Lifetime Achievement Awards 2010
In its endless pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were established in 1998 to honor our Fancy’s best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a national level.
As in the past, this year’s nominees were selected by AKC member clubs that cast their votes for one nominee in each of three categories: Conformation, Companion Events, and Performance. The three nominees receiving the most votes in each category were selected as the finalists. Member clubs have now been asked to cast their vote for one nominee in each of the three categories. This final round of balloting will close on September 14, 2009. A special presentation will be held in conjunction with the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach, California in December 2009.
The AKC is honored to present photos and bios of the nine finalists who were selected by their constituents in recognition of their exemplary participation in the fancy.
Nominees in Conformation:
Sandra Goose Allen, of St. Petersburg, Florida, began her steadfast commitment to purebred dogs more than three decades ago when she established her renowned Windflower Skye Terriers. She has also bred Scottish Terriers under the Windflower banner. Sandra has served as the Scottish Terrier judges’ education coordinator for many years and as a judges’ breeder-mentor for the Skye Terrier Club of America. She recently completed an educational seminar given by the Skye Terrier Club of America.
In 1976 Sandra became an AKC-licensed judge and is approved for Sporting, Terrier, Toy and Non-Sporting Groups, ten hound breeds, and Best in Show. Important assignments include Westminster, Montgomery County, and many, many Specialty shows. She has judged the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship three times.
Sandra is a published author whose works include The Complete Skye Terrier, The Terrier Lover’s Cook Book, and a myriad of terrier articles. Her Study of the Scottish Terrier, published by the Scottish Terrier Club of America, was awarded a Maxwell Medallion by the Dog Writers Association of America. Other honors include the Sterling Silver Service Medallion and the Anstamm Achievement Award, both presented by the Scottish Terrier Club of America.
In 1994, Sandra was honored for her charitable service by the National ALS Association. She has been involved with many charitable organizations over the years including homeless and animal rescue organizations. Sandra divides her time between judging (worldwide) and dog rescue and placement.
Jean Fournier, of Calhoun, GA, acquired her first Siberian Husky in 1968. Her Toko Siberians have won Best in Show, national specialties and many group placements.
An experienced sled-dog driver, Jean and her champion team won the Siberian Husky Club of America’s coveted Working/Showing Trophy in 1973. Other parent club honors include the Peggy Grant Memorial Trophy for Good Sportsmanship and Honorary Lifetime Membership. She served as her club’s President, Secretary, Board member and chaired numerous committees.
Jean is approved to judge the Sporting, Working, Herding, Non-Sporting and Toy Groups, Junior Showmanship, and Best in Show. She has judged over 75 national and local specialty shows in all approved groups, including 30 countries. Jean has judged four Siberian Husky Club of America national specialties, four Westminster Kennel Club shows, four AKC/Eukanuba National Championships and three World Dog Shows.
An award-winning writer and editor, Mrs. Fournier has contributed to three published books on Siberians, and to most of the country’s top dog magazines. Her definitive CD Rom on the Siberian Husky was nominated by the Dog Writer’s Association of America.
Jean is a past President of the Dog Judges Association of America and presently serves on the board of the American Dog Show Judges Assoc. She has received Lifetime Memberships from the Farmington Valley Kennel Club (CT) and the Connecticut River Working Group Club of which she is a founding member.
Helen Lee James, of Littleton, Colorado, began exhibiting 1952, and is best known for her long association with Poodles. With husband, Howard, she bred, owned, and handled several champions, including one of the most influential sires in recent Poodle history. An officer for several clubs, she is president of the Evergreen Colorado Kennel Club and second vice president of the Poodle Club of America.
Helen Lee began judging obedience in 1961. By 1974 she was approved to judge all obedience classes, the Non-Sporting Group, the Toy Group, and several working breeds. She left judging to join the AKC Field Staff, then one of only two woman Field Representatives. She resumed judging in 1991, and is now approved for all breeds. Career highlights include judging the Toy Group at the 2002 Westminster show, Best in Show assignments at the International and Golden Gate shows, and in 1972 judging Standard Poodles and Inter-Variety in 2006 at the National Specialty.
