John & Saudjie Crook
I met my husband John Crook in the ring at the 1997 Labrador Retriever Club of Southern California Specialty. He was the judge and I was trying to get the last championship point on my black bitch Beechcroft Weathertop Wind (Moria). I had high hopes but John gave her a 3rd and I had to wait until later that summer to make her up at the Puget Sound Specialty.
In June of 1998 I planned a trip to the UK and arranged to visit the Balrions. John met me at the Chester train station. I guess we fell in love right there on the platform but it took a year to figure out a way to spend our lives together.
You see I lived on a remote mountaintop near Carmel, California with my 10-year-old daughter Kiana and six Labradors. John lived in North Wales with 26 Labradors. I wasn’t legally able to move my daughter out of California so in the end John and I had was to either part company or marry and live in California at least until my daughter turned 16. One sticking point was that, at that time, the USA was not included in the UK Pet Passport Scheme. If we moved the Balrions to California they might not be able to return to the UK without a six-month quarantine.
We were married in North Wales in August of 1999 and in October we moved to Carmel along with five adult Balrions and seven youngsters. At that time John had been breeding Labs for 34 years I had been breeding for 10 years. We combined our breeding programs to create Balrion at Weathertop.
In August of 2003 John and I returned to North Wales with 16 year old Kiana and 10 Labradors including three American champions. We celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary in August. I think I’m the only American who has lived and breathed Labradors on both sides of the Pond. I have found that there are differences in the way the two countries breed and exhibit Labradors. There are differences in the Labradors themselves.
Dr. Valeria Rickard
Dr. Valeria Rickard, the practice owner, is a Virginia Tech Veterinary School graduate. She had been practicing small animal veterinary medicine and surgery in the Northern Virginia area for the past six years until realizing the dream of opening her own state-of-the-art practice here in Leesburg. With her husband John, Dr. Rickard has designed and built a facility large enough to serve the needs of their entire companion animal clients while retaining the feel of personalized service
In addition to her skills in general feline and canine medicine and surgery, Dr. Rickard, well known for her special interest and expertise in canine reproduction, is one of the few veterinarians in the U.S. trained to perform specialized procedures such as transcervical artificial insemination and canine semen freezing. Her vast clientele is drawn from across the entire United States including Alaska, and includes numerous clients from Europe and South America. The local airport has more than once been the recipient of private planes bringing their beloved pets to visit with Dr. Rickard and reap the benefits of her extensive knowledge of canine reproduction.
Dr. Rickard was born in Moscow, Russia and attributes her deep love of animals to her first Airedale "Toybritt" with who she did agility, conformation, and Shutzhund training. She has been an avid breeder and exhibitor of champion Airedale and Welsh Terriers for over ten years. With her husband John, she is the loving owner of two crazy cats and numerous terriers, which she has shown to multiple championship titles herself. Dr. Rickard played Division 1 tennis in college on full scholarship and continues to play in her "spare time".
Dr. Rickard offers seminars and symposiums in the latest advances in canine reproduction and pediatrics to local, national, and international organizations, schools, and kennel clubs. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American and European Reproduction Societies, and local and national kennel clubs
Russ Kelley
Russ Kelley is a Senior Scientist with P&G Pet Care. Russ received his training at Auburn University where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science in 1988 and his Master of Science degree in Animal Science in 1998. Russ served on the staff of Auburn University from 1992 to 1997 as a Research Specialist in the area of Growth & Developmental Biology for the Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences.
While at Auburn University, research efforts focused on myogenic regulatory mechanisms during embryonic and neonatal development of domestic livestock. In 1997, Russ accepted a position with The Iams Company as a Research Associate in the Research and Development Division. As a member of the Nutritional Technologies team, Russ leads research efforts in the areas of maternal and neonatal nutrition. Russ is also actively involved with research efforts related to working and sporting canines. Russ has published numerous scientific papers, book chapters and biological abstracts on the influences of nutrition on reproduction and the regulation of animal growth and development.
Debby Kay
Debby Kay grew up on a dairy farm in an animal loving family. She has spent a lifetime working with animals in many capacities. Her early career started as a chemist with Hoffman LaRoche and moved on to geochemical exploration with the US Geological Survey. During her free time, she and her dogs worked as a special deputy with many local police departments to do cadaver searches, evidence recovery, drug detection and explosive detection. Her mantrailing Bloodhounds have successfully tracked many criminals.
She was one of the early trainers of search and rescue dogs in North America and as an out growth of her volunteer work eventually left the government to become the training director of International Detector Dogs Ltd. In this capacity, she trained the first toxic waste detection dog, and was an early pioneer of using dogs to help ecologists, geologists, and field biologists, find targeted specimens for their research.
She has taught classes for dog professionals and amateurs alike all over the world. As a contractor, Debby trained some of the first classes of dogs and instructors for the fledgling ATF explosive dog program in Front Royal Virginia.
She has been breeding dogs under the Chilbrook prefix since 1969, included Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Belgium Malinois, Belgium Sheepdogs, Australian Shepherds, Border Collies, German Shorthair Pointers, English Cocker Spaniels, Bloodhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds, Foxhounds, Beagles, and Chihuahuas. Dogs from her program have earned over 90 titles in the field, show and obedience rings. In addition hundreds of her dogs work as service dogs for the blind and physically disabled, as seizure alert dogs, and assistance dogs for the autistic. They also serve as working members of police, security and search and rescue organizations around the world.
She is the author of the Labrador Breeder's Handbook, and conducts seminars nationally on the Labrador Retrievers, nutrition and herbal supplements for animals as well as teaching her unique dynamic living concepts human/animal partners. She is a certified Reiki master instructor.
Debby lives with her husband Sam Cochran in Harpers Ferry West Virginia on their organic herbal farm and vineyard.
Frances O. Smith DVM, PHD
Diplomate American College of Theriogenology
Dr. Fran Smith grew up in a military family that bred German Shepherd Dogs. Her commitment to veterinary medicine began at 7 years of age and was confirmed in her high school yearbook which stated her goal was the patter of 40 little feet (not human)
Dr.Smith obtained an Associate of Arts Degree from Normandale Community College and was accepted into the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1976. She obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1978 and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 1980. Dr. Smith was offered a residency in Small Animal Reproduction at the University of Minnesota in 1980 where she worked with Dr. Shirley Johnston and Dr. Ray Zemjanis. She completed her residency in 1983. Her PhD was completed in 1984 with a thesis titled "Cryopreservation of Canine Semen – Technique and Performance." In1986, she became a Diplomate in the American College of Theriogenology the reproduction specialty. She is one of the only board certified small animal reproduction specialists in private practice in the United States.
Dr. Smith breeds Labrador Retrievers under the registered kennel name Danikk. She serves on the board of directors of the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc, where she is the health committee chair. She is the President of the Orthopedic Foundation for Animal – the foremost animal health data base in the world. She completes in hunt tests, conformation dog shows, obedience trials and occasionally field trials. She is an approved hunt test judge. She is a nationally recognized lecturer and author. She has served Minnesota as a member and President of the Board of Veterinary Medicine.
For fun, Dr. Smith rides horses, gardens, volunteers, and spoils her granddaughters.
