Mrs. Joan Luna Liebes

Joan Luna Liebes purchased her first Samoyed and attended her first dog show in 1968. Along with her mother, Paula, and sisters, Laura and Connie, Joan has bred 80+ champions under the Azteca prefix; and owned another 16 champions. Their dogs have sired 40+ champions. The family’s most successful, winning Sammy was MBIS, MBISS CH Sitkin’s Simply Scrumptious (Scarlett). She won 150+ Best of Breeds, 70+ Group Placements, 7 BISS, and 1990 SCA BOS & Brood Bitch Winner. MBIS, MBISS GCHS Azteca’s Triple Seven (Jett) won Best of Breed at the 2012 Samoyed Club of America. He also won another BIS from the Veterans Class in May of 2017 at age 9. Litter sister, GCHS Azteca’s Pink Camillia, was the #2 Samoyed bitch in 2012. MRBIS, MBISS, GCHG Azteca’s Red October (Sean) was the SCA #2 Samoyed male for 2018 & 2019. RBIS, Multi-Group GCHG Azteca’s John Denver, owned by Connie Rudd, was #3 Samoyed All-Systems for 2021. Joan began judging in 1996 and she adjudicates the Working, Herding, Non-Sporting & Toy Groups, 17 Sporting breeds, 5 Hound breeds, Juniors, and Best in Show. She judged Intersex at the Samoyed Club of America in 1999, Bitches in 2007, and Intersex in 2013. Internationally, Joan has judged Samoyed Specialties in Spain, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. In 2013, she went to Beijing with the American Kennel Club’s Global Service Program to teach about the Northern breeds. Joan is an active member of the Woofstock Cluster, Evergreen Kennel Club, Colorado Springs KC, Samoyed Club of America (past Judge’s Education Chairman & current Illustrated Standard member), and the Northern California Samoyed Fanciers. Joan and her husband, Eric, relocated to Peyton, Colorado, six years ago. They have eight dogs (Komondor, Ibizan Hound, and Samoyeds), 1 Thoroughbred Hunter mare, an eight-month-old Hanoverian filly, a Connemara hunter-in-training, and a very pregnant Connemara. Joan’s education includes a BS Physiology, MS Physiology, and an MBA Finance.