Page 156 - ShowSight - June 2020

the NOHS Group.) My priority is showcasing my bred-by dog in the regular Group ring, usually.
My father and son bred-by boys are the NOHS lifetime #1 and #2 MAS dogs! Jimmy (MBIS MBISS GR CHG Love That Jimmy Fallon CM) is also NOHS lifetime #2 Herding dog and #8 All- Breed lifetime dog! Jimmy is currently #4 NOHS all-breed, #1 NOHS MAS and is an NOHS Platinum level x3!
Jimmy’s sire (Merlie) RBIS MBISS GR CHS Love That Amer- ican Red White and Blue CM17 is a NOHS Gold level and #2 NOHS Lifetime MAS! My five bred-by dogs have won a total of 29 NOHS Best in Shows, 21 NOHS RBIS and 157 NOHS Group ribbons since July 1, 2015. Jimmy won the 2016 AKC National NOHS Best in Show, after our breed was fully-recognized, at only 18 months! My bred-by dogs have won the AKC National NOHS Invitational Best of Breed every year from 2015-2019 and placed in AKC National NOHS Group there three times.
What has been my greatest challenge as a breeder/owner-han- dler? My biggest challenge is trying to manage our dental practice, take care of everything at home, including house, four acres and all the dogs, and still have the time and energy to drive and compete at dog shows! I am usually “running on fumes” it seems! I try hard not to look like a “zombie” at the shows, which is how I usually feel by the time I actually get to the dog show! Usually by Sunday afternoon I start feeling like a human being again, but then it’s time to drive home!
What has been my biggest thrill as a competitor? It is hard to pick just one, so I’ll just go down the list: I have been blessed to have won our National Specialty twice with my third generation bred-by (and another time with a dog I co-own), so those wins have to be at the top of the list. I have also won two regular AKC Best in Shows and an AKC Reserve Best in Show with two different bred-by dogs, father and son. Winning the AKC NOHS Invitational Best in Show was also a huge thrill, especially since our breed had only been fully-recognized by AKC just 18 months prior! I especially love showcasing my bred-by dogs in the regular Group ring and have won 128 regular Group ribbons on five bred-by dogs, includ- ing 38 AKC Group Ones! Winning Group One three times over two years with my bred-by boy at the huge Houston Kennel Club show has been very exciting too. More highlights include winning the AKC National Best of Breed Bred-by 2014 through 2019 and placing in the the AKC National Bred-By Group three times. Other memorable wins include winning six AKC Best in Show 4-6 month old, five AKC Best in Show Brace and multiple AKC Veteran Group placements. My bred-by dogs have won our National Best of Breed Owner-Handler every year from 2015 through 2019. My bred-by dogs have won the AKC National Select Dog 2015 through 2018.
Since July 1, 2015, I’ve had five AKC Grand Champions and one Champion, including one Gold and one Silver Grand Champion from three generations of bred-bys. My bred-by boy is a Morris & Essex Sweepstakes Champion. My bred-by boys are Multiple AKC Westminster Award of Merits. I have five bred-by dogs that have won or placed in the regular Group rings and have been ranked high in stats 2015-2020. Co-owner to the only MAS bitch to have won two AKC Best in Shows. It’s hard for me to believe it’s been less than five years that our breed was fully-accepted by AKC!
How are me and my dogs keeping busy now that dog shows are on hiatus? All my dogs have enjoyed the extra attention they are get- ting now that I am not traveling to dog shows! This break has given me time to get caught up on projects and enjoy time with my hus- band, Doug. We designed our home around the dogs, so they have lots of room to run and play—plus have pool parties nearly daily!
Do I have any specific goals in mind for my return to the show ring? I want to finish Jimmy’s Platinum Grand Championship! He needs less than 85 points! ( MBIS MBISS Gr ChG Love That Jimmy Fallon CM!) Also, it would be very cool to win some more
regular Best in Shows and Group Ones! My two bred-by boys are the only MAS to win regular Best in Show or Reserve Best in Shows and are bred-bys! That means a lot to me!
How important is the owner-handler to the future of the sport? I think, very important!
The funniest thing that’s ever happened to me as a breeder/own- er-handler? At the 2016 AKC National NOHS Invitational, Jimmy and I were in the Best in Show ring. Because it was being televised, they were very strict on when you could run over to the table for the examination. They had a ring steward standing there telling you when you could approach the table, which seemed very far away. Usually you’ll put your dog on the table for examination as soon as the dog in front of you is off of the table, but not at this show! So, Im trying hard to be patient and the dog in front of us is off the table and doing the down and back. The ring steward still was making us wait, then finally she said I could approach the table. Jimmy and I had to trot quite a ways to even get to the table, so off we go. Jimmy has always been one to jump up on tables and doesn’t really want me to pick him up (I think he is insulted). So we go trotting over to the table, but as I approached it I realized it was much higher than the regular tables used at the shows. Well, Jimmy had already tried to jump up on the table at the normal height and he hit it half way! He almost knocked the table over, it made a lot of noise and I heard the crowd let out a huge moan! Oh no! That is not what you want to hear while showing in the Best in Show ring! I grabbed Jimmy and tried to catch the table before it was knocked over and, miraculous- ly, was able to retrieve them both! The judge heard the commotion and glanced over her shoulder as the dog in front of us was going around! I was so embarrassed but, of course, had to recover quickly; I told Jimmy how much fun that was! He bought it and seemed to be having a great time! I got him set up just in time for the judge to examine him, but I know my face was probably beet red!
Jimmy won the NOHS Best in Show that year! I’ll never forget GSD breeder/handler Kent Boyles who came up to us later laughing and patted me on the back. He said, “That was an awesome recov- ery!” I laughed so hard, then someone brought me a glass of wine which I really appreciated.
BARBARA MCNEILL
We reside in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where I own and oper- ate Three Graces European Day Spa and my husband has been in veterinarian practice for 40 years. I started in the dog show world in the late 1980s with Shelties, then Collies, and now German Short- haired Pointers. However, I have always had dogs in my life.
My granddad was the top field dog trainer in the 1960s here in Oklahoma. (That’s where I first loved the Sporting dog.) Between my granddad and dad, I grew up with Pointers and Brittanys, but I wanted a dog of my own, a Sheltie. I was 12 when my dad said, “You can’t have a dog of your own, you can’t whistle.” That set a fire in me. In one week, I could bust eardrums. I had my first Sheltie in no time at all. I have come full circle, back to the Sporting dogs I grew up with and have loved all my life.
Do I have any hobbies or interests apart from breeding and showing dogs? My life interests have encompassed a variety of avenues from European travel, art, gardening, and architectural design. While I have never been a foody, I am proficient in French desserts. Otherwise, I am a meat and potatoes kind of girl, but it must be quality presented with a fine dining flare.
How often do I breed? Do I breed to compete in conformation or performance? At SilverLake we have a litter every two to three years. I breed for a complete package with health, temperament, type, and conformation always in mind. Our pups usually go to a variety of owners: performance, conformation, hunt, and sofa dogs.
154 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2020
BREEDER/OWNER-HANDLER Q&A