Northstar Irish Wolfhound Club Contacts

Lynn Simon, PRESIDENT
rockhartiws@gmail.com
I started with a Wolfhound in 1975. Sam, who passed away this past year in December, was the first person I contacted to help get a Wolfhound. My first four litters were under the prefix Stony Brook until 2001, Rock prefix began in 2002. I was one of the founding members of Northstar when we had to go through all the non-sanctioned matches near Monticello. The last Rockhart litters were two years ago, and will be coming out to show this year! I enjoy attending 6 to 8 specialties a year and I’m just now getting back to showing all my own dogs after health issues interfered with that! I have met many interesting people and gained special friends in the dog world both here and abroad! Two dogs from each kennel have been awarded best in show at our national specialty!

---

Patrick Roche, VICE PRESIDENT
patrick.roche@mitchellhamline.edu
Patrick Roche has been in wolfhounds since 2016, when he and his now-wife, Sydney, got their first wolfhound boy, Sirius. Since then, he’s graduated law school and become an attorney, husband, and father, respectively, lost Sirius to benign prostate hyperplasia, and added two more wolfhounds to the pack, Nagini (f) (a/k/a Rockhart Rhapsody) and Lucius (m) (a/k/a Rockhart Rampage). Patrick has been a director of NorthStar since 2019 and has been its vice president for over one year now.

One of his favorite things about this club is meeting all of the fun and interesting people involved with wolfhounds, some of whom have, or will, become household names in the history of the breed. Additionally, he takes pride in being part of a community devoted to protecting such a beautiful breed from the ever-present existential threats they face.

---

David Lamotte, DIRECTOR:
lamottedp@comcast.net
Growing up in the country, dogs were always a part of my life. We had many and Nancy and I continued that way of life with multiple rescues at any one time.

To make a living I pursued a career in programming right at the start of the PC revolution. My boss knew Jobs and Wozniak personally. It was an exciting time and we did some interesting things, like the first enterprise-wide healthcare scheduling system. Over time I advanced to team lead, manager, director and VP. The last ⅔ of my career was either in management or Product Management or both. I miss programming to this day.

Nancy and I got our first wolfhound in the normal way. Nancy wanted one and made it happen by finding and staying in touch with people. Our first wolfhound was Nightwings Saoirse from Joel and we had a wonderful 9 years with her. When she died, Nancy tearfully called Joel and told him that if anyone returns a dog, we would take it. Next thing we know, we have Nightwings Lenny. His left front had been damaged as a puppy but we were able to get it somewhat corrected with surgery and he lived a happy, if not pain-free, life. He will always be special in our hearts.

Now we have Lonkyle Phrank (Frank) and Samsara Surprise (Molly). Though our dogs are not show quality we adore them. We also have a rescue named Kaley who protects them both while maintaining order in the house. She howls when Phrank is not around so we call him her “emotional support” wolfhound. You may have seen her at the show last year when she kept escaping the pen.

---

Angela Knight, TREASURER: 1087 Madison 414
Fredericktown, MO 63645
573-783-8346 home
573-783-9905 cell
angart.knight155@gmail.com
treasurer.niwc@gmail.com

A native St. Louisan, Angela recently retired from a fulfilling teaching career as an Art Educator that spanned well over 35 years. For over 23 years, from her farm in Madison County, Missouri, she made a daily 250-mile round-trip commute to school. Four hours driving every day was considered her “part time job” on top of being a full-time teacher.

Serving as the Fine Arts Department Chair and Senior Class Advisor at Crossroads College Preparatory School, there was never a dull moment! Angela currently spends time on her farm in the beautiful southeast Missouri mountains working with horses, gardening, hiking with dogs on the trails and dreaming about her next artistic endeavor. She is actively involved with The Irish Wolfhound Club of America and serves on several committees. Angela earned her BFA from Fontbonne University in 1980 as a Drawing and Education Major, and continues to enjoy all forms of artistic expression, including literature, music, theatre and film. Photography is a new passion that she shares with her retired Librarian husband, Bill Knight. Their forty acres is home to five Irish Wolfhounds, a Puggle, two cats, one horse and a dozen hens.

