Rewarding Accomplishments
By: Leila Bicos

I entered the world of purebred dogs in the very best way, through the efforts of my wonderful breeder, Troy Abney. At the time, I was twelve years old. My family had purchased a pet Rhodesian Ridgeback and adopted a retired champion, Ch. RiverCity Reef. Once a junior handler herself, Troy asked if I could show Reef during the parade of veterans at the Orange Coast Regional Specialty and began giving me handling lessons. I was hooked.

In the last five years, I have met and interacted with the most amazing people and animals. In the breed ring, I have trained and shown many RiverCity dogs. I now co-own nine of Troy Abney’s dogs with Troy and help her show her dogs, including her group-winning special, Ch. RiverCity’s Traveling Man, in the group ring. In 2003, at the age of 15, I became the youngest to win the Best In Sweeps (RiverCity’s That Girl), Best Junior Handler, and Best in Specialty Show (Ch. RiverCity’s Tea for Two), at the Orange Coast Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Specialty (over an entry of 140). I have retired the Triggerhill Junior Showmanship Trophy for the OCRRC, which I have won three years straight. I also showed BISS Ch. RiverCity's Tea for Two to the position of #7 bitch in Conformation for the national club, Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States.

As a junior handler, I trained with Kathie Isenberg and trained with and worked for her granddaughter, Cassandra Clark, who won Best Junior at the Westminster Kennel Club when she was a junior. In 2003, I was the #13 Junior for the Hound Group. I won Best Junior for the Pharaoh Hound National Club, and have won Best Junior at specialties for Siberian Huskies and Beagles. While a heavy academic schedule prevents me from pursuing another run as a top junior. I still show my beagle, Ch. Shoreview's Phoebe at the Westminster Kennel Club in Madison Square Garden in the breed ring. The experience was everything I dreamed it would be, except for the part where they did not hand me the ribbon.

I have worked for Pam Lambie, a professional handler, for two years. I have co-owned and bred a litter of Pharaoh Hounds, Siberian Huskies, and last year, I whelped my first litter of Rhodesian Ridgebacks. I showed my puppies at the Palm Springs Kennel Club show this January, and my 8 month old dog, RiverCity’s Everyone’s Bwana, won Best Puppy that day. He is an awesome dog with the potential to do what his mother did—become a specialty winner. I also kept a beautiful bitch out of that litter, RiverCity’s Stairway to Heaven.

Dog show have become a huge part of my life the last five years, and while I have diverse interests and a heavy academic load. I think my experience in the ring has given me a natural confidence I would never have without my experience in the fancy. I enter college with my major undeclared, but I plan to stay involved in dog shows and dog breeding. Recently, Troy Abney and I updated her sales contract as well as came to an agreement about the future of RiverCity, which I will take over once Troy retires from breeding. Some day I hope to be the one who takes an interest in a little girl and show her the wonders of being involved with purebred dogs.