About Our Board of Directors

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My first dog, right out of college, was a Cocker Spaniel named Winston.  He was a pleasure to live with! He came before my three children (all within three years!) and was gentle and sweet with them. When he died at almost 14, I immediately began looking for another Cocker. Then, upon realizing that Cockers are not always wonder with children (I had gotten lucky I was told), I remembered how much I had loved a friend's Cavalier. NINE days later I received, via American Airlines, Woftam Lollypop, "Lolly" and I was smitten. That was back in 1998.  I took Lolly to the Chicago Fun match the next year and she won Best in Match under Barbara Grimm Curley and the following year won Reserve Best in Match under Paula Camponozzi. Although she was "just a pet" I was bitten by the bug and was happy to welcome Homerbrent Zoey at Promonotory in 2001. And the rest, as they say, is history!

What club positions (any club) have you held and for how long?

Before moving to Florida I helped start the AKC club in Chicago, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club of Greater Chicago, where I served as the Education Chair and Health Chair. I have belonged to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, USA since 1999, and currently serve as their Critique Editor. I was a founding member of the rescue group Lucky Star Cavalier Rescue, which we established in 1999, completed our application to be recognized as a 501(c) in 2000, and that was granted in 2001. I was the President of that organization up until the official recognition of our non-profit the year prior, and stepped down once I knew that we were "official".  I still try to help that organization as much as possible. I have served on the Board of Directors of our club for the past year and served as the Health Chair as well. I have judged fun matches for both the Badgerland Cavalier Club and the Palmetto Cavalier Club but I have no interest in becoming a "real" judge! :)

Favorite Cavalier experience/story? This can be heartwarming or funny.

I don't know that this is a favorite memory, nor is it heartwarming or funny, but it was an unforgettable experience. Years ago, probably in 1999, I attending a puppy mill dog auction with other members of Lucky Star. It was held in MO. We were able to get out three Cavaliers that day, Angel (who I fostered), Boxster, and a beautiful old tri dog whose name I've forgotten. We saw such horrible things that day, blind dogs being auctioned ("She can't see but can still produce") smells I could never adequately describe, and saw the horrible "homes" of puppy mill dogs, 350 dogs, stacked in crates five high, in a freezing, filthy barn.  I went home that night and stood in the shower and cried for 20 minutes.  I felt I couldn't wash the smell off, (the stink), forget the sights I saw that day, and the mentality of those "breeders" never left me. It is what made me commit myself to the challenge of breeding a better dog. It made me realize that if good breeders give up, we leave the breed in the hands of those who couldn't care less about the breed, only the quest for $money$ in selling puppies.  Anyway, it's a downer of a story, I'm sorry about that, but it really is the motivation behind my involvement in Cavaliers to this day.

Anything else you would like included? Family members, number of champions/grand champions? ROMs etc. Non-conformation competitive accolades?

I started breeding slowly and deliberately. I only had 2-3 Cavaliers for many, many years and often had only 1 litter a year, maybe two. I think that's how people should begin. Slow and steady so that they not only learn the breed but really understand type, which I think is the hardest thing to learn.  About 6-7 years ago I finally started to feel like I was starting to understand what I was doing and setting my type. All in all, I think breeding is a three legged stool, you need health, temperament, and structure. If you cut corners your stool will fall over.  As of today, I am the breeder of 16 AKC Champions. In my spare time I am mom to three great kids, and a new grandmother to my Evelyn!  I am a retired middle school teacher and I've recently taken up watercolor painting.  I love to travel and I am currently planning a trip to either Iceland or Portugal.  Hopefully my dogs allow me to go! :)

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