Page 296 - ShowSight - November 2019

Breeder Owner Handler Q & A
“It’s hard for the working person to go to a three or four day circuit a lot of times.”
Janice Hightower continued
Do I feel that owner/handlers have an advantage because of their bond with their dogs? No, so many dogs live with handlers anymore the dogs are bonded.
What’s more important to me, an all-breed win or a specialty win? Both, any are taken with pride and joy!
If you’re a breeder/owner/handler, are your wins that much more special? Yes, back in my days of having litters and showing puppies all the time I was always ecstatic over winning with them and I had a special I showed to Top 10 owner handled all the time. I did not breed for a number of years but since I have gotten back into it with two girls I am not breeder of but they both go back to my old lines I had, each win is still so special to me!
Is fitting the show schedule into my “regular” life a constant balancing act? Yes somewhat due to getting time off. To manage, I make sure I like the show site and judges and try my best to have the time off. It’s hard for the working person to go to a three or four day circuit a lot of times.
How has the NOHS program affected me? I have enjoyed it. I have been in top 10 in my breed with one of my girls several times and my youngest girl REO was 21st as a puppy being shown only ten months of the year. She Has OHBIS and many group place- ments and Group wins. She has finished #3 (I look forward to show- ing in OH top 10 at Royal Canin!) this year when she was only shown in OH for nine months and July and August we did not show in AKC as I show IBACA and UKC also.
What advice would I give a newcomer to breeding? Find a men- tor or people to talk to about the breed you have or want. Go to a good breeder who does the health testing needed for the breed. You have to have a good dog to start with. And no, puppies are not money makers. You put time, money, heart and soul into trying to make the best dog possible.
The funniest thing that I’ve witnessed at a dog show? Well there have been many, I have had my slip fall off and I just kept running and had panty hose fall too and flipped my shoes of as well as them and kept going. Have seen lots of funny things happen though.
CYNTHIA HUFF
Cynthia Huff began showing and breeding Cockers with her mother in the 1960s and in 1971 she and her mother established Safari Standard Poodles, which has bred over 150 champions world-wide, including Best in Show winners on three continents.
Over the years, her husband, Joel Haefner, and their two chil- dren, daughter Alyssa and son Leigh, have also bred and shown Standard Poodles.
I live in Carlock, Illinois and am a retired English Professor. Outside of dogs, I travel, including to see animals in their habitat on land and in the ocean.
I’ve been in the sport for 58 years and my original breed is the Cocker Spaniel.
The toughest part of being a breeder is having your expec- tations dashed. The best part is having something wonderful happen unexpectedly.
Do I feel that owner/handlers have an advantage because of their bond with their dogs? Sometimes but pros can have an advantage because they show so much.
What’s more important to me, an all-breed win or a specialty win? That depends on the context of the win. A win at the national specialty is more significant than an all-breed win at a local show. But a specialty win can be less significant that a win at a prestigious all-breed show.
If you’re a breeder/owner/handler, are your wins that much more special? They’re harder earned and more exciting because you’re always there to experience them. But a big win for one of your dogs shown by a handler can be just as exciting.
Is fitting the show schedule into my “regular” life a constant balancing act? Yes, it is. I’ve managed over the years by always man- aging my time really well.
How has the NOHS program affected me? For the last several years I’ve competed very successfully in NOHS and have had the top NOHS Poodle, all varieties, for the past three years. In 2017 my black standard dog, GCHG Safari’s Subversion, was #4 All- Breeds and this year his white half-sister, GCHB Safari’s Salome, is in the Top Twenty All-Breeds. I really like the camaraderie among NOHS participants.
What advice would I give a newcomer to breeding? Hang in there for the long haul. Realizing your breeding vision is harder than it might seem.
What’s the funniest thing that I’ve witnessed at a dog show? A spectator asking if a dog was “plugged in” when she saw him asleep on his side with his lead dangling to the floor.
REBECCA INGERSOLL
My name is Rebecca Ingersoll and I am the proud owner of Twisted Acres Border Collies and Mudi. In December of 2012 I purchased my dream home in Benson, Arizona which gave me the ability to be able to do what I have always wanted to do. I have had Border Collies since
2000, but it was not until 2012 that I was able to focus on showing and then breeding. My passion is to breed true to type dogs that are
294 • ShowSight Magazine, noveMber 2019