Penlee Estate, England - Above

I bought my first Vizsla for my son, who didn't want to walk around with a standard poodle, in the mid-70's. He was asthmatic like I am, and the Vizsla is not a major trigger for allergies, in our cases. I saw a gorgeous Vizsla at a show and sent my son down to their kennel, and he came home with a 6 month old vizsla puppy. I was hooked!!


I joined the Connecticut Valley Vizsla Club, and my love for the breed increased from there. My first litter was in the late 70's, so I have been breeding Vizslas for over 30 years. My goals as a breeder have always been to breed for temperament, health, sound confirmation, and a pretty head.


Then we decided we wanted to get to Madison Square Garden, so we went to a Vizsla breeder/handler in Connecticut who had a litter 7 weeks old. We immediately fell in love with this litter, and I found "CC" Constant Comment. Pam, the breeder, wanted to show her, since I was new to the confirmation ring, and CC went BIS in an all breed dog show at Danbury, Connecticut, in 1980. We were so proud of her!


I was at the first specialty that the Danbury Vizsla Club had, and CC won this. At the time the show was going on, I was flying overhead taking pictures of the show, since my plane had been delayed. I did get there in time to celebrate the win with CC!


By this time, the kids were grown and I said going to Florida might be fun, so off we went - we moved to Florida in 1985.


We formed the Tampa Bay Vizsla Club with 5 people and a bottle of wine, in the mid-80's. We are now AKC licensed in conformation, hunt tests and field trials. We have put on our own Specialty for a dozen years now, and hosted the National Specialty in 1997.


I started hunting with Sybil first, then I bought Chelsea, with the intent of showing her in confirmation and the field. I got Sybil's Junior Hunter, and she is the first brood bitch for the Southeastern Guide Dogs, of which we've had many graduates.


My goals over the years have been first, to win a championship, then win Best of Breed, then win Group 1, then win a Specialty, then win a Best In Show, and then win Best in Show at the Vizsla Nationals. It took me over 20 years, but I finally bred my BISS at the Nationals, who was "Gator", Penlee Leader of the Band.


Then I entered the Eukanuba / AKC show, and won Best of Breed, and got a Group 4 in 2003, with "Arthur", BISS CH. Penlee Arthur of Postbridge, JH, which qualified him to go to Crufts.


I wanted to go to Crufts and win there, which I did in 2004 with Arthur - I won 2nd in the Open Gun Dog Group.


I also wanted to breed a dual champion, which I did with Chelsea's daughter, Valley Hunters Divine Penlee "Diva", who is owned by Lisa Durham. In 2006 she was the highest pointed dog at the Nationals, so she was to go first in the Parade. I was so honored to lead off the parade with her! She has 17 Master Hunter titles to her name.