The Dream Team: Glenn and Rebecca Lycan

Prestigious clubs are scrambling to add new judges Glenn and Rebecca Lycan to their panels. How refreshing it is to see two individuals come into the judging ranks who have spent their lives involved in American Kennel Club dog show activities.

Glenn’s parents, Audrey and Bill Lycan, owned Winterway Kennels. At age nine, Glenn was bringing home his first ribbons in Juniors showing one of their beautiful Winterway Samoyeds. His mother, the late Audrey Lycan, later became a beloved judge herself.

Rebecca grew up in the ring exhibiting her mom and dad, Duke and Ruth Tatum’s, English Setters and Pointers, bred in their Monopoly Kennels. The family also enjoyed hunting with these wonderful Sporting breeds!

Fast forward a few years, Rebecca earned a degree in microbiology and began a career as an Analytical Chemist in addition to her dog show activities. Having seen the beautiful young handler, Glenn was anxious to meet her. That he did at a Piedmont Kennel Club Dog Show. “Cupid” must have been there as on the night they met, she cooked dinner for him! A year and a half later they were married!

Rebecca transitioned from her chemistry career to work for two of the top professional handlers in the country, Houston and Toddie Clark. Glenn joined the Clark’s team a few months later, and together they worked alongside the Clarks for two and a half years until Houston and Toddie retired from handling.

From 1986 until 2002, Glenn and Rebecca launched their own business as professional handlers. They owned and bred Samoyeds, English Setters, Standard Schnauzers, Border Terriers, and Shih Tzus, and handled the breeding for all of the dogs they specialed.

Together, the couple completed Championship titles on several hundred class dogs. They handled dogs from every Group to Best in Show wins! Their successes included winning the Border Terrier National Specialty three separate times in addition to multiple Winners’ ribbons for class dogs taking home the points at Nationals.

In 1970, Glenn began participating at the Samoyed Nationals at age nine. So, imagine what a thrill it was for him later in life to be invited to judge the Sweepstakes at their yearly most-prominent event. He also was honored to judge the Top Twenty for the Golden Retriever National Specialty.

Long-standing relationships with top clients who were with them until they decided to hang up their leashes were great blessings. Esteemed judges, previously handlers themselves, like Jane and Bob Forsyth, recommended special clients to hire the Lycans. For instance, Roberto Goizueta, who at the time was the Chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company, employed the Lycans to show his famous top Best in Show winning Pembroke Welsh Corgi, CH Just Enuff Of The Real Thing, aka “Fizz.” The Forsyths had handled the Goizueta’s Boxers in the ‘60s.

To end the 200-day-a-year travel schedule, Glenn and Rebecca sold everything and relocated to Holly Springs, North Carolina, near the AKC Operations Center in Raleigh. Glenn began a twenty-four-year career there, retiring as the AKC Director of Event Operations Support.

Let’s not forget the Lycans’ most important accomplishment, Rebecca’s giving birth to their only child, a son named Alex! Following his graduation from Methodist University, Alex married Ana Ruiz Mercedes. And you can only guess that their new granddaughter, Ruth Beatrice Lycan, is the light of their lives. Like a doting grandmother, Rebecca just happens to have pictures on her iPhone if you would like to see more of little Ruth!

Not far from Raleigh, Fuquqy-Varina is the current home for Glenn and Rebecca, where Rebecca currently works as a Systems Analyst for the Wake County School System. There, she and Glenn are doing all they can to spoil their granddaughter.

Glenn will initially be passing out ribbons for 24 Breeds representing at least one breed in every Group, with a concentration in the Working Group. Rebecca will be judging 17 Breeds, representing at least one breed in every Group, with a concentration in the Sporting Group.

I can hardly wait to be sitting ringside to watch these longtime dear friends of my family, Judges Glenn and Rebecca Lycan, coming full circle in our sport as a true dream team!