Alain Dumortier - France - "Graal Quest" Greyhounds

Dear friends,
I think many of you will know who I am, so I will make it short.
I got my first greyhound in 1988 from Mr André Renard’s kennel ‘des Saintes Croisades’; that was D’Lutèce des Saints Croisades, a lovely black bitch, from whom all my dogs descend. This amiable Lutèce was unlucky in having to put up with my first handling steps! Nevertheless she brought home several CACIBs, among others that in Longchamps in 1992. She was bred to Ch. A’ICare des Saintes Croisades and there were only to puppies: Isis and Ipsos des Saintes Croisades, the elderly among you will surely remember them.
That was the first litter that was born here with me. Isis was bred to Solstrand Cold Standard and had fourteen puppies. All of them black, and several of them became champions. The most famous one is my unforgettable Graal Quest Now and Ever who got five champion titles, among them the British one, and went BOB and Reserve Best in Group at Crufts 2002. Now gave the first part of her name to the kennel name Graalquest.
Many others have prolonged our history and still do so, among them GQ Urostar (with Mrs Mueller in the USA), GQ Utter (with Mrs Belgherbi), GQ Unice (with Mr Renard), GQ Burbury, GQ Bikini, GQ Forever, GQ Héloise, GQ James Bond and GQ Just one more. In 2018 we had our tenth litter and Ornella, Oriel and Once look very promising.
In 2001 the CAGF (Club des Amateurs de Greyhounds de France) suggested I should go in for the course for judging, and in December I was appointed to judge. Since then I judge Group X and I also judge parts of other groups (III, V, VII and IX).
I was lucky to judge in about ten countries and especially at some National Championship Shows and National Breed Shows.
Judging is really a pleasure, especially when the breed of my heart is concerned. It is my habit to prefer dogs that are well balanced, well built and most of all have type.

Elisabet Janzon - Sweden - "Wolf Tone" Irish Wolfhounds

I have been in sighthounds since 1971 when my husband and I bought our first Irish Wolfhound. We started our breeding with dogs from the Eaglescrag fame, and the first litter was born 1975.

Scottish Deerhounds came into our lives 1973. It was a male puppy from Mrs Karin Lindhé, Mountebanks Duncan, with mainly Ardkinglas bloodlines. He soon got company from a full sister and later also our breed foundation bitch Airescot Miranda. Our first Deerhound litter was born 1976.

During the years also Norwich terriers and one Bullterrier have been part of our household.

Since 1993 whippet is our main breed and our first litter was born 1997. For the moment we have five whippet bitches here at home as our steady life companions.

In 1996 I got my judging licence and I judge all Sighthound breeds. So far I have judged in about 20 countries.

I feel very honoured to be invited to judge at the prestigious Donaueschingen Sighthound Festival!

I´m very much looking forward to the show and the opportunity to meet you and your dogs!

Saija Juutilainen - Finnland - "Wallaby's" Salukis

Already in my childhood, I used to live with dogs, because my grandparents had a couple of Collies and later a Welsh Corgi Pembroke. In the late 60's we lived in Helsinki, where I met for the first time a Sighthound – the borzoi male 'Leo' who was owned by our President Urho Kekkonen, which he had got as a present from the Soviet Union. Later at our next door was the famous Finnish borzoi kennel Korotai.

My parents bought their first dog in the early 70's – a Carelian Bear Dog that they used also for elk hunting and we also had a Bear Dog litter, with seven puppies at home. Later a Boxer male came to our home, but first own dog was a black&tan Pincher bitch, and I bred my first own litter with seven puppies in the July 1979.

The first Saluki came into my life 1980 – a smooth grizzle El Hamrah Charata. She was a very lovely bitch with a superb temperament – whose character nobody could resist. I am always delighted to meet so many smooths when visiting or judging abroad – it is very important for the breed to save both coat qualities.

I look, as a breeder and a judge, for balance and the right combination of strength and elegance. The standard says – the whole appearance of Saluki should give an impression of grace and symmetry and of great speed and endurance coupled with strength and activity.

