It might have been the puppies’ dark, deep-set eyes peering up at Alan and Jane Stevenson. Or maybe it was the dogs’ fluffy white coats, pressed against the pet store glass, that sparked the young couple’s soft spot for Samoyeds. Whatever the catalyst, this chance encounter not only sparked the Stevensons’ deep affection for the breed and their family’s unwavering loyalty but also their active involvement in dog clubs over the next six decades.
Though the newly married pair didn’t bring any pups home from the window, the canine love at first sight prompted them to research the breed. They found a Samoyed breeder with two puppies available and chose a male they named Samovar of the Igloo, “Sam.” The outgoing youngster marked the beginning of the Stevensons’ successful 60-year journey with their Oakbrook Samoyeds and their influential leadership in AKC breed and all-breed clubs.
Fast-forward, and Alan, at age 87, competes in agility and sometimes takes a Samoyed back into the conformation ring, while Jane is 83 and proudly runs her Sammie in agility.
Getting Into Conformation
The lucky dog stars aligned again when the Stevensons walked Sam through a neighborhood parking lot, where prominent Samoyed breeder-judges Bob and Dolly Ward spotted them. “They came up to us and said we should show him,” recalls Jane Stevenson. “We said, ‘Show him what?'” After the Wards explained dog shows, the novice owners entered Sam in the 9-to-12-month puppy class at the San Fernando Kennel Club show in Southern California. Of the three puppies in Sam’s class, he placed last. When presenting the third-place yellow ribbon to Alan, the judge told him that Sam was a lovely puppy, but too overweight to be competitive and needed to lose some weight. “That was our incentive to keep entering dog shows,” Jane Stevenson says.
Sam’s second show was a puppy match, but this time he cut a slimmer figure. Jane Stevenson handled the dog in the ring and fed Sam small cheese cubes to entice him to pay attention to her. From 1,000 puppies, the judge awarded Sam the top prize of Best in Match, but not before calling him a “cheesehead.” Despite the orange cheese crumbs scattered across the dog’s ruff, the couple’s dog show career took off. The Stevensons also showed him in obedience, earning a Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title. Sam later went on to win Best of Breed and High in Trial at the first Samoyed Club of Los Angeles Specialty Show. After a long day at the show with Jane organizing the trophies and she and Alan celebrating at the club dinner that night, the couple received one more prize. The next day, Jane gave birth to their son, Todd.
Five years later, the Stevensons became so enamored with Samoyeds and the show world that they added Snoline’s Joli Kamchatka, “Joli,” a female puppy from Sammie breeders, Skip and Nancy Alexander of Snoline Samoyeds in Santa Maria, California. After Joli retired from showing, they bred her to Sam.
The Sammie Smile
As their experience with breeding and choosing stud dogs expanded, Jane Stevenson prioritized researching the dogs’ pedigrees. “I study their ancestors and assess overall quality in the dog’s movement, temperament, appearance, and health,” she says. “I’m also a headhunter in that I want the dog’s head to conform to the Samoyed breed standard of a short muzzle, a wedge-shaped, broad skull, slightly crowned, but not round. Dark eyes are a must, and of course, the characteristic Samoyed smile with black lips curved up at the corners of the mouth.”
The Stevensons feel strongly that, as an ancient breed with a 5,000-year history of hunting, herding reindeer, and hauling sledges for the Samoyede people in northwestern Siberia, the Samoyed does best in a home when it has a job. “This breed lived with people and even guarded the tribe’s children,” says Alan Stevenson. “It’s natural for Sammies to want to be around their family.”
The medium to large-sized member of the Working Group enjoys participating in dog sports. Aside from conformation, many of the Stevensons’ Sammies have AKC titles in obedience, Fast CAT, agility, weight pull, and therapy work. “They’re sweet, kind, good family dogs with fun-loving personalities,” Jane Stevenson says.
In 1994, they chose the kennel designation “Oakbrook” with their Ch. Oakbrook’s Panning For Gold, “Digger.” This name combined “Oak” from their Thousand Oaks, California, home and “brook” from the Fallbrook, California, home of their co-breeders and owners, Kathy and Leon Ward.
Getting Involved in Dog Clubs
Bob Ward invited the Stevensons to join the San Fernando Kennel Club. Large and prestigious, the club was formed in 1958. For many years, the club was part of the now-disbanded five-day Mission Circuit shows in Pomona, California. Ward served as the circuit’s show chairman and trained Jane to assume the duties. Jane worked as Show Chairman for nine years and, as part of her duties, assisted the other four clubs. Today, the San Fernando Kennel Club president is Alan, the recording secretary is Jane, and their daughter, Heather, is the vice president.
“Belonging to an all-breed club is part of the game of showing,” Alan says. “It takes people to make it happen, and I remember we had to set everything up ourselves—chairs, tables, and rings. It would take us all night, but it was worth it.”
The couple also belongs to and volunteers at the Los Angeles Samoyed Club, where Heather is president. All three belong to the Samoyed Club of America and attend the Nationals each year.
“The people we’ve met along the way through the dog clubs are our friends now,” Jane says. “I’m glad the Wards included us.”
A Tragedy That Shaped the Family
When “Ono” BISS Ch. Oakbrook’s Strike It Rich won the Grand Futurity and Sweepstakes at the 1998 Samoyed Club of America National Specialty. He was the first Sammie to win both events in the same year. In 2000, he was crowned National Best in Show winner, and the following year, the National Best of Opposite Sex and First Place in the Stud Dog class. Alan handled him, and without any advertising, Ono was the number one Samoyed in the U.S.
“He was a once-in-a-lifetime dog, so for the first time, we flew him to the inaugural AKC Eukanuba Classic in Orlando in 2001, for my dad to show,” Heather says. On the way home, every dog owner’s worst nightmare came true. Placed in the wrong cargo compartment without any heat, Ono died in his crate.
“We were all totally devastated,” Jane recalls. While it would’ve been easy to quit competing and belonging to dog clubs, the family stayed strong. “Gradually, we tried agility, which was new at the time, and found our new path,” Jane says. Today, their Sammies, “Jaylan” and “Tori,” compete in agility.
Three Generations of Dog Shows
Going to dog shows meant taking their two young children along. “We provided the hospitality and would run around and deliver refreshments,” recalls Heather Stevenson. Choosing to compete in gymnastics and train for the Olympics, Heather didn’t enter Junior Showmanship. After suffering a career-ending accident, Heather returned to conformation and showing her parents’ and clients’ dogs. Today, Heather is Oakbrook’s second generation, along with her adult daughter, Brianna Alldredge, as the third generation. Recently, Heather obtained her judging license and will judge Sammies at the 2027 National.
After 16 litters, about a hundred puppies, and 35 champions under their prefix, the Stevensons still maintain their love for Samoyeds. The couple recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and doesn’t foresee getting out of dogs anytime soon.