Lifetime Achievement Awards 2009

AKC Honors Recipients of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Awards

The American Kennel Club (AKC®) honored the recipients of the 2009 AKC Lifetime Achievement Awards at the December 16, Delegates Meeting in Long Beach, California, in conjunction with the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. The winners received an engraved Tiffany and Co. sterling silver bowl. A larger Tiffany and Co. bowl, engraved with the names of all recipients past and present, is 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.

Left to Right:   Doug Ljungren (Assistant Vice President of AKC Performance Events)   Mary Jo Trimble   Kenneth A. Buxton   Curt Curtis (Assistant Vice President of AKC Companion Events)   John Lyons (AKC Chief Operating Officer)   Wendell J. Sammet   Dennis Sprung (AKC President and Chief Executive Officer)   Hon. David C. Merriam (AKC Vice Chairman of the Board)

The 2009 recipients are:

Conformation: Wendell J. Sammet

Wendell J. Sammet, of Bryantville, Massachusetts, became active in the sport of purebred dogs after World War II, in which he fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was a P.O.W. He began breeding Dalmatians under the Dalmatia banner in 1950, finishing many Champions.

In the early 1950s, Mrs. Henry T. Kaiser asked Wendell to breed and exhibit white Standard Poodles for her Alekai Kennel in Hawaii. In 1984, she turned the line over to him, at which time he changed the name to Ale Kai.

Through the decades, Wendell has prided himself in breeding for health, temperament and breed type. Along the way, he has always found time to serve as mentor for newcomers to the breed and the sport, as well as an advisor to his peers. He has been an active member for both the Poodle Club of America and the Dalmatian Club of America. Today he co-breeds many of his Poodles with Karen LeFrak of On Fifth fame.

Over the years, Wendell has garnered numerous accolades, including: Dogdom’s Professional Handler of the Year (1977); Dogs in Review Achievement Award as Best Breeder-Owner-Handler (2004); and breeder of Dogs in Review Top Non-Sporting Sire (2007). Wendell was the inaugural recipient of the Anne Rogers Clark Hall of Fame Award in 2008, as well as the first AKC Breeder of the Year Award in 2002.

Companion Events: Kenneth A. Buxton

Kenneth A. Buxton, of Kingwood, TX, and his wife Donna purchased their first St. Bernard in 1966, deciding Saints should be able to earn at least a Companion Dog title, breed championship and tracking title. The first and only Saint accomplishing this until almost 10 years ago was a dog from their first home-bred litter, Ch. Twin Oaks Cinnamon Bear UDT. Starting at Queen City Dog Training Club, Ken trained several dogs to their UD’s. Eventually, exhibiting changed to judging. Ken currently judges all classes in Obedience, Rally, and Tracking, plus four groups (Sporting, Working, Non-Sporting and Herding).

Ken has been active in Queen City Dog Training Club, Clermont County Kennel Club (lifetime member), St. Bernard Club of America, and now Baytown Kennel Club in Texas. In these clubs he served in various positions including President, Vice President, Board of Directors, Show Chairman, Obedience Chairman and Director of Training. He was on the 1988 AKC Obedience Advisory Committee and the committee for the Illustrated Commentary of the St. Bernard. Currently, he is on the Board of the American Dog Show Judges, serving as benefit chairman.

Ken was in the Marine Corps and has degrees in finance and economics. He was an accountant, serving as accounting manager before retiring. Hobbies include working out at the YMCA, computers, investments and two grandsons, 7 and 8-years-old.

Performance: Mary Jo Trimble

Mary Jo Trimble, of Carterville, Illinois, has been involved with Brittanys since the mid-1960s. She was a charter member of the Sahuaro Brittany Club in Arizona and the Illinois Brittany Championship Association. She is Treasurer for the Illinois Brittany Club and has served as Executive Secretary of the American Brittany Club (ABC) since 1998.

Mary Jo is a Hall of Fame recipient and was recently elected to the Field Trial Clubs of Illinois Honor Roll for her service to that organization. Her dogs have won numerous AKC Championships, including the National Open Brittany Championship, and awards such as the IAMS All-Age Dog of the Year, and the Brittany Field Trial Hall of Fame.

Mary Jo is the ABC’s AKC Legislative Liaison, and a Director and Legislative Committee Chair for the Field Trial Clubs of Illinois. She attended the first AKC Parent Club Conference as a presenter and has twice been invited to attend AKC’s Lobby Day in Washington, D.C. The American Field, The American Brittany Magazine and AKC Afield have published her articles on legislation.

The Illinois General Assembly declared May 28, 2006 as Trimble Day, to recognize Mary Jo’s and her husband Ray’s contribution to the sport of field trialing and for their efforts to help acquire 16,000 acres of new public land, including two new championship-type field trial areas in Pyramid State Park. With Ray having won the AKC’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000, Mary Jo makes the Trimbles the first couple to both win this prestigious award.