03 Judges' Bio

Marjorie Reho (US)

~ BMDCO Specialty Sweepstakes Judge ~

	Mrs. Reho has owned Bernese Mountain Dogs for over 25 years and been active in the BMDCA since 1978. Under the kennel name of “Dallybeck”, she has bred 24 litters, and has produced some of the top-ranking dogs in the United States and Canada. At BMDCA National Specialties, her own and Dallybeck-produced dogs, have won such prestigious awards as High In Trial, Best of Opposite Sex, Winners Dog, Best of Winners, Award of Merit, first in Stud Dog, first in Brood Bitch, both Best and Best of Opposite in Veteran Sweeps [with son and dam], and many class placements in obedience, and conformation, regular and non-regular, puppy through veteran classes. Several Dallybeck dogs have gone on to become Versatility Award Winners. She has produced the BMDCA’s Top Producer, Conformation Dog of all time. Marjorie currently owns four Bernese bitches, ranging in age from 2 to 7 years.
	Mrs. Reho’s active interests in the breed focus on the total dog: structure, soundness, type, temperament, working ability and longevity. She has studied extensively in structure and movement, and has had the opportunity to talk to recognized experts in these areas and those in the fields of canine behavior and temperament. Her initial interests were in competitive obedience where, with her foundation bitch, she was ranked #1 in the US for Bernese at both the novice and open levels over a two-year period. She became the first recipient of a Dog World Award for Bernese in obedience, and also placed a Tracking Degree on her bitch. Believing in the “total dog”, and the “versatile Berner”, Mrs. Reho did limited specialing in conformation with this same bitch, prior to the split of the Working Group into Working and Herding as we know today, yet took multiple Group Placements. In addition to her obedience rankings, her bitch was nationally ranked #1 bitch, #2 overall for Bernese, again over a 2-year period.
	Mrs. Reho has supported the BMDCA in a number of posts, including Board Member and Obedience Chair. Independently, but coordinated through the Board, she was solely responsible for originally lowering the jump heights for the breed, through research, external club coordination, and a point paper generated for the AKC. She continues to be active in health issues, education, and the desire to share knowledge and experience in many areas.
	Outside of dogs, she is a wife to Andy and proud mother of 18-year old son Mike. She received her BS in Computer Science with honors from the University of Delaware in 1973. She is employed by the MITRE Corporation in McLean, VA, a large research and development organization, where she holds a senior management position.

Jude Simonds (UK)

~ BMDCO Specialty Conformation Judge ~

Born in London into a non-animal household, Ms. Simonds' family moved to Suffolk when she was 7 years old and her animal obsession ensured the introduction of pets to their home. At 10 years old she began competing in obedience and trials with her own Border Collie; by 17 years old, Jude was Chairman of the Sudbury Dog Training Club. She still lives in the same village, and still has a couple of Collies.

After a very long wait, her first Bernese joined them in 1976, and in 1977 her first Swiss import Felix v Unterzelg came home. Jumbo v Waldacker followed, becoming the first Bernese import into the UK to become a Champion, and the rock-solid foundation stone of Coliburn Bernese. Many of his offspring have enjoyed extended lifespans and won CCs and became Champions. Jude visited Europe extensively – attending numerous club shows, breed assessments and international and World shows in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and Belgium. Another 8 carefully selected imports joined her family and played their part in their lives and breed history. Coliburn Bernese have been awarded CC’s and BOB at Crufts and Bernese Club shows, and Ch. Coliburn Ria of Tremywyddfa with 7 CCs and 4 Res CCs is currently in the ring.

Jude began judging in the early eighties, and her first Championship appointment was in 1988. She has since awarded CCs at general Championship shows and Bernese Club shows – most recently as the members choice of judge, by ballot, at the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Great Britain (BMDC of GB) 2001 Championship show.

Ms. Simonds was approached by a publishers agent and commissioned to write a book and in 1989, the Book of the Breed – The Complete Bernese Mountain Dog was published.