Prior to joining the AKC field staff, Mrs. James was an art therapist. When judging or kennel club responsibilities permit, she returns to her artwork, and has donated a number of her pictures for Take the Lead and AKC Canine Health Foundation auctions.
Her five adult children are or have been intensely involved with purebred dogs. This led the late James Edward Clark to once quip that he was nominating Helen Lee for Brood Bitch of the Year!
Nominees in Companion Events:
Sharon Anderson, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, will always be remembered at the American Kennel Club for her passion in bringing the sport of Agility under the AKC banner. When she earned her first agility title on a Golden Retriever in 1988, there were no AKC sponsored Agility events.
Sharon was invited to serve on the first AKC Agility advisory board for AKC in 1993, then joined the staff as AKC Agility Field Representative and subsequently became the Director of AKC Agility, retiring from AKC in 2008.
Sharon was also the driving force in establishing the AKC World Agility Team and the criteria for world competition. She served as its captain since 1996, during which time AKC team members earned numerous individual gold and silver medals. The crowning achievement was winning the Team Gold Medal by defeating 30 countries in Portugal in 2001.
In addition to her extensive experience in agility, Sharon holds many obedience titles, including Obedience Trial Champion. Her involvement in the sport ranges from puppy class to competitive obedience, agility, flyball, tracking and fieldwork. She honed her skills by working with virtually every breed of purebred dog while owning three large obedience training schools. She has helped over a thousand handlers achieve obedience titles.
Sharon has held club offices ranging from President to Trial Chairperson. She is a lifetime member of the St. Croix Kennel Club and the Land O’Lakes Kennel Club.
Shirley Indelicato, of Acton, California, is involved in all aspects of the fancy, as a breeder, conformation and obedience exhibitor, and AKC-approved judge for all Obedience and Rally classes. She began conducting training classes in 1961 and has taught more than 12,000 owners to train their dogs in obedience. Since 1957 she has shown dogs in the breed ring to their championships and in obedience to the highest degree, Utility. She has earned 200 scores as well as several Will Judy awards.
Her career has included TV appearances on the Johnny Carson Show, Romper Room and the Moms and Pops Dog Show series. Some of her dogs have appeared in movies, including Frank and Weenie.
Other activities include demonstrations at baseball’s Angels Anaheim Stadium, as well as obedience training seminars and demonstrations at a number of premier dog show venues, hospitals, convalescent homes, and senior care centers. Shirley has also contributed her time and talents to teaching dog obedience to 4H club members and elementary school students. She also assists, annually, in rattlesnake bite prevention procedures for dogs.
Her judging career, which began with AKC approval in 1971, has not only included many AKC trials throughout the country, but also five Gaines Regional Championships in Florida, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and California. Shirley currently trains for two Obedience Clubs and has held many offices including President, Training Director, Scent Hurdle Team Captain and Show Secretary.
Jill K. Jones, of Brownsville, Oregon, was born in England and came to the United States in 1964. She has been involved in the sport of obedience and tracking since the early '70s. Her first dog, a Norwegian Elkhound, became the first UDT in the breed in 1975. Since then, she has put obedience titles (including 4 UDs) and tracking titles (15 TDs, and 8 TDXs) on a variety of dogs, including Labrador Retrievers, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Greyhounds, and a Finnish Spitz, who is the only VCD1 of the breed. Jill is currently competing with a Labrador Retriever and a Pembroke Welsh Corgi in agility and obedience.
She is a longtime member of Emerald Dog Obedience Club in Eugene, Oregon, and has held many positions including training director, newsletter editor and secretary. She teaches obedience, rally and tracking classes for the club and is on its Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America and of the Columbia River Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club.