Salukis are hunting dogs and should have typical easy movements. The Standard asks for moderation on many points and we should to keep that in mind as breeders. We must be on our guard against the temptation to breed ‘extremes’, which can result in very showy dogs who are no longer true Salukis. In my opinion, it is very important to the new saluki owner, breeder, and judge to learn the standard very carefully and try to understand different variations, which are desired and typical for the breed. The reason for the variation, is the special place held by the Saluki in the Arab tradition, when each tribe have bred Salukis best suited for hunting in its own area for thousands of years and Salukis are not bought or sold, but presented as marks of honor. Our responsibility is to preserve not to improve this breed!

I judged Salukis for the first time in 1997 in Sweden (Club Show) and since summer 1999, I have judged salukis on CC level. Today I am qualified to judge all breeds and have traveled around world with this nice hobby.

Per Lundström - Sweden - "Greirish" Irish Wolfhounds

I was born into a home with dogs. My dad used to have Great Danes and I think my fascination for the Irish Wolfhound is born out of his interest in the GD and other big breeds. We also had Kleine Munsterländer at home. But as a child you want to do your own thing…

I initially became involved with Miniature Wire Haired Dachshunds. My first Irish Wolfhound litter was born in 1989 under the (jointly owned) prefix Pre-Eminence’s. I have also lived with Afghan Hounds for many years. Since 1997 I only breed Irish Wolfhounds, now under my prefix Greirish. So far, I have bred and owned more than 75 Champions and top winning lure coursing hounds. Dogs I bred have also earned Champion titles for their owners in Australia, United States, Canada, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Russia, Hungary, Ukraine, Denmark, Finland and Norway.

I have judged Open Shows since 1994 and awarded CC since 2002; I am licensed by The Swedish Kennel Club and FCI. I am authorized (or under education) to judge breeds from all groups except Group 7 and I am a Group ‘Allrounder’ for FCI Groups 4 (Dachshunds) and 10 (Sighthounds). In addition to many specialty breed shows, I have been part of the judging panels for the world’s largest sighthound shows including Skokloster and Donaueschingen. To date I have judged in America, Australia, Belarus, Canada, Czech, England, Estonia, France, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Sweden.

I have held workshops in anatomy as well as breed specific seminars since 2005. I am particularly proud of The Afghan Hound World Congress (2008) where I planned and created seminar content for several portions of the program. It was held in Sweden over 2 days with more than 100 guests from all over the world. Through the years I have held various positions under the Swedish Kennel Club, for example, President of the Swedish Sighthound Club and Hallands Kennel Club.

Outside of my involvement with the dog world I work as a Senior Business & Strategic Analyst in a Swedish retail bank called SEB. Previously I have owned a pet shop that included a veterinarian clinic and a large day care center for dogs in Stockholm. Together with my wife Eva we now run a specialized physiotherapy and rehabilitation for dogs, Giertz DogMotion.

I look forward to all judging assignments as they provide opportunities to both learn and instruct, as well as a chance to meet wonderful people involved with fantastic dogs.

Per Lundström
www.greirish.se

Christian Magré - Frace - "Belouyeva" Barsois

Christian Magré lives in Herbignac, France and has had Borzoi ever since 1976 and after starting his kennel named ‘Belouyeva’ in 1977 has bred 24 litters with great care, starting in 1979. In 1977 an Afghan Hound bitch joined the family. She had her main success on the race track. That brought Christian Magré to add a Greyhound to the household. And ever since 1978 there has nearly always been a Greyhound in the house.
In 1977 Magré was one of the founders of the Sighthound Club of Brittany, in 1978 one of the founders of the Sighthound Racing Club of Brittany. Presently he is president of the Greyhound Amateur Club of France and the Coursing Club de la Côte d’Amour.
He is an FCI judge (and instructor) for FCI Group 10 and the sighthounds of Group 5, which he has judged in many European countries. At the same time he is also a referee for racing and coursing. In all these activities it is very important for him that the structure of the dog is in accordance with the standard and the functionality is not forgotten by overemphasizing mere outer appearance like a heavy coat – the breed is very near to his heart.

