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.