A Visit with Multi-Group Judge Ann Roth

A Visit with Multi-Group Judge Ann Roth

We had such a good response to our up-close-and-personal visit with Charles Olvis and Elizabeth Muthard that SHOWSIGHT has asked me to bring our readers stories from more of our dog show family. This month, I would like to give you a closer look at Mrs. Ann Roth from Wilmington, North Carolina.

Ann has been involved in our sport since the 1970s and began her judging career in 2004. She is currently approved for the Sporting, Hound, Working, and Terrier Groups as well as some Herding breeds and Best in Show. She is also the President and Show Chair for the Hanover Kennel Club of Wilmington and a Board Member and Show Chair for Mid-Atlantic Hound Association.

Walter Sommerfelt: Ann, please tell us your story. How did you become involved in the sport of purebred dogs?

Ann Roth: I grew up with purebred family pets, German Shepherd Dogs and Dachshunds. As soon as I graduated from college and bought my own home with a yard, I wanted a dog, with no plans to show. He was a Beagle with an activity level typical of the field stock from which he came, so I enrolled in basic obedience classes to make him a manageable pet. That led to Obedience matches, then trials, where I saw other Beagles that strangely were more attractive than mine! I obtained a breeder referral from Ann (then Savory) Bolus, who was handling at our local dog show. From there, I was launched into the next 45 years of Conformation shows, breeding, training, exhibiting, and dog club involvement. Judging became a natural extension of my love for dogs and the sport. Currently, I volunteer to teach handling classes on any weekend I am home from judging and not totally immersed in dog club duties.

Walter Sommerfelt: Tell us about your life growing up: school, children, marriage, jobs, etc.

Ann Roth: I graduated from UNC Chapel Hill School of Pharmacy and worked in healthcare for nearly 35 years. I have one daughter, Dr. Marie Roth Gephart. My two granddaughters are the center of my universe now.

Walter Sommerfelt: What breeds have you owned, bred, and exhibited over the years?

Ann Roth: I have been involved with Beagles, English Foxhounds, Harriers, Smooth Fox Terriers, Pointers, one Basenji, and, most recently, Miniature Wirehaired Dachshunds.

Walter Sommerfelt: What are some of your proudest moments as a breeder, owner, or exhibitor?

Ann Roth: The memories that stand out most aren’t the Bests in Show but the small breeder/owner-handled milestones. Winning BBE classes at the Beagle National and Montgomery County are examples. I vividly recall each Group win I had as a breeder/owner-handler. My first champion Beagle and English Foxhound were proud moments… you never forget those first milestones. I’m proud of over 150 owner-handled champions, eight Best in Show winners, and many other top winners and producers over the years. I was very proud of my daughter when she was awarded Best Junior Handler for the state by the North Carolina Federation of Dog Clubs.

Walter Sommerfelt: What led you to decide to join the judging community in 2004?

Ann Roth: I had never aspired to be a judge, but felt it was time to wind down my active breeding programs, and I wanted to stay involved in the sport. Learning new breeds has satisfied my desire to stay mentally active and engaged. My friends I have met through the dogs are a great incentive to stay out there. Travel is a hassle these days, but once you get to the shows and see the DOGS, it is so worth it!

Walter Sommerfelt: Over the past 20-plus years, you were approved for four Groups. During that time, you, like many of us, have seen many changes to the approval process. What is your opinion on the current state of the judging process and the seemingly rapid advancement of newer judges?

Ann Roth: I started out on the one-for-one system, and it took me eight years to complete my first Group, working hard at it for the entire duration. I was approved for four breeds on my first application, as a breeder. During those formative years, I learned how to run a ring, how to stay on schedule, how to deal with difficult situations, etc. I wonder how the new crop of quickly minted judges manages to deal with these situations with less practical experience? I’m not sure what the solution is.

Walter Sommerfelt: Have you noticed any significant changes in the breeds and exhibitors over the past 20 years?

Ann Roth: When I started out exhibiting, I was taught to respect the judges and the system. I would never have thought of running to complain about a judge to the AKC Rep! If we were unhappy with results, our mentors would tell us what we needed to work on to improve. There was no expectation of instant success, as there frequently seems to be these days. Work hard, pay your dues, and wait patiently to earn respect and success.

As to overall quality of the dogs, some are improved, some less so. There is way more grooming and better presentation, for the most part.