Susanne Oschinski - Germany - "Whipcat" Whippets

I got my first Whippet in 1991. A little mouse of very fine build, about 35 cm tall and 8 kilos in weight, but very sweet. After I had shown her a couple of times I knew that she wasn’t a show dog. But I had caught the show fever, and so a second Whippet came into the house a year late. It was the bitch FlicFlac Flying Flame, a daughter of the male Ch Hammonds Simple Simon, a British import. The third Whippet followed after a visit to England in 1993, Courthill Crystal Ring, a daughter of the BIS winner Pencloe Dutch Gold. Since 1995 my husband and I have been breeding Whippets regularly, our kennel name is “Whipcat“. It is such a wonderful breed that has taken hold of my heart and my soul and will never let go of me.
In 2014 I was awarded the ‘Baron von Gingins Medaille‘ by the VDH, the top award of the Club for persons who have significantly influenced the breeding of purebred dogs by outstanding efforts.
I have judged Whippets since 2005 and since then had the opportunity to judge in Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Russia, Switzerland, Gernany and, of course, the home country of the breed, in the UK. One highlight was, of course, the World Show in Leipzig in 2017. My best bitch in Leipzig went Best in Show at Crufts in March 2018. I am very proud to judge at this special show in Donaueschingen and am looking forward to seeing many wonderful Whippets.

Ramon Podesta - Chile - "Von Haussman" Afghan Hounds

Jacqueline Quiros Kubat - Argentina - "Dragonfly" Afghan Hounds and Whippets

AS A CHILD For my 8th birthday, my father surprised me a with a beautiful Afghan which I started showing. At that time, the famous CH. RUDIKI OF PRIDES HILL was being specialed by his owner MARION FLORSHEIM who used to give me indications on showing my pet, DERVISH.
AS A HANDLER
Much later as an AKC all breed handler, I was fortunate to handle CH. WESTWINDS DORIAN OF GRANDEUR for SCOTT PARSONS & HOBIE BROWN. DORIAN was the last son of the famous CHAMPION SHIRKAN of GRANDEUR.
AS A BREEDER
When I moved to ARGENTINA I brought with me a son of DORIAN, ARG. GR. CH. DRAGONFLY´S VISHNU WEST WIND, who became a top winner as well as a outstanding sire. Many of his offpring followed in his footsteps winning top Afghan. His son ARG. BR. CH. DRAGONFLY´S KING TUTEN KUMEN was the fundation of the famous STENARA KENNEL owned by ZORANA BIELOVIC.
AS A JUDGE
As a judge I had the pleasure of being one of the first judges to put up AM. CH. KABIKS THE CHALLERGER prior to winning Best in Show at the Garden. I also awarded Biss to the famous GR. CH. TRYST of GRANDEUR. In Finland, I had the honour of judging the BREDEER´S GROUP placing ARJA KETTUNEN´S NELIAPILAN Afghan with 800 dogs in the ring an unforgettable experience. There were many manificent dogs but when the Afghans entered the ring they took my breath away and were my choice for BIS.
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Dragonfly… Why Dragonfly? Because the whippet is an art noveau hound. All curves, the only angle is at the hock. Dragonfly was the emblem of Tiffany. Also whippets run much in the same fashion as dragonflies fly.

