10 Questions ...
Profession: Microbiologist/immunologist. Worked as infection-control practitioner
Dog-sport involvement: Breeder/owner/exhibitor of Belgian Sheepdogs since 1978. Originally bred, owned and showed Collies. Owned and showed Shelties. We also helped other exhibitors frequently.
Hometown: Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Astrological sign: Really? Aquarius
1. Do you have any dog-show superstitions?
Me — no, but Bill had lucky underwear.
2. TV-show guilty pleasure?
“Hoarders” and “Air Disasters.”
3. If you were president of AKC for one day, what would you do?
Oh, my — TNTC (Too Numerous to Count). But I’ll take a stab at one. We need to have matches again. I remember going to 1,500-dog matches — you really learned a lot. I went to my first match in 1978 in Cincinnati, Ohio, with my Collie and won the breed. That got me started. I think clubs should only be allowed one show a year unless they have a well-advertised, well-planned match every year. I really learned about showing, breeding and judging at matches. Also made some lifelong friends.
4. Most valued material possession?
My dad’s handkerchief with the signatures and artwork of all radio-room personnel on the USS Nevada dated October 10, 1941 — less than two months before Pearl Harbor, where the ship was destroyed. He was there and made it through, and later paid a salvage person to retrieve it and two $20 bills from his locker. He gave the salvage person one of the 20s, and I have the other.
5. What is something no one would guess about you?
I worked on the F-15 software.
6. Who would you compare yourself to?
My father.
7. What are you “famous” for?
Famous? Maybe I hope I am respected, but famous?
8. What website do you visit most often?
It seems I’ve been checking the Weather Channel an awful lot lately.
9. What was more memorable, your most satisfying win or disappointing defeat? And what was it?
I’ll give one of each because they are equal. Most satisfying – winning the breed at the World Show in Milan in 2000 over 60 Groenendael. (They’re separate varieties over there and for those who may not know, the black Belgian Sheepdog is variety Groenendael.) It was amazing to exhibit an American-bred Belgian and win. The Europeans hold this breed dearly to their heart. Most disappointing defeat – 1994 BSCA National. We were on the front of the line for 45 minutes and through numerous cuts. At the end, Donald Booxbaum pointed to the Veteran bitch behind us and gave us BOS. (A side note here: As a judge, I have never and will never do that to anyone. I rearrange the dogs first and send them around again.)
10. What do you wish someone would ask you?
I wish more exhibitors, breeders, judges and aspiring judges would ask me about Herding breeds. They are a really diverse group, and many people just go by the word “Herding.”