I met Joe and Marlene Horvath through my Rhodesian Ridgeback Breeder. Joe instantly fell in love with my 13-month old bitch, Reilly (Cobriza Going the Distance). Joe had shown her mother in the past and instantly saw beautiful qualities in Reilly. Due to a conflict at one show, Joe graciously offered to help out showing Reilly at an AKC show in Mercer County Park. Reilly who has a mind of her own and is quite picky with whom she likes, instantly connected with Joe. In a flash of an eye, Reilly won her class, went on to win WB and shortly after BOW! She moved like a dream floating on air. There was an instant connection with Joe as the handler. Since then, they moved on to more shows gaining more points. Marlene was instrumental in providing an incredible education to better understand the confirmation of this beautiful breed and tips on how to carryout show training at home. Joe and Marlene has made our show experience and training such a pleasure which inspired me to purchase yet another Ridgeback Puppy, Ruby (Cobriza Total Eclipse of the Heart). We entered Ruby as a 4-month old in the ICKC Dog show without any training, but with Joe’s professional skills, Ruby was Best Puppy in Show on 2 occasions. Reilly also earned Best in Show at the ICKC on 2 occasions. Recently, Reilly was entered at the Philadelphia National Dog Show where she earned WB/BOW at this prestigious event. I could not have learned what I have learned or witnessed such beauty in my ridgebacks without the professionalism of Joe and Marlene Horvath. Here’s to many more years of showing off my show girls.
~Alison Ankiewicz, Ocean, NJ
As a newbie to dog shows, these event can be daunting. But, some things are simple. Simply put…Marlene knows dogs…Marlene knows how to connect with your dog…Marlene knows how to make your dog look the best he can look! Marlene took my boy, who had never been in a dog show ring and is obedience trained (so he only knows how to sit, not stand), on a very hot summer day (not the best temperature for a shiloh) and out of three shows earned him a Winner dog ribbon and a Reserve Winner dog ribbon. Marlene truly loves working with dogs and my boy loves her!
~Kathy Kurek
Both Marlene and Joe have handled our Bloodhound Fizz and have shown her to perfection! The Horvath’s are always very sweet and loving with Fizz and she is always happy to see and be with them. Whether it be Marlene or Joe that handles her, they have always looked great in the ring, and I have received compliments on how well my dog was being shown! What else can I say about Marlene and Joe except they are the BEST!!! I would highly recommend them to anyone needing a handler. Thank you for loving our Fizz and Tasha
~Steve & Chris Petersen
Marlene and Joe have both been very helpful in showing our Shiloh Shepherd. We live in NH and show with the ICKC venue for rare breeds. Being from NH it is difficult to attend many shows as they are held in other parts of the country. Joe has done a remarkable job in handling Shayne. He truly is the most patient man I have ever met. Shayne can be trying in the ring with holding a stack, he frequently will allow Joe to stack him & then just when the judge takes a look…..he moves! Joe will just smile, shake his head and re-stack our mischievious boy. Both Joe & Marlene have helped me find appropriate show essentials and grooming tools. Marlene takes beautiful pictures and shares only the best shots with us on her site and sends them to me. We are very proud of Shayne and he currently holds the position of top male Shiloh in our venue of the Northeast Chapter of the International Shiloh Shepherd Dog Club. All this with minimal show attendance and the professional way that Joe has presented Shayne. Thank you so much for helping us reach this dream of achieving the top honor in our club for 2015.
~Pat, Michael & Shayne O’Hearn
My husband and I have been dabbling in the dog show world for some time now. We’ve never felt comfortable leaving our dogs with handlers for any length of time. That ended when we were introduced to Marlene and Joe. Right from the start they treated our baby girl as their own. Whenever she is with them, either for a day or a week, there is never a worry. We now that Marlene and Joe care for her and love her.
~Christy and PJ Grosso
Having had a few bad experiences in the past, we decided to stop showing all together. Years later we met Joe & Marlene. They showed us that not all handlers are the same! Not only are they very knowledgeable, they care about the job they do and do it for the right reasons. They treat our dogs as if they were a part of their family. When our dogs are away at shows, we always get updates and pictures of them enjoying their trip. Joe and Marlene take the anxiety out of showing and turn it into a positive and fun experience for the dogs. They also give us the advice and guidance we sometimes need, always having the best interest of our dogs in mind. They love and respect our dogs and in return our dogs love and respect them! We couldn’t be happier.
~Valerie & Joe Bramante~
Time and again we say Horvath Handlers are the dedicated team that bring out the best in each dog they lay hands on, set them up for success and provide a price point that a serious show owner can afford. Joe and Marlene are unified with performances in the ring and offer dogs compassionate well-being while in their care. They require that your dog is consistently trained by them prior to taking him/ her in the ring – this will give all concerned parties a chance to get to know each other, and give a better advantage while showing. My husband and I are very practical – the dogs safety and their happiness are our primary concern. Showcasing dogs is what Joe and Marlene have a strong passion and talent for and they have a proven track record in the ring, having finished many other dogs for both owners and breeders in our area as well as along the East Coast. They treat each dog as if they were their own, and that says a lot. They have many references from prior clients whose dogs they have finished and cared for and we whole-heartedly add our endorsement as well.
Fortunately for us, our two Cane Corso Italian Mastiffs — Neptune and Bibiana developed a unique and strong, special bond with them at an early age through the many shows and road trips they attended (Eukanuba 2011-2013, Westminster 2013 and CCAA Specialties naming a few) and have proven through their winnings (Ch Neptune and GCh Bibiana) that they are handlers with the capability to showcase their award-winning attributes. As successful
breeder-owner-handlers, Joe and Marlene are acutely aware of the faults that a particular dog may have and will work on conditioning as well as training the dog to show their attributes and not their faults. They are consistent, courteous and compassionate about the dogs they show and by the same measure – their owners.
~Angel and Stacie Pinto, Abington, PA
