Anne Rogers Clark died today after asking for an end to her cancer treatments.
From Gina Spadafori's tribute to Mrs. Clarke:
From the earliest age in pictures now decades old, she was a young women of stature, elegance and authority. A second-generation dog breeder, she became outstanding professional hander – taking Best in Show at Westminster three times – a top breeder in her own right and ever a student of dogs, even long after there was seemingly not anything left for her to learn, nor anyone who could teach her.
Once she turned from handler to judge, her reputation soared to heights unprecedented. Simply put: It wasn’t a top dog show if Anne Rogers Clark wasn’t on the judging panel. Mrs. Clark attended more than 60 consecutive Westminster Kennel Club dog shows, She is the only person to have judged Best In Show and all seven groups, according to the WKC.
She became known in show circles by just a single name – “Annie” – even though I doubt most who used the informality to identify her would ever call her by it in person.
As dog shows became increasingly uncoupled from their context and history, the emphasis more on winning ribbons for looks than on producing healthy, hard-working dogs, Mrs. Clark held the line, her excellent eye and capable hands searching for the working dog under the hair and hairspray of the animals brought to her, and rewarding those breeders who still produced a dog worth more to the future of the breed than the fading ribbons of any dog-show win.
They truly don't make them like Annie Clark anymore. And they never will.
There is no funeral planned, and Mrs. Clark asked that donations be made to the Poodle Club of America Foundation.
Gina's complete tribute can be read on the Pet Connection.
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PHChristy
Director of Community Services
PetHobbyist.com
