Father and son, Carter and Speaker, competed in the Brace class, where two dogs go around the ring together, the 2024 and 2025 National Champions won that class.
The Tibetan Spaniel Lantana’s Time to Talk at Bradmar, aka Speaker, won the 2025 Tibetan Spaniel National recently.
Vincent Wong, a senior at Queen City High School, was awarded first place in the DAR essay contest. Ms. Cathie Maley, Committee Chair of Trammel’s Trace,NSDAR presented Vincent the DAR pin and scholarship check during the monthly meeting at the American
Tibetan Spaniel ‘Speaker’takes top prize
On Thursday, April 10, local resident of Bivins, Barbara Eymard, took home the prize for Best of Breed with her Tibetan Spaniel, Speaker, at the Tibetan Spaniel National. The competition was held in Sussex County, New Jersey and was comprised of 87 total entries, which were then divided into classes. Winners of each class moved forward until a single winner was chosen at the end. This year, that was Speaker, otherwise known by his American Kennel Club (AKC) identification name as Lantana’s Time to Talk at Bradmar.
The Tibetan Spaniel is an ancient breed, but it is also one of the rarest in this country. They were officially recognized by the AKC in 1984. According to the AKC official website, Tibetan Spaniels were “bred for sentinel work on the walls of Tibetan monasteries.”
With large, expressive eyes, a blunt muzzle, a “lion’s” mane around the neck, and a plumed tail curving over the back, they are “distinctly Tibetan;” but they aren’t your typical spaniel breed in the Western sense. Tibetan Spaniels were bred with the same ancient traditions of many Asian breeds, such as the Pekingese, Pugs, and Lhasa Apsos.
If you’ve ever watched a dog show, you might have noticed some unusual names crop up. Speaker, also known as, Lantana’s Time to Talk at Bradmar, is just one example of many show dogs exhibiting a unique and often intricate name, but they serve a purpose. In the world of show dogs, these often long and sometimes strange names are used as identifiers for record-keeping.
There are numerous entries within the AKC registry, so having these intricate names lessen the confusion among registered dogs and assist in keeping accurate records. These identifiers can also be used to trace a dog’s lineage. Many owners start with identifying their dogs by their kennel name, or breeder’s name, which serves as the brand and a way to trace the dog’s origins, but they also incorporate litter themes and patterns or information about the dog’s parents.
Additionally, show dogs have a call name. This is the name they use every day. For example, Speaker is the call name of Lantana’s Time to Talk at Bradmar.
Another example is Speaker’s father, Carter, otherwise known as Lantana Sweet Talkin’ Man. Carter was 2024’s winner in the Veteran class of the Tibetan Spaniel National. Speaker and Carter competed together in the Brace class of the 2025 Tibetan Spaniel National, where two dogs go around the ring together. The 2024 and 2025 national champion father and son duo won that class.
As the winner of this year’s overall competition, Speaker has followed in his father’s footsteps and is now eligible to compete at the Westminster Show in New York City and the Crufts Show in Great Britain.