Gossip The
Column
By Eugene Z. Zaphiris
T
he joy of the Christmas holidays and the New Year had sadness cast over it by the tragic mass murders in Newtown, Connecticut. It took on personal meaning by the senseless loss of little six-year-old JACK PINTO, the son DEAN & TRICIA PINTO and grandparents JUNE & TONY PINTO, breeders of Doberman pinschers. Just heartbreaking news, jolts you into appreciating life and all it offers. I’m sure I speak for the whole fancy, sending the PINTO FAMILY and all the others who have suffered such profound losses. Onto happier news…the annual Holiday party that was hosted by the late DR. HARRY SMITH in North Carolina will continue thanks to his good friends CAROLYN & GARY KOCH. I’m told that this first event without HARRY was a bit bittersweet but all had a good time. Of course on hand was JEAN FOURNIER, who helped HARRY co-host the party for many years. JEAN has announced with much sadness from the fancy that she has decided to retire from judging dogs. JEAN has been a great ambassador for us around the world, as she judged and made friends worldandler BRUCE SCHULTZ missed wide. But it is we who will miss her most; we the show, as he was in hospital havwish her every happiness in the future. The ing the last of surgeries that doctors KOCH’S intend to continue this annual party have assured him will see him back in the tradition in memory of HARRY. Congratulations ring in the near future. In the meantime to handler ARMANDO MORALES and his wife his talented wife TARA has been doing a GRIS, who are still beaming over the birth of great job handling their entire string of their daughter XITLALI. The AKC EUKANUBA dogs. My rock, JACKIE GOTTLIEB, fell CHAMPIONSHIP DOG SHOW is now in the hiswhile entertaining New Year’s Eve at her tory books. Held at the end of the three-day Sedona, Arizona home and fractured her Florida dog shows, lets just say that five days is pelvis. While she is hospitalized, she is a bit much. One seems to blend into the other expected to be released soon to convaand by the last day, exhibitors were packing up lesce at home. All of us wish her a speedy and leaving long before the groups and best in recovery. Sadly we lost members of our show were judged. I was a victim of the these community. HOWARD STONE, Sealyham blended days when MATT & I showed up for a breeder and past president of the Sealycelebratory party for DANA MASSEY, honoree of ham Terrier Club of Southern California AKC Sporting Dog Group Breeder of the Year one and longtime board member of Great night to soon. Held the next evening, as planned, Western Terrier Association, has passed hosted by JOHN ADAMS & LEON GOETZ, they away following a long battle against canwere joined by SUSAN LINE, MICHAEL SHEPcer. He is probably best known nationally HERD, MATT STANDER, MICHAEL PITTS, SUE as the one of the STONE BROTHERS. ToVROOM, SAM MCDONALD, KEVIN LORD, JUDY gether with his late brother MYRON, they COLAN, MARGE DAVIS, POLLY & BOB SMITH, established themselves as to go to concesROSE SHOREMAN, CINDY & BRUCE CASSIDY, sionaires for dog figurines. Making every JANA RODES, DOUG JOHNSON, JAMIE HUBCalifornia dog show, the “Brothers” beBARD, TRISH & BRENT VANMETER, DANIcame world famous. Following MYRON’S ELL BROWN, SID MARX, JARRY THORNTON, passing the figurines got more commerCICI TYE, PATTY WEDDING, KAREN NEWMAN, cial, but HOWARD was a welcome site at ROSE LEAL, ALLISON & JIM ANDRAS, RENE every show. Our deepest sympathies to LARA, CLINT LIVINGSTON, JENNIFER & DAhis family and many friends around the VID HARPER, AUTUMN STEWART and DOTTIE country. Longtime Afghan hound breeder JAMES. judge PETER BELMONT was found murdered in his Kansas City, Kansas home. He bred Afghans under the Elmo pre-
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fix. As of this writing there has been no arrests. Our deepest sympathies to his family. JOANNE MARTIN, breeder of Labrador retrievers and German wirehaired pointers, has passed away at her home in Vermont. She began her career in pure bred dogs in the 1960’s with her dear friend the late Canadian handler MARTHA COVINGTON THORNE. She was a member of the Champlain Valley Kennel Club, Green Mountain Dog Club and several breed clubs. Our deepest sympathies to her husband PAUL and their four children and families. Handler PAT LIST passed away on December 29th. In addition to her handling, she was a member of the Eastern Stewards Club. Our deepest sympathies to her sons BILL, Jr. and MICHAEL and their families. The family has requested that those wishing make a contribution to TAKE THE LEAD in her memory. Conceding to the requests from exhibitors, for the first time in 113 years, the International Kennel Club of Chicago’s Sunday dog show (February 24, 2013) will not be benched. HAPPY BIRTHDAY greetings to CAROLYN KOCH, BOB & SHARI MASON (who are also celebrating a wedding anniversary), JOE VERGNETTI, MIKE CONRADT, EILEEN HACKETT, SHARON PFLUEGER, DORIS MILLER, CHRIS ERICKSON, DEB SHINDLE, CHIP RAYNER, ADAM PETERSON, DANA MASSEY, TAMMY MIYAGAWA, COLLETTE LIVINGSTON KEITH, JANE CHOPSON, JO HUBBS and JEFFREY SLATKIN.