10 Questions ...

Profession: Vice chairman of ophthalmology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine; retired lieutenant colonel from the United States Air Force

Dog-sport involvement: AKC judge, Collie breeder, Doberman Pinscher fancier and owner of “Maui” the Golden Retriever

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky

Astrological sign: Pisces

1. Do you have any dog-show superstitions? 

I put the show leash under my pillow the night before a national specialty.   

2. TV-show guilty pleasure? 

I routinely watch the History Channel, American Heroes Channel, any historical documentaries on the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War II and our U.S. presidents. If I need a good laugh I’ll watch reruns of The Big Bang Theory, Coach, M*A*S*H, Seinfeld and the Beverly Hillbillies. (That show was pure humor. There is nothing better than having your vittles out by the cement pond. “How do you like your possum, real tender falling off the bones or with a little fight left in him?”)

3. If you were president of AKC for one day, what would you do? 

I would increase public awareness and education on the importance, purpose and functions of how man’s best friend devoutly serves humanity, and the value of purebred dogs in our society. We must stop the designer-breeds fad, and it begins with calling out the profiteers and teaching those who can be taught. Some will never learn, but it starts with those who can. As the Talmud says, “You can educate a fool, but you cannot make him think.” I will refuse to ever judge a Goldendoodle!

4. Most valued material possession? 

I have several material possessions that I would walk through fire to save – my grandmother’s menorah, the display case of the American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in honor of my Air Force retirement, my wedding album (which was the most special day of my life), the boxes of old photographs of my children when they were young, and the oil portrait of my Collie bitch, Strathmoor Madame Butterfly, hanging in our dining room.    

5. What is something no one would guess about you? 

Probably one of these three things: 1) I am a former certified/licensed high-school football referee, but I gave up the Friday-night lights for my dog-judging passion on the weekends; 2) I paid for my college education with a four-year athletic scholarship in swimming (swam the 100 and 200 butterfly and middle distance freestyle events), and 3) My favorite meal is a PB&J sandwich (with Jif peanut butter and strawberry jam on soft, fresh white bread) and a cold glass of milk.  

6. Who would you compare yourself to? 

Samuel Adams, Yitzhak Rabin, Charlie Brown.  

7. What are you “famous” for? 

My four beautiful children (Benjamin, Halle, Matthew and Emily), who are all now kind, brilliant, talented, extremely accomplished young adults.

8. What website do you visit most often? 

The Daily Racing Form, Blood Horse magazine (on thoroughbred racing and breeding), Times of Israel and the Jerusalem Post. Most of the time, I have my nose buried in a good book; almost always historical non-fiction.  

9. What was more memorable, your most satisfying win or disappointing defeat? And what was it? 

My most cherished dog-show memory was handling my parents’ champion Collie bitch to a national-specialty win in 1972 when I was 12 years old.  

10. What do you wish someone would ask you? 

“Butch, will you please call the Mossad to have them deal with Vladmir Putin?”