The American Kennel Club (AKC®) honored recipients of the AKC® Lifetime Achievement Awards at the annual Delegates Meeting Luncheon, in conjunction with the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin in Orlando, Florida. The winners received an engraved silver Revere bowl. A larger Tiffany and Co. bowl, engraved with the names of all recipients past and present, will remain on permanent display at the AKC® Headquarters in New York City.
The AKC® Lifetime Achievement Awards were created to honor those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of purebred dogs on a national level. The recipients were selected by votes cast by AKC® member clubs for nominees in each of the following categories: Conformation, Companion Events and Performance.
Conformation: Dr. Claudia Orlandi
Dr. Claudia Orlandi, of Essex Junction, Vermont, has been in the fancy for over 50 years. She has successfully bred Basset Hounds for more than 25 years under the Topsfield prefix and with her late husband, Dom, has produced over 140 champions. Topsfield Bassets have won more than 100 All-Breed Bests in Show and hold numerous Breed and All-Breed show records. The top group-winning dog and the top-producing dam in the history of the breed were bred by Topsfield and the top winning dam was sired by a Topsfield dog. Claudia was the recipient of the 2009 AKC Breeder of the Year award.
Her enthusiasm for breeding is matched only by her passion for teaching and working with other breeders. Her ABC’s of Dog Breeding and Practical Canine Anatomy & Movement self-study courses form part of AKC’s breeder education program, reflecting her belief that anyone can understand the practical rules of genetics and canine structure in their quest to breed better, healthier dogs. Knowledge, coupled with integrity and honesty about health problems, are cornerstones of her breeding and teaching philosophy.
Claudia has authored numerous articles and for many years chaired BHCA Judges’ and Breeders’ Education for which she developed an educational concept called Basset Hound University, whose course designs are available for parent clubs to use as templates. She has spoken at over 150 dog clubs and AKC/CHF Breeder’s Symposia.
Claudia was honored by Dog Fancy Magazine as one of the “45 people who changed the dog world” by helping to improve dog breeding and making canine genetics easier to understand.
Companion Events: Patricia R. Krause
Patricia R. Krause had been in the sport for more than 50 years before her death in May. She showed Irish Setters in obedience, conformation and field events. She also earned numerous titles in obedience with her Border Collies and Champion Pomeranian. She was the Assistant Director of Training at K-9 Obedience Training Club of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, the Director of Training for the Irish Setter Club of Milwaukee, and a private trainer at several other clubs in the Milwaukee area.
Pat was an Obedience Judge for more than 40 years. She judged for 25 years before becoming the AKC Director of Obedience in 1999. In 2000, she was named AKC AVP of Companion Events. Her five years as AVP saw the growth of AKC agility and the introduction of AKC rally, which is among the most successful programs AKC’s recent history. It was during this tenure that she had the privilege of accompanying the 2004/2005 USA Obedience Teams to the Crufts World Cup Competition. Pat was honored to judge the 2007 Crufts Obedience World Cup Competition.
In the January 2005 AKC Gazette, Pat explained how she and her staff spent four years refining AKC rally before its debut on New Year’s Eve, 2004: “We would have test sessions here in the parking lot in Raleigh. We’d bring our own dogs, set up signs, and run different exercises, trying to decide what would work and what wouldn’t. It took a long time to be satisfied we had a sport agreeable to dogs of all breeds and people of all ages.”
In May 2005 Krause retired from AKC and resumed judging Obedience and Rally. In her spare time, she volunteered at the Northwoods’ Wildlife Rehabilitation Center as an animal/raptor rescuer and rehabilitator.
Performance: Judy Powers
Judy Powers, of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and her husband Jim, have been training, and competing with their Labrador retrievers and contributing to AKC member clubs for more than 35 years. Judy is a “life member” of Wisconsin Amateur Field Trial Club for 36 years, serving as Field Trial Secretary for 32 years; “life member” of Manitowoc County Kennel Club for 36 years, serving as field trial secretary for 26 years; Women’s Field Trial Club for 16 years, serving as Board Member and Treasurer for 11 years; and is a member of the Badger Golden Retriever Club. She continues to contribute to retriever organizations whenever requested, including marshaling, judging, heading committees and/or working in the field. She aspires to do everything she can do to ensure the continuance of this wonderful sport of dogs.
Judy has judged 79 major retriever stakes, 19 minor retriever stakes, and the 2010 National Amateur Retriever Championship. She has served on marshals’ committees for another eight national events. She was board member of the National Retriever Club during the 16-year term. She served as marshal, chief marshal, Vice President and President (2002) during her board term.
In 2016, Judy was elected by her peers into the Retriever Hall of Fame in Grand Junction, Tennessee, where she joins the Powers’ two-time National Amateur Retriever Champion Candlewoods Ramblin Man, inducted in 2012.
She and her husband have owned and titled 10 championship dogs including 2XNAF FC Candlewoods Ramblin Man. Judy has titled four Labrador Retrievers and was a finalist with FC AFC Badger State Ram Kicker in 2008 National Amateur Retriever Championship in Stowe, Vermont. Judy and Jim are AKC recognized as Breeders of Distinction of Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers.
The honorees, who were selected from votes cast by AKC member clubs, will receive engraved Revere bowls on Friday, December 15, 2017 at the Delegates luncheon held in conjunction with the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin in Orlando, Florida. A sterling silver Tiffany and Co. bowl, engraved with the names of all recipients past and present, is on permanent display at AKC headquarters in New York City.