Jude has served on the committee and health committee of the BMDC of GB, and in 1983, she became secretary of the Bernese Breeders Association of GB. She is also the national coordinator for Bernese Welfare.

Jude's dogs live as valued members of the family, and she has been truly blessed to share her life with her own dogs, and enjoy the privilege of spending time with Bernese owned by others. She is very much looking forward to coming to Ottawa to judge at our show.

Jude's Website

Paul Oslach (CA)

~ BMDCO Specialty Obedience Judge ~

One day, during a dog show, Mr. Oslach wandered down to the far end of the arena to see what else was going on. The dogs at that end of the ice pad (in the obedience rings) were doing much more interesting things like jumping and retrieving. Next thing Paul knew, he was hooked. That was some where around 1980.

Since then, Paul has trained and shown Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. In 1982, he became the proud owner of Ch & OTCh. Picbrand Mardi Grais, who became the first Cavalier in Canada (and North America) to obtain a Utility Title. Paul’s obedience judging career began the 1988 and has taken him all over Canada and parts of the United States where I have seen some of the best arenas. Paul’s other hobbies include camping and canoeing.

June Ward

~ BMDCO All-Breed Draft Test Judge ~

	Ms. Ward first became interested in Working Dogs in 1989 when she purchased a Newfoundland from Swissview Kennel, which was also at the same kennel where she first saw a Bernese Mountain Dog. She has worked with the Newfoundland Dog Club of Canada, stewarding and assisting with Draft and water rescue seminars.
	June purchased her first Bernese in 1993 from Anderlea Kennel and she earned a Canadian Ch. and CD with her. She began breeding Bernese in 1995 under the kennel name of Kumnc.
	In 1994, when the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ontario was formed, June was elected to be the club's first President.
	She has carted with her Newfs and Berners at Fund Raisers and was on the CKC committee to formalize the Draft Dog rules to open it up to all breeds.
	June has assisted in training, judging and stewarding at carting seminars, specialty and all-breed draft tests since 1989.
	She is presently a Director of the BMDCO and owns four Bernese--Hope, Lulu, Pumpkin and Wendy.

Frederick (Jim) Wright

~ BMDCO All-Breed Draft Test Judge ~

	Jim has been a qualified Draft Dog Judge for over 10 years and judged at the first draft dog test (for Newfoundland Dogs) held in Canada. He started by judging draft test for the Newfoundland Dog Club of Canada, and then for Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ontario, and finally as a CKC all-breed draft judge.
	Jim is the owner of Swissview Kennel Perm Reg’d and has been breeding and showing working dogs for thirty+ years: Saint Bernards for 32 years, Newfoundland Dogs for 18 years (no longer breed Newfies), and Bernese Mountain Dogs for 20 years.
	Mr. Wright is a life member of the Canadian Kennel Club and Newfoundland Dog Club of Central Ontario Region. Jim has been President of the Newfoundland Dog Club of Canada, was the founding Vice President of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ontario, and the Vice President of the Stair Bernard Dog Club of Ontario. He is currently a director on the executive of the BMDCO.
	Jim Wright is retired and lives in Hillsburgh, Ontario with his wife Jackie.

Rick Connell

~ BMDCO All-Breed Draft Test Judge ~

	Rick Connell first became aware of the Bernese Mountain Dog breed when his cousin brought a male back with him from Switzerland in 1989. Rick and his wife Heather started investigating the breed and it took over a year and a half before they received their first Bernese. Bronson, sold them on the breed to the point they even went to Switzerland. Returning home they started socializing Bronson and he won the Best in Sanction Match at the KW Kennel club show in Kitchener, Ontario. This was Rick's introduction into the world of confirmation, Obedience and Drafting.
	Over the years, Rick has found that he enjoyed the interaction of the dog and handler working as a team in Drafting and this has been his focus of late. Working with this breed, doing drafting work shops, training and eventually judging has given him great pleasure watching the teams working.
	It is with great pleasure that Mr. Connell is looking forward to judging the DD, DDX at the 2003 Specialty. He wishes all participant the best, and will enjoy seeing the teamwork for which this breed has become famous.