Tuesday, December 7, 2010

AKC 2010 BREEDER OF THE YEAR

Debbie Butt, Sporting Field Whippets
2010 AKC Breeder of the Year

In the Dog Show Poop universe, the most  revered person in the dog world is the breeder.  We spend a lot of time recognizing the exhibitors, professional & amateur, here, but none of this would exist without the breeders, many of who have spent a lifetime dedicated to their respective breeds., contributing the knowledge, skill, & perseverance to effect an actual impact on the breed.  Sunday night AKC recognized seven of the top breeders in the US: 
  • Sporting: Gregory Siner – Clifton, NJ, Pooles Ide Irish Water Spaniels
  • Hound: Dionne (Debbie) Butt – Toms Brook, VA, Sporting Field Whippets
  • Working: Michelle Santana – Sunny Valley, OR, Foxfire Doberman Pinschers
  • Terrier: Margery Good – Cochransville, PA, Goodspice Sealyham Terriers
  • Toy: Carol Harris – Reddick, FL, Bo-Bett Italian Greyhounds
  • Non-Sporting: Joanne Reed – Santa Rosa, CA, Windrift Keeshonden
  • Herding: Leslie Frank – Kensington, NH, Propwash Australian Shepherds
The 2010 AKC Breeder of The Year is Debbie Butt of Sporting Field Whippets.   Debbie has been associated with Whippets most of her life.  Debbbie’s parent’s registered their first dog under the Sporting Field appellation in 1945.  Whippets joined the family in the late 1960s and before long Sporting Field Whippets were topping the rankings. 

CH Sporting Field’s Clansman
 
Debbie started winning with her Whippets at an early age, winning her first BIS as a teenager  in 1976 with their Canadian import, CH Winterfold’s Bold Bid.  Many BIS would follow, including the BISS at the American Whippet Club’s 1984 national specialty with CH Sporting Field’s Clansman aka Buoy.  Buoy, the winner of the Hound Group at the 1981 Westminster Kennel Club show, holds the breed record for most BIS at 59.

Debbie’s breeding philosophy focuses on proper temperament and type conforming to function for a Whippet that is the ideal dog in the home, field, and the show ring.  Our congratulations to Debbie and all the Group nominees and our heartfelt thanks to them all for their irreplaceable contributions to the dog world.

6 comments:

  1. Congratulations to Debbie & all of the finalists for all of their hard work & devotion to their breeds!

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  2. Congratulations Debbie! You continually produce beautiful dogs!

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  3. Lovely picture of Debbie.
    Congratulations!

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  4. A huge congratulations to Debbie on her Breeder of the Year award. Whippets would not be what they are today without the Sportingfield Whippets. Just look at Gch Ch Sportingfield Bahama Sands, one of the most gorgeous whippets ever, she IS the breed standard.

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  5. Congratulations and thank you to Debbie and her family for all they have accomplished through the dedication and careful breeding of our beloved Whippets. It is a pleasure to see them in the show ring or pictures posted on the Internet, a beautiful sight to behold each time. What a special life to have produced such elegant dogs, I envy you, but I am sure it was not an easy task, far from that. I have to also add that your reputation as a breeder is followed by the the other respect you get from folks, that you are also a "really nice" person to meet, that means a lot to us that want to know more about the breed, it's all about sharing the wealth of knowledge, and working together for this common cause. Thank you so much for your dedication, love and commitment. Best to you and your family in 2011.

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  6. A very sincere congratulations to Debbie for a life dedicated to breeding a whippet as elegant as it is functional. A true ambassador for the breed and a genuinely nice person.

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