2019 Nat. Specialty Judges

Heidi showed her first dog – a Pug – as a child in 1960. As she grew older, she developed an interest in Collies, finally earning her first show prospect in 1972. When she took that pup to the vet’s office for its first shots, she met her first Ibizan – a dog named Jeremiah, who was owned by Bobby Preu. It was love at first sight, though, due to her family circumstances, she could not get another dog at that time and had to wait for the breed of her dreams.
For several years, Heidi continued to study the breed, waiting for her situation to change and for Ibizans to be recognized by AKC. Her first Ibizan Hound, Jim, arrived in March of 1979, establishing the Davallia name. He grew up to become Ch. Sylvan Legend of O’Bre-On and he turned out a great-grandson of that same dog she’d met at the vet’s office several years earlier. Jim still lives on in pedigrees today through his best known sons, Ch. Sunarise Only At Sunarise – Riser - and Ch. Davallia Dragonslayer, FCH - Nubis.
In 1991, Heidi met her husband, Gary, and left the dog show world to raise her family. In 1999, shortly after suffering some health issues, she met a young woman just getting started herself in Ibizans, who soon introduced her to a beautiful baby Beezer. Heidi ended up showing that pup at the 2000 IHCUS National Specialty and finishing her that weekend. This was the incomparable Ch. Gryphons Stellar Eminence – Emma – and that weekend brought Heidi back into the dog show world. Since re-entering the dog world, Heidi has been an active participant in the Ibizan community, successfully competing in the ring and on the coursing field, mostly under the Daval-Wynd prefix. In 2001, she completed a childhood ambition and became an AKC provisional judge for Collies and Ibizan Hounds, gaining full Judges status in 2015. Though most of her spare time is spent enjoying the company of her own dogs, she is always willing to help a newcomer and answer questions about the breed, including being involved with presenting the IHCUS Judges Education for several years. She is honored to have been selected to Judge the IHCUS National Specialty and considers it a high point of her dog career.