Robert A. Fowler: An Appreciation
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CH Starbarrack Malachite SW ROMO, Judge Gloria Reese, Handler Robert A. Fowler
Bobby Fowler was at the beginning of his stellar career as a handler when I first met him in the late 70s. Because we were not in the same area, I saw him mostly at DCA, the Garden, and a few other big Specialties I attended. I always considered him and his wife, Janie, to be the consummate professional Dachshund handlers. I rarely ever heard anyone bad-mouthing him as he was one of the most personable, capable guys in the game. He also was a standard wire breeder under the kennel name None Such.
CH None Such Maestro Wolfgang, Judge Fred Heying, Handler Bobby Fowler, Owner Dan Tritter, WD DCA 1970
Originally from Virginia, Bobby began his career as an apprentice to Frank and Dorothy Hardy and became almost like a son to them. Dee Hutchinson was working at the Hardy Kennel simultaneously, getting a different perspective on the world of dogs and dog shows from the one she grew up with at Rose Farm. Dee and Bobby remained lifelong friends. I can only imagine the mischief they caused when together working at the Hardys. Bobby had a gift for stacking Dachshunds and was one of the best at showing and presenting the breed.
CH Penthouse Salome, Judge Bill Hackett, Handler (a very young) Bobby Fowler
After he left the Hardys to strike out on his own, Bobby had a short-lived partnership with Howard Atlee in Connecticut but soon moved back to take over the Hardys’s kennel in Pennsylvania where his success in dogs began in earnest.
CH Bayard’s Bristol Cream, Judge Roger Van, Handler Janie Fowler
A consummate dog man, Bobby was able to cultivate (with the help of the invaluable Janie) long relationships with many successful breeders and kennels. Foremost among them were Mary Howell and the Bayard longhaireds whose lime he exclusively handled when she was getting them started. He also handled for Dr. Gene and Ida Thomas of Tallavast in Standard Smooths, Longs and Miniature Smooths, Augusta Schneider and her Farmeadow Smooths, Peggy Westphal, Rotraut Luhnau and her Luhnau Klein Miniatures, but his most important client was Mrs. Alan Robson of Albelarm who sponsored so many of the specials Bobby campaigned. When I look back at his long involvement in Dachshunds, I certainly only now realize what a style he had for the Dachshund breed especially in the Standard Wirehairs, where his wanted look of powerful stamina and great movement set the tone for all of the upcoming top Wirehair breeders like Patti Nelson of Solo Wires and Liz Heywood of Starbarrak Kennel who both used so many of Bobby’s Wire Specials for their style and finish. They, of course, were not alone in seeing Bobby and realizing how right he was all along in Standard Wires. Many Wire breeders and exhibitors used his dogs and advice such as Fancy That Kennel’s Joan Mattie (who bred Malachite’s dam), Michael Reed of Saytar and Deborah Krieg of the Daybreak Wires. Again, Bobby was a Master at breeding Dachshunds and no one gives him all that much credit. His other two breedings that caught my eye were accidentally breeding a Tallavast Smooth to Hannelore’s great Producer, CH Han-Jo’s Ulyssis L ROMO which produced the great Tallavast Producers who sired Janat Wayack’s outstanding CH Timbar’s Hedley Lamar L ROMX and the other breeding was how he loved the great CH Bayard’s le Cardinal ROMX who, then, after much Bobby nagging, produced my much-coveted CH Delldachs Rolls Royce L ROMX who was always one of my mainstays in breeding Longhairs. As I keep saying, Bobby was a master of breeding Dachshunds in every Variety in my opinion. I get more impressed when looking at these older pedigrees and seeing the chances he took. To my mind, he was one of the best!
Bobby won DCA Best of Varieties with such greats as CH Delldachs Rolls Royce, CH Farmeadow Light Up The Sky ROMO (3 times in a row!), CH Bristleknoll Brass Buttons, CH Bayard le Maximillien, CH Saytar’s Little Bohannon ROMO, CH Starbarrack Malachite (twice), CH Walmar’s Jezebel v Spritzkof (with Angie Lloyd) and CH Wurdig’s Red Flyer. In addition to those notable dogs, he specialed CH Boondox Sting v Kanawha L ROMO, CH Bayard le Jacobin, CH Saytar’s Bow Jr of Joyal ROM, CH Bristlleknoll Bonus o’ Barhar ROM, CH Nonesuch Ghost of a Chance ROMO, CH Walmar’s Jazz Man and so many more.
CH Bayard le Maximillien, Judge Jose Machline, Handler Bobby Fowler, TP Charles Baris
Of many BIS and big specialty wins, I am positive Bobby must have been most pleased with the Westminster KC Group 1 he took with CH Starbarrack Malachite SW. Bobby had gotten close before (Group 2 with Sting), but that win was the high point of a great career in dogs. Two of his assistants have gone on to win BIS at the Garden (Michael Zollo and Angie Lloyd), and that is quite an achievement in itself!
CH Boondox Sting v Kanawha L, Judge Henry Stoecker, Handler Bobby Fowler
When I went East to the Berks County specialty in 1987, I had Sting with me and Wally Jones as a passenger without any dogs. It was Sting’s third show, and he had previously won two specialty majors at his first two shows under Breeder-Judge Katay Burg and Expert Eric White a couple of weeks ago. At Berks, I showed Sting in Bred By winning the class. As I left the ring, Bobby (who was not showing up that day) approached me and told me that he wanted him! I was flattered and was not about to turn down the Fat Man. Long story short, by the time Breeder-judge Bob Wlodkowski gave Sting Winners Dog and Best of Winners, Bobby and Wally had determined that Sting would start his Specials career with Bobby as handler and Wally and Mary as owners! It was one of the best moves I ever made, even though I was involved merely peripherally!
Sting winning BIS under Judge Dee Hutchinson, Handler Bobby Fowler, TP Betty Christian
Always willing to help people, Bobby was one of the most popular guys around the show ring with exhibitors and judges alike. Some of my fondest memories of Bobby are away from the show ring, whether sitting around Mary Howell’s kitchen table or playing ‘Spite and Malice’ with Vera Falco. He always had a joke ready, and you came away with a smile. I still look up at DCA and expect to see Bobby and John Cook walking in, teasing each other.
CH Walmar’s Jazz Man, Judge Luc Boileau, Handler Bobby Fowler
Dan Harrison, July 2012 and revised by him on Nov 21, 2024
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