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The Topsfield Kennel of Dom and Claudia Orlandi is nestled on 200 acres in the Green Mountains of northern Vermont. Dom and Claudia’s involvement with showing various breeds of dogs (and horses) began when they were both much younger. Dom showed Dobermans and Dalmatians in the 50’s and Claudia showed a St. Bernard and competed in Junior Handling in the 60’s. |
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Claudia is pictured right with her St. Bernard, the future Best in Show winner, CH Bowser Waller (Waller is Claudia’s maiden name), winning the First Company Governor’s Foot Guard Jr. Showmanship competition in 1962. The judge was Basset Hound breeder, Howard Nygood. Perhaps it was fate that almost 25 years later she herself fell in love with the Basset Hound breed, with which Howard was also involved! |
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In 1987 Dom (pictured left) and Claudia purchased their first Basset Hound, a pet bitch called Emma, who taught them what the true function of a Basset Hound is. Emma’s incredible nose and love of hunting prompted the Orlandi’s to form an AKC Basset Hound pack in Vermont, for which Emma was the strike hound. |
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It also led them to purchase several pack hounds from the now disbanded Timber Ridge Pack of Maryland, one of which was CH Strathalbyn Beguiling, pictured right with Dom. Reflecting the influence of Strathalbyn, Tantivy and Lyn Mar Acres bloodlines, these early hounds and their offspring regularly hunted at Topsfield until the beginning of the 1990’s. |
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It was at that time the Orlandi’s chose the name "Topsfield" for their kennel, hoping to convey their goal of producing hounds that are capable of being "tops" in any field of endeavor, from the hunting field to the show ring. |
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Claudia (pictured above left with CH Bone-A-Parts Cuervo Gold and pictured above right with CH Topsfield Bumper Cars, CD, ROM), is actively involved in showing. She has served as Director and, Education Chairman of the Pilgrim Basset Hound Club. She served on the Judges'/ Breeders’ Education Committee and the Health and Research Committee of the Basset Hound Club of America (BHCA) and has been Chairman of Member Education for which she designed an innovative concept called Basset Hound University. |
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Information regarding Basset Hound University can be found at www.bhca-bhu.org. She is the author of The ABC's of Dog Breeding: What Every Breeder Should Know!, an easy-to-understand home study program. Information on the ABC's of Dog Breeding can be found at www.abcsofdogbreeding.com . She has also written Discover the Basset Hound and has authored the Breeder’s Toolbox column in the BHCA newsletter. She has owned and shown various hound breeds. |
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In Memory |
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Dom Orlandi lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in September 2007. Dom could not have been more proud of the achievements of the Topsfield Bassets. He was a big hearted individual with a bigger than life personality. Having retired from his family owned Foodscience Corporation, he had time to indulge in the things he was most passionate about. In addition to the Bassets, he had an avid interest in sports car racing, hunting, German Shorthaired Pointers and Appaloosa horses, of which he owned some of the top in the country. He is missed. |
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