Handling - Goldenwind Golden Retrievers

Our Daughter Melissa

When we began attending dog shows in 1995, this was a family activity. Both of our daughters, Melissa and Heidi traveled with us to dog shows and Melissa immediately became extremely interested. She studied all of the exhibitors and professional handlers and we would often find her imitating the handling she had just watched while walking and exercising dogs.

Once Melissa turned 10 years of age, she applied for an AKC junior handler number and the first show she was eligible to compete in was the Collin County Kennel Club. This was a 2 day show, and on the first day she took 3rd place. When she came out of the ring, we congratulated her and told her how good she did. She then asked us what she could have done differently and how she could improve. It was now that we realized how competitive our little girl was. She then told us that the next day she would WIN! As always, we would tell her that it was only important that she have FUN! Well, on the second day, she won her class. To add to her accomplishment, she then went on to win Best Junior Handler beating the top Junior Handler in Texas at that time.

During that first year of eligibility, Melissa continued to participate in Junior Showmanship and consistently won (25 first place wins, 12 BJH awards) and easily qualified to enter and participate at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club.

Over the next 6 years, while Melissa continued to participate in AKC Junior Showmanship, she was provided the opportunity to use various other breeds to participate in junior showmanship with. She began showing various breeds for our dog show friends in the Conformation Breed ring also. One of the breeds that Melissa began co-owning was a Brittany and she became active in that Breed in 1998 and Melissa founded Brittstorm Brittanys. Brittstorm Brittanys bred by Melissa has produced 20 Champions, many of which you will see below. Melissa earned the AKC Bred By Exhibitor pin by completing CHampionships on a couple of Brittstorm Brittanys that were handled by Melissa exclusively from the Bred By Exhibitor class,

Near the end of Melissa’s Junior Showmanship career, she won Best Junior Handler at the 2001 Golden Retriever Club of America National Specialty, the 2002 Golden Retriever Club of America Western Regional Specialty, and retired as a Brittany Junior after winning Best Junior Handler at the 2002 American Brittany Club National Specialty.

Melissa has handled many AKC Breeds toward AKC conformation awards and placements (i.e WD, WB, BOW, BOS, BOB, BISS, and Group Placements). The various AKC Breeds that Melissa has handled include: Sporting Group: Brittany, Golden Retriever, English Setter, Gordon Setter, Irish Setter, Black Cocker Spaniel, Ascob Cocker Spaniel, Parti Color Cocker Spaniel; Hound Group: Standard Smooth Dachshund, Ibizan Hound; Working Group: Alaskan Malamute, BullMastiff, Great Pyrenees, Standard Schnauzer; Toy Group: Chinese Crested, Japanese Chin, Papillon, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Pug; Non-Sporting Group: Boston Terrier, Dalmation; Herding Group: Australian Shepherd, Border Collie.

A gallery of conformation handling pictures of dogs Melissa has handled over the years are shown below. Please enjoy the pictures and notice the determination that Melissa has displayed over the years while handling these dogs.

We are very proud of Melissa’s accomplishments, her most recent having graduated from the University Of North Texas in 2013 !!!

Conformation Handling

AKC CH Pt’d Gracious Glds Love On The Rocks -owners Goldenwind Goldens Retrievers AKC UKC CH Dogwood’s Morning Star Miracle

AKC AM/CAN CH. Gldn Glows Sunny Serenade

AKC CH Summit Goldenwind High Caliber SDHF – owners Goldenwind Golden Retrievers

AKC CH PT’d Slygo’s Time In A Bottle – owners Goldenwind / Slygo Golden Retrievers AKC CH PT’d Slygo’s Unchained Melody – owners Goldenwind / Slygo Golden Retrievers

AKC CH PT’d Slygo’s Bat Outta Hell – owners Goldenwind / Slygo Golden Retrievers

AKC CH PT’d Goldenwind Take’em By Storm) bred by Goldenwind Golden Retrievers AKC CH PT’d Goldenwind Rock My World – owners Goldenwind Golden Retrievers

CH Quantum Leap – co-owned by Melissa Meyer

AKC CH PT’d Peachcreek Why Not – co-owned by Melissa Meyer

Group Placing AKC CH Brittstorm Crystal Clear – owned and bred by Melissa Meyer

Group Winning, Multi-Group Placing, Best In Specialty Show AKC CH Brittstorm Thunder N Lightning -owned and bred by Melissa Meyer

Group Winning, Multi-Group Placing, Best In Specialty Show AKC CH Brittstorm Thunder N Lightning – owned and bred by Melissa Meyer

AKC Multi Best In ShowGroup Placing AKC CH Acura’s Blue Sage AKC Multi-Best In Show AKC/ASCA CH Rainyday’s Red Red Wine

Multi Group Placing Best In Specialty Show INTL/AKC CH.Brittstorm U Askd For It U Got It – owned and bred by Melissa Meyer AKC CH Blueridge’s Ambren Express (Melissa at 9 yrs old!!!)

AKC CH Brittstorm Lightning Flash – owned and bred by Melissa Meyer AKC CH Brittstorm National Debt – owned and bred by Melissa Meyer

Multiple Group Placing AKC CH Brittstorm National Weather Service – bred and co-owned by Melissa Meyer

AKC CH Castle Brittstorm Lightning Bolt

AKC CH Brittstorm Fahrvergnugen – bred by Melissa Meyer

AKC CH Brittstorm National Chip of Love – bred by Melissa Meyer

AKC CH Brittstorm Clear Elegance – owned and bred by Melissa Meyer

AKC CH Brittstorm Clear And Present Danger CD JH, RN – co-owned and bred by Melissa Meyer

AKC CH PT’d Cher-Gay Best Kept Secret AKC CH Tejas’ Venus Lacy SS – co-owed by Melissa Meyer

Melissa winning Best Junionr Handler at 2001 GRCA National Specialty with AKC CH Tempo’s Melissa winning Best Junionr Handler at 2002 ABC National Specialty with AKC CH Triwin’s

Joy To The World owned by Melissa Meyer Forget Me Not – co-owned by Melissa Meyer

CH Tempo’s Joy To The World