Walter Sommerfelt: As the Show Chair for a small, two-day, stand-alone show in a small market, you understand the economic difficulty of covering all Breeds and Groups with a limited number of available judges. What could the AKC do better to assist small clubs today?

Ann Roth: I have given a lot of thought to the plight of small, local shows. My own clubs have tried hard to stay in our own communities, serving our mission of educating the local public about purebred dogs and Conformation events. While it might seem more economically feasible to move out of town and join a big circuit, this would remove much of our presence locally. Also, having weekend shows (as was traditional in past decades) allows for our area exhibitors who work regular jobs and have families to attend our events. If we want our sport to survive, we have to think of the Average Joe coming into our dog world, not just the professionals.

It is a challenge to assemble great judging panels on a small budget. We need to bring in different faces if we want to attract an entry. Clubs and judges and exhibitors are all in this together, and we must work together to achieve long-term success.

I wish AKC would innovate ways to keep small clubs afloat, instead of suggesting we need to move into a circuit. Some sites, such as ours, don’t lend themselves to adding Performance events. With the current culture of RV travel to shows, resort areas, such as ours, have almost no available sites with adequate parking.

Walter Sommerfelt: Do you feel that many of our newer judges have the deep backgrounds that so many judges of the past were required to have before advancing?

Ann Roth: Probably not. Some good, some not as much. Again, a quandary, since so many judges are retiring and new judges are needed to cover panels.

Walter Sommerfelt: What advice would you give to a new exhibitor who is interested in acquiring and preparing to start in our sport?

Ann Roth: Join an all-breed and a specialty club—and get involved! Volunteer to WORK, not just appear to show your own dog. Each and every event is put on by VOLUNTEERS. There is no Show Fairy League that makes events magically appear! Newbies learn much more quickly if they immerse themselves in clubs and work with experienced mentors.

Walter Sommerfelt: With the high number of shows and declining entries at most of them, how can we reverse this trend?

Ann Roth: I wish I had an answer for that question! I personally don’t want to see the small local clubs continue to die, as they are important to the mission of AKC.

Walter Sommerfelt: The Hanover Kennel Club has been in existence since 1938, and, like so many of our clubs, it serves an area of the country where they only have a two-day show, which they still hold in their own territory, and struggle to continue in today’s economic environment. What is the biggest obstacle your club faces in remaining financially viable?

Ann Roth: Our club has innovated to keep our treasury financially viable. This year, we have a Group club joining us, many Supported Entry breeds, and a National Specialty. We solicit local sponsors to donate in exchange for advertising (ring signage, website links, etc.). In 2025, we held online auctions to help cover trophy expenses. We want to honor the legacy that our club founders left for us. It is a balancing act, with only a single available local site, rising costs for everything, and declining entries. The increased event fee that AKC recently imposed has forced us to pass this along to the exhibitors in their entry fees. A club in an adjacent state has expanded their events in competition with us on our dates, which has led to a further decline in entries. We are always thinking of ways to make our events stand out.

Walter Sommerfelt: Wilmington is a port city in North Carolina that is a very old and extremely beautiful city, with residents between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. The city was founded in the 1730s and was developed to attract tourists. It is one of 29 cities that currently bears the designation as a “Coast Guard City” and has a great historical background along with a wonderful Riverwalk. Wilmington was declared the first World War II Heritage City in the country. What would you tell exhibitors from outside the area who want to visit while attending your shows?

Ann Roth: Our area is fabulous for families to come enjoy the water and history around ring times! It is still warm in October and dogs are allowed on several area beaches. We have an impressive historic district only minutes from the show site, including the Riverwalk, shops, restaurants, and the Battleship USS North Carolina, a floating museum. Don’t forget… local seafood!

Walter Sommerfelt: Thank you for taking the time to visit with us. Is there anything else you would like to share about Ann Roth or why exhibitors should attend the Hanover Kennel Club shows?

Ann Roth: Come to Wilmington, North Carolina, on October 9-11, 2026 and we will show you some Southern Hospitality! HKC has a great show team, ready to host our guests for a fun and competitive weekend!

The memories that stand out most aren’t the Bests in Show but the small breeder/owner-handled milestones. Winning BBE classes at the Beagle National and Montgomery County are examples. I vividly recall each Group win I had as a breeder/owner-handler. My first champion Beagle and English Foxhound were proud moments… you never forget those first milestones.”