Miss Lydia Armstrong Frey

MISS LYDIA ARMSTRONG FREY of Wellington, Florida, began in dogs after years of watching dog shows on TV and dreaming of being in the sport. She received her first show dog, a Standard Schnauzer puppy, for her 9th birthday. From there, she traveled and learned from many breeders and professional handlers who mentored her in the sport. At 12, she got her first Bedlington Terrier from Laurie Zembrzuski and Gaby Gilbeau of the acclaimed LAMZ Bedlington Terrier kennel. After several years of learning the breed, she became successful in both the breed and Junior Showmanship ring. At 15, she was Best Junior Handler at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show and the World Dog Show in Milan, Italy. By the time she was 18, she had won Best of Breed at 2 Bedlington Terrier National Specialties, holding the record for the youngest handler to do so. In recent years she had added Pointers to her household, handling several dogs to Top 5 Breed ranking positions and accumulating several wins with the help of her co-breeder and mentor, Tina McDonnell, under the prefix of Southern. She’s bred champion Standard Schnauzers, Bedlington Terriers, Kerry Blue Terriers, Toy Manchester Terriers, and Pointers. As the daughter of two famous horse show professionals, her life has always been focused on animal sports and events. This is her first judging assignment at Westminster.