2003

The 2003 Dogs in Review Annual hit the streets mid-January as the biggest issue of the magazine yet published, at 584 pages. It was once again packed with more relevant and interesting material about the world of purebred dogs than any one person could absorb in a week of solid reading. Bo Bengtson interviewed AKC Chairman Ron Menaker. Rick Beauchamp contributed what would become his annual “What I Should Have Said,” more or less his second thoughts – sometimes prompted by reactions or questions from readers, sometimes self-generated – on the subjects he covered in his column during the previous year. Kerrin Winter-Churchill and Cindy Chandler covered the 2nd Annual AKC/Eukanuba Invitational where said Chairman had presented the first AKC Breeder of the Year trophy to the beloved Wendell Sammet, and Mrs. Connie Barton awarded the Best in Show ribbon to an almost equally beloved ‘Mick,’ the Kerry Blue Terrier. In among the usual thoughtful offerings from DR columnists, AKC news, show reports from around the world, U.S. show coverage and more were the now-annual profiles of the Top Dogs from 2003, along with contributions by Dr. Donald Sturz, Cindy Cooke, Sharon Sakson and many others who contributed to a remarkable issue. Also for this issue, DR sent out two questions for any fancier, breeder, owner, handler, exhibitor or judge to answer, and their responses filled nearly 14 full pages. The respondents hailed not only from all four corners of the United States but from Great Britain and Australia as well. Regarding the second question, “If you could change one single thing about the dog sport as a whole, what would it be?” it was clear that what most dedicated dog people wanted boiled down to a fundamental shift in priorities away from the overwhelming “winning is everything” mindset – with a variety of suggestions including doing away with the ratings races, putting more emphasis back on judging at the breed level, having fewer dog shows, concentrating more on health concerns, being more welcoming of newcomers to the sport,  or placing focus back on the purposes for which the breeds were originally developed.

Although the small staff of Dogs in Review continued to be delighted by its success and elated by the fancy’s support of the magazine, by late 2002 and into early 2003 it was apparent that it had simply grown beyond the capabilities of its original creators and the team they developed. As spring rolled around a gentleman named Norman Ridker came calling to discuss the possibility of buying Dogs in Review.  Owner of BowTie, Inc., Norman Ridker had been in the magazine publishing business for more than 30 years, and his stable included Dog Fancy, Cat Fancy, Thoroughbred Times, Horse Illustrated and Dogs for Kids, among other noteworthy titles. Just over a year prior, BowTie had acquired the 89-year-old Dog World magazine, a staple for many in the sport of dogs at one time, and the magazine had been practically reborn as a modern treasure trove for those involved in the obedience, performance and conformation aspects of the sport, thanks in large part to the efforts of journalist, editor and dog man Allan Reznik, formerly Editor-in-Chief of Dogs in Canada.  When Mr. Ridker was approached by a broker with the possibility of purchasing Dogs in Review, the consummate businessman first acquired the necessary information he needed to make a sound decision about the title. Although it was difficult at first for the original DR team to imagine “going corporate,” it was clear that the resources and experience offered by the company would be assets to the magazine.

In the meantime, the April issue was changed from the Breeders issue to the issue featuring the Working Group, and the annual Breeders Feature was moved to the December issue. The May 2003 issue of DR included the usual in-depth coverage of the Garden, where ‘Mick’ the Kerry returned to win his third Group First and in the end to take the top prize, making him one of only three dogs to win Best in Show after three Group wins there, along with the great Pekingese Chik T’Sun and the unforgettable German Shepherd Ch. Covy-Tucker Hill’s Manhattan. The June 2003 issue brought the news that Dennis Sprung had become AKC’s COO, along with a report and photos from England of the 2003 Crufts Best in Show winner, the Pekingese who was Reserve Best in Show the year before, Ch. Yakee A Dangerous Liaison

It was with the July issue that BowTie, Inc., took over ownership of DR, with a multi-year contract that founder and editor Bo Bengtson would stay on as editor. The sales staff, Cindy and myself, continued as before, and it wasn’t long before everyone settled into a comfortable working relationship. Moving from a small staff of less than 10 to operating in a corporate environment wasn’t always easy, of course. By sheer good fortune, BowTie’s Production Manger, Greg Warne, was a “dog person” himself, having finished two champion Kuvasz and campaigned the first, Ch. Ederra’s Vladislaus, to a top ranking in the breed. Greg would become a key asset in helping Dogs in Review transition into the BowTie family and was an essential part of the magazine over the next three years.

Dogs in Review continued to hear from judges and other serious dog people on a regular basis that it is “the only dog magazine” that they read, keep for future reference, and often read again. The AKC Judges Education programs routinely used DR Breed Features in their judges education seminars. The December issue of DR, now the “Breeders Issue,” each year offered a wealth of relevant information for anyone interested in breeding purebred dogs. The December 2003 issue offered not only an interview with successful Golden Retriever breeder, handler and judge Connie Gerstner Miller, but in its additional 55-page section devoted entirely to breeders also included a highly informative Breeder Survey about Puppy Sales and Contracts and a half-dozen Breeder/Kennel story ads that featured more than one generation of the breeder-advertiser’s breeding stock and current stars.

