Lifetime Achievement Awards 2011

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 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 13, 2010. A special awards presentation will be held in conjunction with the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach, California in December 2010.

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

Jean Fournier, of Calhoun, Georgia, 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.

Walter F. Goodman, of Miami, Florida, is a graduate of Yale University. He was a trust officer and assistant vice president at Chase Manhattan Bank, an associate producer for NBC Television and Mike Ellis Productions, and the retired president and senior partner of the Goodman-Flanders company.

Walter is a breeder-owner-handler of Skye Terriers. He has finished 35 champions, garnering 99 Bests in Show and more than 300 Terrier Group firsts, including the 1971 Westminster group winner. His Ch. Glamoor Good News was Best in Show at the Garden in 1969. Mr. Goodman is a two-time winner of the Kennel Review Male Owner-Handler of the Year and the Quaker Oats owner-handler award.

A judge since 1977, Mr. Goodman is approved for all terriers, the Terrier Group, Toy Manchester Terriers, Best in Show, and Junior Showmanship.

He has been a member of the Skye Terrier Club of America for more than 50 years and is a past president and vice president, as well as a member of the Palm Beach Dog Fancier’s Association. Walter is president and chief steward for the Montgomery County Kennel Club, host of the world’s largest annual terrier show. He holds membership in the Westbury Kennel Association, the Westminster Kennel Club, and The Kennel Club (England).

Walter has served on the AKC Board of Directors since 1988, chairing several committees. He is a director of the AKC Museum of the Dog and is on the Board of Overseers of the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School.

Keke Kahn, of Sarasota, Florida, has been involved all her life with dogs. As a child she brought home strays, receiving great support from her father. She became a breeder-owner-handler of Lhasas, breeding 58 AKC champions, including six all-breed BIS dogs and many group winners. Her famous bitch Ch. Potala Keke’s Yum won back-to-back national specialties. Keke is a member of the American Lhasa Apso Club for most of its 50-year existence, having served the organization as president and AKC delegate.

Her first involvement in the sport was in obedience with an ASCOB Cocker and a German Shepherd Dog. In 1960, after trying several different breeds, she decided to breed show Lhasas. As she had no experience in the conformation ring, she had a lot to learn. From the moment she began showing, she knew she wanted to be an all-breed judge and nothing less. She worked very hard at her craft for many years, achieving her goal in 1997. "It wasn't easy", says Keke, "but well worth it for me. I have been all over the world and I have met so very many wonderful people."

Keke is happily married to a wonderful man and has three grown children and seven grand –children. "Life is very good," says Keke, "and being nominated for honors such as this is just the icing on the cake. I am overwhelmed and so appreciative."

Nominees in Companion Events

James Ham, of Harrison Township, Michigan, grew up surrounded by dogs, but didn’t attend his first dog show until well into adulthood.

In 1970, he purchased a $100 pet Dalmatian. While attending a show, Jim saw the Utility Class for the first time. He thought that a clean run in Utility was a beautiful thing. He still does. That $100 Dal became the first Am/Can CH, Am/Can UDT.

During the early years in the sport, Jim admired two judges in particular; Hugh McLean and Chuck Bush, who were supportive and encouraging. Jim has tried to emulate these two wonderful gentlemen.

Jim taught basic obedience and assisted more experienced instructors with advanced classes. He has trained and exhibited several other Dalmatians, two Smooth Fox Terriers, and now has Border Terriers. He also exhibits in breed, agility and rally. He began judging twenty-six years ago, and has judged in every state, save one. In 1999, he judged at sixty-nine trials, and judged 1,980 dogs.

Jim has been the obedience, rally, and agility chairman for the Oakland County Kennel Club, for many years. Along with many years of obedience, tracking and agility experience, Jim has been active in the breed ring, breeding and exhibiting several top terriers, both Smooth Fox and Borders. He is approved to judge the Terrier and Non-Sporting Groups, as well as some Hounds, Toys and Herding breeds, Junior Showmanship and Best in Show.

Shirley Indelicato, of Acton, California, is involved in all aspects of the fancy, as a breeder, conformation and obedience exhibitor, and AKCapproved 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 all-breed 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.

Leida Jones, of Lady Lake, Florida, started life differently than most people. Her parents were in the circus and trained bears, tigers, leopards, monkeys and dogs. While not wanting a life in the circus she never lost her love for animals. She married a veterinarian with a passion for horses and livestock. Leida started working a rescued Border Collie on the few sheep they had on their farm. Because of her background with big cats, she knew to watch the signals animals gave, and that by watching the dog she would learn from him what she needed to do.

Over the years Leida has trained and trailed quite a few dogs. When the AKC herding program was developed, she immediately got involved and has served on two Herding Advisory Committees. Leida loves giving herding lessons. Eventually, her students learn to trust their dogs’ instincts. This is one area where the handler really does learn from the dog.

Twenty two years ago Leida was diagnosed with breast cancer and was told she would possibly have six years to live. Nine years ago she broke her back and there was a strong possibility she would never walk again. She is convinced that her desire to be with her dogs and to work them was a major factor in her recoveries. Leida loves nothing more than being in a pasture with a trusted dog.

Linda Stilwell, of Duncan, Oklahoma, has been an avid fancier and breeder of Basenjis since 1976. With the breeding of her first litter, Linda began exhibiting in conformation, finishing multiple Champions.

When the American Sighthound Field Association (ASFA) first accepted Basenjis as Sighthounds and allowed them to lure course in the late 1970s, Linda became involved. She has produced many top ten coursing dogs over the years and in 1987 she produced "DC Stilwell’s Ben Hur, SC, LCM – Benny", who in 1989, was the first and only Basenji to ever be awarded a Best in Field at the ASFA International Invitational.

With The American Kennel Club’s acceptance of Basenjis into lure coursing, Linda was to have dogs titled in both AKC and ASFA. Selective breeding by Linda, and her husband, Richard, has produced multiple Field Champions and Top Ten dogs in both AKC and ASFA lure coursing.

A native Oklahoman, Linda has been instrumental in making the Tulsa Sighthound Association (TSA) the success it is today. She is also a member of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Basenji Club, and was president of the Indian Nations Basenji Club for several years.

In 2009, Linda and the TSA, along with the Afghan Hound Club of Austin, cohosted the largest AKC National Lure Coursing Championship event on record. In 1995, Linda became an all-breed licensed lure coursing judge, both for AKC and ASFA.