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MARGARET WILDMAN Margaret married into dogs in 1961 when she joined the Wildman family who owned two Boxers. This was a breed she had never seen before and she fell in love with them instantly. They belonged to her husband Frank although they did not go with them when they married because they were five and six years old and he did not want to unsettle them, so they stayed in the family home with his parents. It then took Margaret six long weeks after the wedding to save up the eight guineas needed to buy her own Boxer puppy and she has never been without a Boxer since. Margaret started off in obedience and progressed to Working Trials and Tracking. She has always been interested in the working side of the fancy and has kept up this interest since the 60s, running and instructing ata weekly training class for nearly forty years. |
Margaret is justifiably proud of the Wildax affix that is carried now by Champions she has bred in seven different breeds. She still gets excited at a phone call telling of the latest Wildax Champion in whatever country and always frames every Champions Certificate she receives. She enjoys judging dogs of all breeds and is qualified to award CCs in Boxers, Bouvier de Flandres, Great Danes, Doberman's, Rottweilers, Mastiff's, Bullmastiff's, Akita's, Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, French Bulldogs, Tibetan Spaniels, Griffon Bruxellois, Min Pins, Affenpinscher's, Pugs and Maremmas, plus Best In Show, Utility Group and Working Group (Group 2) Margaret is also qualified to award CACIB's in numerous other breeds and has in fact judged in thirty seven different countries including Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Russia, Finland, Norway, Holland, Belgium, Latvia, Estonia, America etc. She judges all breeds and varieties at Open Show level and has done for a great many years. Margaret is a graduate of The Canine Studies Institute, where she successfully completed an intensive nine-month long Open University course many years ago, passing the Judging Diploma Certificate. She is the Breed Notes writer for Boston Terriers in the weekly canine publication Our Dogs, and also wrote a regular column for the same paper under the heading Wildman's World. Margaret lectures on the Boston, Boxer and Bulldog breeds of which she is a specialist, and on other breeds too in her capacity as a multi breed judge giving the all-rounder's point of view. She has also been invited to be an "after dinner" or "guest" speaker from time to time. She says she enjoys the less serious aspect of speaking and is pleased to help out, especially when the funds are for canine rescue or other charitable causes of which she has been a regular contributor over the years. Margaret is heavily involved with and enjoys the administrative side of dog showing, and has done for about forty years. She is President of four canine societies and very proud to be elected Honorary Life Member of them in recognition of all the hard work and help she has given to them over the years. |