2004

The second issue of 2004, the February/March Annual, was 568 pages and featured on the cover the Norfolk Terrier  Ch. Cracknor Cause Celebre, in a photo that was pure ‘Coco,’ dancing on her back legs.  The vivacious little Norfolk, owned by Pam and John Beale, Stephanie and John Ingram, and her breeder Elisabeth Matell, and handled by Beth Sweigart, was the Top Dog of all breeds in 2003. The Annual issue featured Bo Bengtson’s report on the Top Dogs for each year from 1935 through 2003, and other offerings were an interview with the legendary Frank Sabella as well as Kerrin Winter-Churchill’s article on the equally legendary Nigel Aubrey-Jones and Bill Taylor and their St. Aubrey-Elsdon Pekingese. Part one of Betty-Anne Stenmark’s “How To Organize A Dog Show” was also included, a column that would first become a 21-part series and then a book, thanks to the overwhelming response that her writing received. The Annual also included World in Review reports from Croatia and South Africa among others, and a total of 23 beautiful professional handler sections.

In April Dogs in Review reported that the Newfoundland, Ch. Darbydale’s All Rise Pouch Cove, owned by Peggy Helming and Carol Bergmann, was Best in Show at Westminster, handled by Michelle Ostermiller, and the issue also included a Great Ones article by Kerrin Winter-Churchill on Ch. Salilyn’s Aristocrat as well as a visit with Elisabeth Matell and the Cracknor Norfolk Terriers in England. In May DR reported that Terrier icon George Ward had passed away at the Louisville shows in March. The breeder-owner handled Whippet, Ch. Cobyco Call The Tune, was Best in Show at Crufts while the American-bred Bichon, Eng. Am. Ch. PaRay’s I Told You So, won the Toy  Group, handled by the U.K.’s Michael Coad. The Crufts Pastoral Group was also won by an American-bred dog, the Old English Sheepdog appropriately named Barkshire’s Born In The USA. In the June issue, the Standard Poodle Breed Feature became one of the most successful ever in DR with a full 88 pages devoted to the breed.

More sad news came in the July issue when DR reported that Joan Ludwig died at 89. The American Kennel Club recognized three new breeds: the Black Russian Terrier, the Neapolitan Mastiff and the Glen of Imaal Terrier, and the winner of the World Show in Rio de Janeiro was the Brazilian Pug, Double D Cinoblu’s Masterpiece. Bo Bengtson announced in Opening Space that the Achievement Awards, previously given by Kennel Review magazine until the early 1990s, would once again be offered at the Show Dogs of the Year Award dinner in February 2005. 

The September 2004 issue marked the first time a non-AKC-recognized breed graced the cover of Dogs in Review when the Canadian and Owner-Handler issue featured the Carelian Bear Dog, Ch. Tsarshadow’s The Berserker, owned by Dawne Deeley, on its cover. Both of the now-popular features brought the total size of that issue to just shy of 300 pages. The issue included an interview with Bill Shelton, Nikki Riggsbee with the first in what became her popular series, “Breeder-Judges/Breed Priorities,” a take off on Robert Cole’s very educational “You Be The Judge” articles, and Canada’s Amanda Kelly wrote for the Canadian Feature on show dog activity in the Maritimes.

In October DR reported that the American Kennel Club and CAR (Companion Animal Recovery) had coordinated efforts to help animal victims in Florida after Hurricane Charley; they would do the same for Hurricanes Frances and Ivan, which would follow shortly. Also in the October issue were the nominees for the 2004 Winkies™ for Annual Achievement; in the Judge of the Year category, Maxine Beam, Michele Billings, Edd Bivin, Anne Rogers Clark and Everett Dean; Best Owner Handler nominees Debbie Butt, Doug Johnson of Clussexx, Sue McConnell, Melissa Newman and Wendell Sammet; Professional Handler nominees David Fitzpatrick, Clint Livingston, Bill McFadden, Scott Sommer and Linda Clark; and in the Show of the Year category, Bucks County, Del Valle Dog Club, Detroit Kennel Club, the International KC of Chicago and the KC of Palm Springs.

In the November issue DR reported that an American-bred English Setter, Aust. Am. Ch. Chebaco’s Bridgewood Guard, was Best in Show at the Melbourne Royal; he was bred by Eileen Hackett and Kate Hanlon, and defeated 4611 dogs for this win. To close the year, in the December Breeders Feature, 54 pages were devoted to this important segment of our sport, including a kennel profile of Joseph Vergnetti and Dassin. We also were sad to report the passing of Tom Stevenson at age 94.  The end of the year also saw the passing of the great German Shepherd Dog man Ernie Loeb.

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