–Award Presented at AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin –
Orlando, FL — Elizabeth and Daniel Karshner were presented with the 2019 AKC Breeder of the Year award for their Little Ponds Bulldogs at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin on Saturday, December 14, 2019. The annual award honors those breeders who have made an impact on their breed and dedicate their lives to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs.
“We are proud to honor Elizabeth and Daniel Karshner with the 2019 AKC Breeder of the Year award,” said Dennis B. Sprung, AKC President and CEO. “The Little Ponds prefix has been associated with top quality Bulldogs in the United States and their influence on the breed will be seen for years to come.”
One honoree is chosen from each of the seven groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding. From those seven, one Group winner is selected as “AKC Breeder of the Year” during the AKC National Championship, which was held this year in Orlando, Fla. December 14th and 15th. Presentation highlights are available on www.akc.org.
As the 2019 AKC Breeder of the Year recipients, Elizabeth and Daniel Karshner will be honored with a commission from a canine portraitist to memorialize a prominent dog from their breeding program and their names will be inscribed on a perpetual trophy, both of which will be displayed at the AKC headquarters in New York City.
About Little Ponds Bulldogs
Little Ponds Bulldogs is home to Bulldog Club of America national-specialty Best of Breed, Best in Show, and specialty-winning Bulldogs. Since 1977, Elizabeth and Daniel Karshner have concentrated their efforts on breeding correct conformation married with health, temperament, and soundness. They are the proud breeders of 100 champions to date. Their sires have produced 290 champions, including many specialty winners. Ch. Little Ponds Chief holds the Top Sire record, with 152 champions.
The Karshners have owner-handled their dogs to over 160 Best in Specialty wins. They are AKC Breeders of Merit and BCA members. Elizabeth has served multiple terms on the BCA Board of Governors and is an AKC-approved judge who has officiated at the BCA national, as well as many specialties abroad. She will judge Bulldogs at the World Bulldog Federation in conjunction with the 2020 World Dog Show.
The Karshners are BCA Hall of Fame breeders, and many of their bred-by dogs and bitches are BCA Hall of Fame producers. One of the greatest rewards for the Karshners is seeing Bulldogs they’ve bred complete their championships, owned and handled by newcomers in the breed.
All seven Group honorees were presented with medallions during the show on December 14, 2019. Group winners included:
- Sporting Group: Lisa Weiss, Lobuff Labrador Retrievers
- Hound Group: Andrea “Andy” and Jack McIlwaine, Aberdeen Otterhounds
- Working Group: Renee and Jim Pope, Geistvoll Standard Schnauzers
- Terrier Group: Aileen & Richard Santo, Paxon Kerry Blue Terriers
- Toy Group: Jeff Bazell and Jeff Kestner, St. Johns Brussels Griffon
- Non-Sporting Group: Elizabeth and Daniel Karshner, Little Ponds Bulldogs
- Herding Group: Patricia Princehouse, La Brise Pyrenean Shepherds
The inaugural posthumous Breeder of the Year was awarded to Sunny Shay of Grandeur Afghan Hounds. Sunny Shay was one of the most highly-regarded breeder-owner-handlers producing some of the breed’s most influential dogs.
For more information on all of the AKC Breeder of the Year Group honorees, click here.
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Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org.
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