| Judge's Background & History |
Hon. David C. Merriam
Home: Bonsall, CA
Initial Breed: Bull TerriersDavid is a past Chairman of the Board of the American Kennel Club and currently serves as AKC Vice Chairman. Although as a boy he obedience-trained a Collie under Bill Koehler, Mr. Merriam says, "My first and only real show breed is the Bull Terrier". He won a California Specialty Show in 1953 with his first Bull Terrier and has since won a few Bests in Show, several national specialties, and for two or three years he had the top-winning Bull Terrier in the country.
Several dog clubs have benefited from Mr. Merriam’s wisdom: He has served as president of the Golden State Bull Terrier Club and the Bull Terrier Club of America, and as president and show chairman for the Riverside Kennel Club.
Mr. Merriam became a judge of Bull Terriers in 1967 and is currently approved to judge all terriers. He was twice the Best in Show judge at the Montgomery County show and has judged the Terrier Group at Westminster. Other career highlights include judging Bull Terriers at the Regent Trophy and Crufts shows in England, and being named Gaines Man of the Year for 1996.
During his legal career, David worked in private practice, served as a deputy district attorney, and spent twenty years as a trial-court judge. Now retired from the law, dog-related activities take up most of Mr. Merriam’s days, but he still finds time for reading, gardening, travel, writing, and "a little sculpting".
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