennis B. Sprung, AKC President and CEO. “The Margaux Bouviers prefix has been associated with top quality, healthy Bouvier des Flandres in the United States and her impact on the breed will be seen for many more years to come.”

One honoree is chosen from each of the seven groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding. From those seven, one Group winner is selected as “AKC Breeder of the Year” during the AKC National Championship, which was held this year in Orlando, FL on December 14^th and 15^th. Presentation highlights are available on www.akc.org.

As the 2024 AKC Breeder of the Year recipient, Sandi Lyon will be honored with a commission from a canine portraitist to memorialize a prominent dog from her breeding program and her name will be inscribed on a perpetual trophy, both of which will be displayed at the AKC headquarters in New York City.

About 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.

Group winners included:

• Sporting Group: Erica and John Bandes, Kinnike Kennels, Reg.
• Hound Group: Bryan and Chris Flessner, Flessner’s Bloodhounds
• Working Group: Liz Hansen, Sketchbook Standard Schnauzers
• Terrier Group: Dr. Vandra L. Huber, McVan Scottish Terriers
• Toy Group: Joy Barbieri and Rebecca Movall, Andi Pugs
• Non-Sporting Group: Beth Blankenship, Trumpet Keeshond
• Herding Group: Sandi Lyon, Margaux Bouviers

The sixth annual posthumous Breeder of the Year was awarded to Kaz Hosaka for his devotion to the Poodle breed.

For more information on all the AKC Breeder of the Year Group honorees, click here.

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Posted by Liz on Dec 16 2024. 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.