About Carl Liepmann
Carl Liepmann's earliest recollection of a purebred dog is about 1945 when the family got a Harlequin Great Dane named "Eric Von Stroheim III." While Eric was never shown, Carl did show a bloodhound and a Collie in 1953 at the Genesee County Kennel Club Show in Flint, Michigan. His first serious "dog ownership" occurred in 1961 during his honeymoon with Jan, when they went to Canton, Ohio to pick up their German Shepherd at a training academy. That started over 60 years of involvement in the dog world.
In 1962 he started his career with the Flint Fire Department, and purchased his first Retriever, a Golden, from breeder Marcia Schlehr of "Kyrie Kennels." This was the beginning of the Liepmann family's love of the Retriever breeds. In 1964, after the birth of daughter Lora, the Liepmann's founded The Flint Retriever Club.
The next two decades were filled with dog activities, including his work as a Professional Handler in Conformation and Obedience, and the opening of a boarding and training kennel called Triple L (for all three Liepmann’s). In 1968 they bred their first litter of Labradors. Over the years they produced and owned many Labrador and Golden champions and obedience titleholders, including the Labrador AKC Centennial BOB winner.
In 1980 he was approved to judge the five Retriever breeds and now judges all Sporting, all Herding, and all Working breeds, Junior Showmanship and BIS. In 1985 he retired from the Flint Fire Department and in 1988 ran for public office and was elected as Treasurer of Flushing Township, a position he held until 2008. He has also served as president of the Genesee County Kennel Club since 1980 and Secretary of the American Dog Show Judges Association (ADSJ) since 1991. He created and designed the "Judge's Ready Reference Calendar", a 5-year planner that has been a popular tool for over 1,000 dog show judges.
Carl started the very successful and locally well-known “Santa Dog Fundraiser” at Bueche’s Food World in Flushing in 1983. Every year at Christmas time, he dresses his top Labradors or Goldens in a Santa suit and sits at the store’s entrance encouraging donations and food to the Genesee County Humane Society where he has served on the board of directors since 1974. In 2023, his efforts resulted in over $20,000 in much needed funds. The 41-year effort will go over $500,00.00 in 2024.
An avid hunter, he has hunted big game in Newfoundland, Quebec, Manitoba, Michigan, Ohio, Arizona, Montana, and South Carolina. With his retrievers he has hunted waterfowl and upland birds in Ontario, Newfoundland, Manitoba, Michigan, Montana, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota.
In 2004, during their 44th year of marriage he lost Jan, the love of his life, after a 2-year battle with Leukemia. Since he and Jan had always been proud of their daughter Lora’s music performing and teaching accomplishments, Carl worked to establish the “Jan Liepmann Memorial Scholarship”. This scholarship is awarded each year to a Flushing High School graduate who plans to pursue a college vocal music degree.
In 2007, Carl and Lora founded “Show Dog Topiaries”, a web-based retail business which specializes in beautiful moss-filled wire art sculptures of many different true-to-the-standard dog breeds.
Carl enjoys spending time with his daughter Lora, his son-in-law David, and their two grown children, Derek and Taylor along with Taylor’s two children Sydney and Grant. He also enjoys dining out with his friends. He currently spends most weekdays serving on boards and working with his three dogs, "Gunner", (labrador), and "Birch" and "Winston" (golden retrievers). His many judging assignments have taken him to all 50 states and to more than a dozen different countries around the world. He has had the honor of judging various breeds at the AKC National, Best Bred By, the Sporting Group, and Best Puppy in Show. Judging Best in Show in 2024 will be a crowning achievement.
