Dogs In Review Magazine Novemeber Issue | Page 105

Espen Engh
An Interview With

Part II: Breeding
BY ANNA SZABÓ

P

robably the world’s most widely traveled dog judge,
Espen Engh of Oslo, Norway, combines judging with
being an active and highly successful breeder and exhibitor. Born into the dog world, he started breeding in 1975
with his mother, the late Kari Engh, and so began the kennel’s decades of international success. The Jet’s Greyhounds
have left and continue to leave an invaluable impact on the
breed worldwide. Espen’s judging is defined by dedication,
passion and a deep love of dog history and tradition. In this
interview, the secrets to his success as a breeder are uncovered by sighthound owner and photojournalist Anna Szabó.

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ANNA SZABÓ

Anna Szabó: “Greyhounds since 1955” means you and
your family had been involved in Greyhounds well before the first Jet’s litter was even born. What were the
highlights of the kennel’s early history and what is it
you acquired from this era that eventually influenced
the foundations of your breeding program?
Espen Engh: Yes, my mother bought her first Greyhound
in 1955. From the very start, she was keen on showing and
exhibited this first male in Sweden and Denmark, as well
as in Norway, but he was never made up a champion. My
mother was not in a position to start breeding at the time,
but concentrated on males. Our first truly successful show
dog was Int. Ch. Jet Commander, born in 1966 and the dog
that gave name to our prefix. Another even more successful
dog imported and owned by my mother was Int. Ch. Gayside Solomon Grundy. He was runner-up Dog of the Year in
Norway in 1973.
My mother had already been active in the breed for 20
years when we bred our first litter in 1975, and she had started judging in 1968. First gaining a lot of experience in the
breed via showing males, then only much later starting the