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claire hamiltonFarmington, GA
Claire is judging Herding. |
Judge |
Claire writes: I was born in Brooklyn, NY and spent most of my early years, through college in Albany, NY. Even as a youngster I loved dogs and horses, I was always bringing home a stray dog and worked at a stable, cleaning stalls etc to get my chance to ride. I rode hunter jumpers and did the horse show competing through my college years.
Married a military man (who I met at a horse stable) and had 1 daughter and moved all over the country. We had German Shepherds and I did raise them for a while. Got turned on to Australian Shepherds in late 1987 and never looked back. I did mostly obedience at first and then began conformation in SKC, ASCA. In 1993 Aussies were admitted into AKC and I decided to try to do conformation, obedience and herding with some of the dogs I raised. I started to learn how to train a dog for herding with a big hand from Bob Vest. Bob’s encouragement helped this basic city girl to believe I could do herding. We did a good bit of showing in ASCA and I have several dogs with WTCH’s as well as other ASCA and AHBA titles. Once hooked on herding I decided to try a border collie and so in 1995 through an aussie connection in Australia I imported DC, WTCH Nahrof Final Impression HSBs. Porter was the first border collie I had co-owned with Doyle Ivie. I started the training and trialing with him. We achieved his WTCH early on and then began working on the HX and then his Herding Championship. As time went on we did acquire and raise many more border collies that we are trialing and showing. My goal is to have a truly versatile border collie who can compete effectively in the conformation ring, at a herding trial and also in the obedience and or agility ring. I feel I have been successful in this endeavor. I have been raising and training Australian Shepherds since 1987. Have achieved many ROM's on my dogs in performance and conformation. I am an AKC Breeder of Merit. I have served as a Board Member on AKC Parent Club for Australian Shepherds USASA for 8 out of the past 10 years and am very familiar with the operation of a parent club in AKC. I have been Herding Chairman of numerous National Specialties and judged some as well. I was Board member of BCSA and still serve on several committees and am a club mentor. I have been raising and training border collies since 1995 and my own dogs and their off spring have earned numerous titles in conformation, herding, agility and obedience. My borders pedigrees include imported borders as well as many American bred borders. I am an AKC Herding Judge and approved to judge Courses A, B, C. Was approved as a judge 8/26/08 I graduated from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY and have a M.P.A. from the University of Georgia. Presently I live in Farmington, GA about 70 miles from Atlanta on 40 acres and have my own business, a real estate company specializing in commercial and residential management and sales. I have been a Real Estate Broker since 1992 |