I’ve spent my entire life immersed in the world of purebred dogs. My journey began in the early 1970s when my parents introduced me to the sport, and from that moment on, I knew there was no turning back.
My family bred and showed Irish Setters, and as a junior I began breeding English Cockers under the Wilspride prefix. I made my ring début at just seven years old with one of my father’s Setters, competing in both Junior Showmanship and the breed ring. After apprenticing with Garry MacDonald in Canada and Bobby Stebbins in the United States, I turned professional in 1986. Just a year later, in 1987, I made history by handling Ch. McCammom Impresario, an Irish Setter, to Top Dog All Breeds, becoming the youngest handler ever to earn that distinction.
I have been fortunate to present many of Canada’s top-winning dogs, including multiple Best in Show winners and National Specialty Best of Breeds across several groups. Much of my early success came with Irish Setters, a breed that helped refine my understanding of balance, movement, and presentation. That foundation deepened my admiration for the Sporting breeds, particularly Setters and Spaniels, whose form, function, and spirit remain so closely connected to their original purpose. There is nothing quite like watching a truly balanced dog move with reach, drive, and that unmistakable sparkle of enthusiasm that defines a great gundog.
Throughout my career, I have handled many of Canada’s most accomplished dogs and am proud to be one of only a handful of handlers to have achieved multiple Top Dog All Breeds titles. I have maintained a Top Ten All Breeds dog every year since 1991 and have guided numerous dogs to success at the highest levels of competition. Among the most memorable were the Irish Setter Ch. Muldoon Dewitt’s Great One, who earned more than 100 Best in Show wins, and the 15-inch Beagle Miss P, who captured Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club in 2015.
I believe that every dog, whether in the show ring or in the whelping box, represents decades, sometimes centuries, of dedication and purposeful breeding. As a judge, my goal is to honor that legacy by rewarding dogs that not only meet the standard on paper but also capture the living essence of their breed in motion, temperament, and spirit.
Outside the ring, I share my experience through DogShowTips.com, my online educational platform and seminar series “Handle Your Way Out of a Paper Bag”, where I focus on both technique and philosophy, the art of handling, presentation, and connection. I have had the privilege of teaching exhibitors from all walks of life and watching their confidence grow along with their appreciation for the craft and history of the sport.
Whether I am judging a lineup of Sporting dogs or helping a newcomer find their rhythm, my passion remains the same: to celebrate the relationship between handler and dog, to preserve the integrity of our breeds, and to honour the timeless balance of beauty and function that defines our sport.
