Damara Bolte, a Legacy of Leadership and Devotion
The definition of an icon is a "person widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere.”
There is no one in the dog world who, as a whole, is more iconic than Damara Bolte, who is making her 95th trip around the sun this September.
1998 – Professional Handlers Association Handler of the Year
2003 – AKC Hound Breeder of the Year
2008 –AKC Lifetime Achievement Award
2011 – Mastiff Club of America Brill Award Recipient
2013 – AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award
A person’s legacy is the sum of the values, accomplishments and actions that resonate with the people around them. A lasting legacy is the positive impact one’s life has on other people. Why is a person’s legacy important? It can serve as an example for future generations, preserving memories and teaching valuable life lessons….i.e. the groundwork of becoming an icon.
And you ask: Why prattle on about legacy? Because the person being honored in this article is, in the writer’s humble opinion, the finest example of what each of us should strive for when standing for our breed. Damara Bolte has been representing the Mastiff for 70 years. She is the epitome of ethics, integrity, honesty, and modest about her myriad of accomplishments … plus she has a wicked sense of humor and likes a tipple or two of a good red wine. For those of us that have had the privilege of meeting Damara, any time spent with her listening and learning the finer points of the Mastiff was priceless. Damara has an eye for a dog and will quietly point out the fine points of the dog in question to any exhibitor … new or experienced.
Damara is lifelong world traveler as her father was a four-star general, causing the family to move frequently. She is a graduate of Purdue University, holding a degree in animal husbandry; a world-renowned bronze artist, having studied sculpture in Paris; and a retiree from the Institutes of Health after 33 years as a supervisory animal scientist. Some of Damara’s bronze pieces are on display in the AKC Museum of the Dog.
Her Mastiff adventure began in 1956, shortly after her father’s retirement when the family acquired their first Mastiff. Damara acquired her second Mastiff from Marie Moore, finished her, bred her and started her Reveille line.
Her longevity in the dog-show world is also example by her handler number :3.
Some of her Reveille Mastiffs' accomplishments:
• 1965 MCOA National Specialty Winners Dog: Ch Reveille Defender
• Two-time MCOA National Specialty BISS winner (1967 and '68): Ch. Reveille Juggernaut
• 1971 MCOA National Specialty BISS winner: Ch. Reveille Defender
• Three-time MCOA National Specialty BISS winner (1974, '75 and '76): Ch. Reveille Big Thunder
Other notable wins include handling MCOA Best in Specialty Show winners:
• 1981: Ch. Deer Run Zen
• 1993: Am/Can Ch. Matts Joshua Dogwood Knoll
Damara’s drawing of a Mastiff is shown on our standard pocket card. She is a highly regarded board-approved mentor, and designed and donated the bronze first-place Bred by Exhibitor medallions.
This list doesn’t even begin to list her accolades and accomplishments in the international Basenji world.
Many happy returns, Damara – beloved friend, mentor and icon!
Read Modern Molosser's interview with Damara, "Profile of an Artist," here.