A lifetime of work as an Educator required communication skill paired with dedication and sincere but balanced empathy. Considering the needs of all Learners helped Angela design programs that were effective, relevant, and timely. Fostering community and creating positive learning environments created the framework for her leadership and teaching success. She enjoys the opportunity to share her strengths and interests as a Northstar Irish Wolfhound Club Board member and currently serves as Treasurer.

Michelle Prescott-Guderian, MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR
mepguderian@gmail.com

Greetings everyone. I am Michelle Prescott-Guderian. I am new to the Board Of Directors this year and I am currently the membership coordinator along with being the Assistant Show Chair for the 2025 NIWC Specialty.

I have been owned by Irish Wolfhounds for a relatively short period, 6 years. I have 4. I can't imagine life without them and I sure love this breed!

A bit about me. I have been a Realtor for 19 years. I have a 29-year-old daughter Brenna who lives in Grand Forks, ND. My husband, Tim, who is also a Realtor, and I have been married for 17 years. We live on our farm (Legacy Farm) in Mora where we have 90 sheep, 3 Livestock Guardian Dogs, that keep the sheep safe from predators, the Wolfhounds and my Border Collies.

I grew up in Duluth, MN. After trying out college (not my cup of tea), I loaded up my car, with my dog of course, and moved to Oklahoma. My life was strictly led by horsesfrom the time I was about 11. I started out riding hunter/jumpers, then moved to the Quarter Horse world. Hence the move to Oklahoma and then out to Wyoming where my ex-husband was from. We started our business, Harrower Quarter Horses, and showed some of our own horses, along with client horses. We also stood 3 World Champion studs and had 40 broodmares. Life was pretty much on the road traveling all over the Nation to horse shows. It was in Wyoming when I was at a horse show that I saw a sheepdog trial advertised. I went. That was where my involvement with Border Collies began. Strictly hard-core working Border Collies. And believe me....that is an addiction! 30 years later that addiction is still strong. In 2003 we relocated back to Minnesota, with horses, dogs, and one fabulous daughter.

My personality doesn't tend to just enjoy what I'm involved in, I somehow just seem to dive in full boar, head first. I love to promote. When I lived in Wyoming I put on 2 sheepdog trials. They are a lot of work, but so enjoyable and rewarding. In Minnesota, Tim and I put on 3 sheepdog trials over the years at our Legacy Farm in Mora. 4 days for each trial of dogs, sheep, and camaraderie. They were very successful with people competing from 16 states and Canada. We hired the best judges, had good sheep (A very important factor.), and made sure the competitors were taken care of. We attracted a good amount of spectators, which in turn promoted the sport. People learned firsthand from some of the best people in the sheepdog trial world by attending and watching our trials. All of what I believe makes any event successful. I am still involved in sheepdog trials. My Wolfhounds tend to think they're Border Collies. They are probably the only Irish Wolfhounds in the world that their recall is "That'll do."! LOL

I have been very fortunate to have some very knowledgeable people welcome and mentor me in the Wolfhound world. NIWC has graciously allowed me to become involved in the Club. And I can't thank all of these people enough! Hopefully, with time and more knowledge, I can do the same for someone new coming into the Wolfhound world.

Mary Haggerty, SECRETARY:
mtsorcic@gmail.com

Hi everyone! My name is Mary Haggerty, and I am the club secretary. I live in Eagan, MN with my husband Matthew and our household of pets.

I have an educational and professional background in Veterinary Medicine as well as Marketing Research. I have also been a dog trainer to several breed clubs in Minnesota over the past 20 years, as well as competing in a variety of dog sports: confirmation, obedience, agility, nosework, dock diving, FastCAT, and trick-dog.

I started showing my English Springer Spaniel (Etta) in confirmation a few years ago, and was hooked immediately. Within a year she had a grand championship and was awarded multiple titles in other dog sports.

My current wolfhound, Duncan, and I are currently involved in confirmation and nosework… of course he loves the sports he gets to eat treats while competing. Duncan is just over a year old and the apple of my eye.

Some activities I enjoy outside of the dog world include: fishing, reading, knitting, and spending time in the great outdoors. I love to visit art and history museums, check out a new restaurant, or go to a baseball game.