In 1963 I purchased my first Whippet Attila’s Dragonfly Gypsy, linebred to the famous Ch. Wingedfoot Marksman of Allways. I then bred to Eng.Am.Ch. Courtney's Fleetfoot of Pennyworth, BIS at Westminster K.C. This was the start of Dragonfly Kennels. In her first litter of six all finished their championships. The descendents from this first mating have been in the top ten all breeds throughout the years. Am.Ch.Arg.GC.Urug. Lat.Int.Ch. Dragonfly's Desert Firetail, who is the 13th generation on the dam's side, was #1 All breeds 2013 in Argentina. She finished her American Title winning Reserve Best in Show. One of her daughters, Arg.GCh.Ur.Ch.Lat.Int.Ch. Dragonfly's Sioux Snaketail was #13 allbreeds in 2019 in very limited showing. Over the 56 years of breeding, Dragonfly has won multiple titles of Int. Ch, four World Ch, #1 Whippet, top Sighthound and many years top 20 all breeds and also ResBIS Breeders Group World Show 1993. In my breeding program I incorporated bloodlines from famous kennels like Sporting Fields, Noholme, Pennyworth, Vida Nova, Silkrock, Woodbrooks, Karasar. As a judge I have had the opportunity to have gone over some magnificient whippets to name a few Taejaan Read My Lips, Statuesque Extortion, Noholme Electric Blue, Sporting Fields

Francisco Ruiz Rodriguez - Spain - "El Gllinero" Podenco Ibicencos

After my studies in Valencia, I have been living in Palma de Mallorca since 1967. I have lived and worked on each of the Balearic islands, Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Thus I have come into contact with all the autochtonic breeds of these islands. I am a member of the Sociedad Canina of Mallorca and Ibiza since 1979, of the Real Sociedad Canina de Espana, informer times named RSCRFCE, since 1981.

I have had dogs ever since my childhood and started hunting with the Ibizan Hound and Mallorguin Perdigeros at the age of 17.

I founded the

- Sociedad Canina of the Balearic Islands, earlier called Sociedad Canina of Mallorca and Ibiza

- the SpanishClub fort he Podenco Ibicenco

- the Club for the Mallorquin hunting hound, now called Dogo Mallorquin, or Ca de Bou

- the Club del Rattero Mallorquin

In 1982 I took part in the symposium of the national Spanish breeds at the University of Cordoba, organized by the Department of Veterinary Medicine. I presented 5 papers and an article on the Podenco Andaluz (Iberico), the Ca de Bou, Ibizan Hound, Ca de Bestiar and the Canarian Hound.

I have bred Ibizan Hounds since 1979, kennel name ‘El Gallinero’, and won many championships – Spanish ones, International, World, US, Canadian championships and many others.

I have been an RSCE judge since 1981. I started as a specialist for the Ibizan Hound, later on I took on the Spanish breeds, later I was appointed as a judge for the FCI groups IV, VI, VII and many other breeds, and in Spain I am recognized as specialist for all Spanish breeds, and now international judge for all breeds (allrounder).

I am the author of the standards for the following Spanish breeds:

Podenco Ibicenco (new version), Dogo Mallorquin, Podenco Andaluz, Podenco Canario, Rattero Mallorquin (not internationally recognized).

I have judged at national and international shows, European and World Shows in all five continents.

In Spain I have judged at practically all dog shows. In many cases I judged the Spanish breeds at shows that were organized by the RSCE, including memorial shows ‘Immemoriam David Salamanca en Cuellar’.

I judged and organized conferences in connection with the dog show for the Spanish breeds in Archidon.

I issued the first registrations papers for Dogo Canario, Podenco Canario, Podenco Andaluz, Perro de Agua Espanol and Galgo Espanol. I also judge each of the national Monograficas for these breeds.

I was the first Spanish judge to officiate in Russia and Ukraine (in 1993), and organized a meeting between the president of the FCI and the Russian RKF in Bern/Switzerland during their World Show. As a result Russia was recognized as an associate member of the FCI.

In Palma de Mallorca I contributed to the institutionalising of the law for the protection of animals of the Autonomous Region of the Balearic Islands (1992). I was the founder of the first nature reserve of Spain in the municipality of Palma.

I upgrade the local police of Palma concerning dogs, the transport of animals and bio-piracy.

I have received several awards:

- the award in gold with diamonds of the SCB

- the award in gold of the SCB

- the award in gold of the RSCE and several local awards (Council of Mallorca and the Balearic Islands)