Northstar 2026

Conformation Classes- Saturday June 13, 2026 Melanie Mercer DVM  Dittmer, MO  (Wyvern) # 114545

Thank you so much for the opportunity to join you for this regional specialty.  I'm honoured and excited to have been asked to be a judge for this event.

I acquired my first wolfhound, as many of us did, from a less-than-ideal source.  The sister of an ex-boyfriend, a "back-yard breeder", had an overly large first litter and could not place all the puppies, so Angus came to live with me the year I graduated from the University of Missouri Veterinary College in 1989.  He was a lovely pet, but at the time I did not make the connection to the wider wolfhound world.  It was not until his death, when I was referred to Gretchen Bernardi and acquired Montey (Meadowbrook Berwyck Montero) as a 2 year old, that I met the people who would come to shape my life and share my obsession with Irish Wolfhounds.  I owe everything I know about the breed and every good dog I have today to Gretchen and also to the Stobarts, Bev and Sue.  They trusted me with their dogs and taught me so very much over the years that I have known them.

I bred my first litter of wolfhounds in 2009 under the Kennel name Wyvern, producing a number of Champions and becoming listed as a "Breeder of Merit", but after several litters ran into some significant health issues causing me to start over in 2022 with my second foundation bitch, Caraglen Wyvern Sprezzatura.  

I have spent significant time on coursing fields (AKC, ASFA and Open Field Coursing) and at LGRA and NOTRA racing events and have, in addition to the wolfhounds in my life, lived and competed with some truly amazing performance proven salukis.  These experiences gave me a deeper understanding of the traits, good and bad, described in all sighthound standards. Completing certification in canine physical rehabilitation in 2009 further built on my previous education in anatomy and added to my understanding of form and its effect on function in running dogs.

As a judge, I'm looking for a "balanced" wolfhound: balanced on the razor's edge between maximum speed and overwhelming power.  I want beauty in the form of proper "type" described by the Standard and beauty in the form of soundness of structure that would allow it to be "fast enough to catch a wolf and strong enough to kill it".   I look forward to the Northstar Irish Wolfhound Club's Regional Specialty and the chance to find such a specimen.

Melanie Mercer DVM

Puppy Sweepstakes- Saturday June 13, 2026 Dawn Wiseman   Jacksonville, AL   (Temair)

My father actually planted the Irish Wolfhound seed in my mind when I was a very young girl. He told me about dogs he saw in Germany when he was stationed there in the Army, that were taller than I was. He told me mystical stories of those magnificent dogs and some of their history. I would never forget that conversation with him as it would be one of very few I would ultimately enjoy with him.

Years later, in 1977, when I was stationed in Hawaii with the 25th Infantry Division Band, I read in the post newsletter one day that an airman at one of the closeby air bases had a litter of Irish Wolfhound puppies. I went -. only to see the hounds my father had described. I walked in, beheld those rare and singular hounds, and my life was never the same. I went home with a puppy that day. I was enthralled with him and thought he was just the most glorious creature ever created. I continued to believe that until I went to a dog show and witnessed what Irish Wolfhounds were supposed to look like, after which I loved him with all my heart.

I served in the Army for 21 years as a musician, administrative specialist, and linguist, always with a wolfhound at my side. The operations tempo was too great for me to attend many dog shows or meet any breeders, but I did manage to show my dogs in Germany, Panama, and Virginia, where I first saw and met Sam Ewing. When I lived in Panama, I had the only Irish Wolfhound in the country at that time, so she was treated and admired like royalty. I enjoyed taking my hounds with me on buses, trains, shopping, the bowling alley, in restaurants, and to fairs. It was an incredible experience. In Germany, one of my wolfhounds was the mascot for the local soccer team.

When I retired from the Army in 1998, I joined the local kennel club in Charleston, SC and began my journey into the world of Irish Wolfhounds and dogs. I purchased an Irish Wolfhound then that was a pretty bitch bred by Sam Ewing and Jocelyne Gagne. I took her and showed her at my very first Irish Wolfhound National in Lima, Ohio. Sam had me sit at his side, and asked me questions and mentored me as the entries were being examined. How I wish now that I could have experienced that again! I have bred only a few litters, an exhausting and exhilarating experience simultaneously, and have whelped multiple litters in multiple breeds.

Fifteen years ago I began my foray into my second breed, Ibizan hounds. With a completely different front structure than what I had become accustomed to, my education took a sharp right turn as I learned even more about sight hounds. I bred one litter, and the keeper from that litter is still home with me, along with two other girls. The Ibizans live well with the wolfhounds, and keep them exercised.

I taught handling classes in Charleston for over ten years, and developed classes in puppy confidence, ringcraft, toy dogs and large dog conformation. I have had the honor of handling several beautiful Irish Wolfhounds, and many other breeds as well.

I have judged at several AKC All Breed B matches, and have been honored to judge Sweepstakes in Irish Wolfhounds, Yorkshire Terriers, Vizslas, and Weimaraners.

I am a member of the IWCA, IWAC, and the Cary Kennel Club. As a member of the Charleston Kennel Club for over 20 years, I served as President, Vice President, Secretary, on the Board of Directors, and Show Chair.

I am currently licensed to judge AKC Star Puppy, Canine Good Citizen (all levels), Trick Dog and the Temperament Test.

Dawn Wiseman

Conformation Classes- Sunday June 14, 2026 Hanna Wozna-Gil  Wielkopolska, Poland  (Festina) # FCI-179

Breeding background

I began my adventure with pedigree dogs and dog shows in 1996 when the first Irish Wolfhound female arrived at my home. After several years I imported a few more Wolfhounds and Deerhounds and started my cooperation with a few leading kennels in Europe. I have been breeding successfully these two breeds under ”Festina” kennel name for almost 25 years gaining the BIS winner, Junior BIS winner, champion, interchampion, club winner, specialty winner, breed congress winner titles, European & World Sighthound Cup Winners and also European Winner title. Among the most unforgettable moments was winning World Winner title with my Chart Polski in Poznan in 2006 where the numer of entries in the breed reached the never beaten record of over 80 dogs. So far I have bred 5 Deerhound litters, 23 Irish Wolfhound litters and also 1 Whippet litter.

Judging experience

I became a cynological judge in 2008 and at the beginning I could judge all breeds from group X (Sighthounds). Along with gaining experience and knowledge I began to extend my qualifications as a judge and at present I am authorised to judge all breeds from group IV (Dachshunds), V (Spitz and primitive breeds), VII (Pointing dogs), VIII (Retrivers – Flushing Dogs – Water Dogs), X (Sighthounds), non-recognized breeds and Junior Handling competition all on international level. I am also on my way to gain qualifications to judge bull type terriers.

As I come from sighthounds I am also interested in sighthound sports and I am authorised to judge sighthound races as well as lure coursing.

So far I have judged at many prestigious dog shows in Poland and other European countries including European Dog Show, Sighthound Specialty in Skokloster (Sweden), Irish Wolfhound & Deerhound Specialty at Mount St Michel (France), many sighthound breeds club and specialty shows all around Europe and prestigious Breed Jahresaustellungen in Germany. This year I am honoured to join the panel of judges at the biggest European Sighthound Festival in Donaueschingen.

Work for Polish Kennel Club

My breeding experience and achievements were also appreciated by the Polish Kennel Club and I was awarded Bronze, Silver and finally Golden Badge for successful breeding and work for the Polish Kennel Club. Recently, I was invited to join the Breeding Comission by the Polish Kennel Club as well as Comission for Sighthound Sports by FCI.

Hanna Woźna-Gil