Page 118 - ShowSight - December 2019

Who’s Running The Show?
EPISODE 3
ODEBT MASSEY: SHOW CHAIR, GARDEN CITY KS KENNEL CLUB ARTIST, CHEF AND MUCH ELSE!
Ihave been involved in the dog world since the mid 1970’s. I and my hus- band have bred multiple champions in American Cocker Spaniels, Eng-
lish Pointers, Beagles and Kerry Blue Ter- riers. I have always been very involved in any club I have joined and always felt that it was important to give back to the sport and help it not only survive but thrive. I first worked for a professional handler for a decade and then became a professional handler myself for several more decades. I always continued to be a breeder and an owner handler and finished many if not most of our dogs (all whelped in our home by me!) from the bred-by-exhibitor class- es. I also worked for 16 years as a Specialty Show Secretary even while I handled and still kept my own breeding program mov- ing forward simply because I saw a need for someone to do that job and help spe- cialty clubs survive. It was another way for me to give back to the sport that I love. I am also a farmer raising beef, pork and poultry for myself and for friends and I am involved with several Poultry breed clubs. My hobbies outside of dogs are col- lecting cookbooks (currently at over 1000 in my library), cooking of course, minia- tures, 1:12th Scale Miniature Gardening and painting.
Once I retired from both handling and
show secretary work (I am still a breeder/Exhibitor) I leapt back into my art which I had set aside for showing dogs professionally and traveling to do so. So now my second (or third or fourth?) career in dogs includes painting portraits of our exhibitors/breeders beautiful beloved dogs. How lucky am I that I know so many people who breed such beautiful dogs and I get to paint them! So now I have become a vendor at dog shows (Art by Odebt) as well as still being an all breed show chairman! I love capturing the dogs for all eternity in art and often help memorialize them for ever too. I don’t have a website yet but my art work can be viewed at www.facebook.com/ArtByOdebt.
When did you join your first specialty or all breed club?
I first joined the San Gabriel Cocker Spaniel Fanciers Club back in 1981 as a complete newbie to dog clubs and after a couple of years exhibiting dogs. That club no longer exists but it was a valuable experience while it lasted. Then my husband and I were charter members of the Pointer Club of Southern Cali- fornia not long after and until we moved to Colorado. My first all breed club that I joined was the Colorado Springs Kennel Club in Colorado in 1989 and I am still currently a life member of that club and I am also currently a member of the Garden City Kansas Kennel Club. We were also founding members of the Colorado Pointer Club and were previously members of the American Pointer Club.
What offices have you held before becoming a Show Chairman?
I have served repeatedly as president, board member, historian and also show secretary for a few of the specialty clubs we have belonged to.
GCH. Tontine’s Chance Redemption, call name Danny
116 • ShowSight Magazine, DeceMber 2019