Jill has been judging obedience since 1977 and tracking since 1984. She was a member of the 1999 Tracking Advisory Board and the 2006 Rally Advisory Board. In 2003, she was one of the judges for the National Tracking Invitational held at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, and in 2007, she was one of the judges for the National Obedience Invitational in Long Beach.
Nominees in Performance
Jo Ann Frier-Murza, of Crosswicks, New Jersey, has promoted the sport of den trials since 1972. She worked with the AKC advisory panel developing the earthdog program in 1993, and later, on its review panel. She has chaired, judged and hosted den trials and earthdog events for over 35 years. Jo Ann has developed a process to instill confidence in neophytes. She wrote Earthdog Ins & Outs, describing early history of earthdogs, breed characteristics, training techniques and hosting events. Jo Ann’s facility, Village Green Farm Earthdog Center, introduces numerous new dogs and assists advanced level dogs each year through classes and fun days.
Jo Ann was the founder of the New Jersey Beanfield Earthdogs Club and has been an officer or board member of the American Working Terrier Association, the Border Terrier Club of America, the Garden State All Terrier Club, the Princeton Dog Training Club and the Allgemeiner Schutzhund Klub, in addition to membership in the Dachshund Club of America. She has also been an active member of other allbreed and obedience clubs during her 38 years with purebred dogs. She has pursued earthdog titles with her own dogs, earning multiple Master Earthdog titles as well as field championships on four Dachshunds. She has also bred Border Terriers and shown them to conformation championships. Jo Ann has never abandoned a childhood interest in obedience and has earned titles on Bedlington, Bull and Border Terriers.
Jacquelyn (Jackie) Mertens, of Madison, Florida, has been a dedicated retriever enthusiast since establishing Topbrass Retrievers in 1968. She has bred or owned more than 130 FC’s/AFC’s, Master Hunters and Qualified All Age retrievers. She won the 1985 National Amateur Championship with FC NAFC Topbrass Cotton. Cotton is also the hi-point Golden of all time and was inducted into the Retriever Hall of Fame in 1993. He remains the only Golden Retriever to ever win the National Amateur title.
Jackie has judged almost 100 Open and Amateur Championship stakes, as well as the 1996 National Amateur Championship and 2003 National Open Championship. She also participated in numerous Judges’ Seminars and the Golden Retriever Club of America breeder symposiums.
Jackie was Chairman and Chief Marshal in AKC licensed Field Trials for over 30 years. She is past president of the National Open Retriever Club, served as Chairman and Chief Marshal of their Championship, and is the National Representative for the Golden Retriever Club of America. President of the Women’s Field Trial Club from 2000 – 2007 she was also a past president of the American Amateur Field Trial Club. She is currently on the Board of the Snow Bird Retriever Club and Women’s Field Trial Club.
Jackie has written many Retriever Training articles and created the training video, Sound Beginnings. Jackie was inducted into the Retriever Hall of Fame in Grand Junction, Tennessee in 2006.
Wayne R. Price, of Navarre, Ohio, joined a Beagle Club in 1953, and began his lifelong career in the sport of Beagling. He held almost all offices from the club level to the president of the International Beagle Federation. Presently, he holds membership in two AKC member clubs: Beagle Club of Northern Ohio and Buckeye Beagle Club. Wayne competed with his hounds throughout the nation and has finished many field champions. He also judged many major federation events. In 1972, AKC appointed Wayne as an instructor of AKC Field Trial seminars. He traveled from coast to coast for 18 years, teaching at these seminars and most of today’s Beagle judges have attended one or more of them. Wayne served on the AKC Beagle Advisory Committee for eight consecutive years during the 1970s. At this time, Wayne is in his 35th year as a Contributing Editor of Hounds and Hunting, and writes a monthly column for Beagle magazine. He has never missed a deadline in the all those years, and beaglers everywhere rely upon this column to be kept informed. In recognition of the many contributions he has made to his chosen sport, he was elected in 1984 to the Beagling Hall of Fame, Beagling’s highest honor. Beagling has been a major part of his life and he continues to give generously of his time and knowledge.
