Judge CV
Ante Lučin was born in Split on 1st of October 1979. His grandfather was a big lover of Schnauzers and while Ante was just a young boy they owned a Black Standard Schnauzer. When his grandfather died his mother bought a Miniature Pepper and Salt Schnauzer female and even bred one litter. Ante bought his first show dog in Spain in 1997, also a Miniature Pepper and Salt Schnauzer who became his first all-breed Best in Show winner in 1998 and won BOB at the European show in Austria in 1999.
Ante was involved since his very early age inmany different aspects of the sport. He was the youngest Board member of the World Dog Press Association, did live show coverages and many studio talks about dogs for the Croatian National Television and is regularly writing for different dog magazines from all around the world. He was the author of the of the seven-minute film about the Croatian dog world which was shown to the FCI delegates in 2003 when Croatian Kennel Club got the organization of the European show. At the moment Ante is the author and the host of the extremely popular live Fb show called “Talking Dogs with Ante” in which he is interviewing some of the most famous people from the sport. Till now, and only on Facebook, the interviews had over 860 000 views!
Since 1995 Ante organised many National and International shows in Croatia including the first Champion of Champions contest in which foreign dogs could take a part. For 16 years he is the President of the Organising Committee, main ring commentator and the MC of the world famous Split 4 summer night shows.
Ante for more than 20 years worked as an all-breed professional handler and during that period has shown hundreds of different dogs in more than 100 different breeds. He won hundreds of all breed Bests in Show with dogs from 32 different breeds from all ten FCI groups in 20 different European countries. Ante won his first European Winner title in 1998 and since than he won European and/or World Winner titles with dogs from 35 different breeds. History was made at the World show in Argentina in 2005 when Ante won with the Croatian National breed Posavatz Hound 2nd place in the FCI group 6. Later he won the FCI group 2 with a Great Dane at the European show in 2007, the same group with the same dog at the World show in 2009, FCI group 4 with the Standard Smooth Dachshund at the European show and the FCI group 6 with a Dalmatian at the World show in 2010 and the FCI group 3 with the Kerry Blue Terrier at the European show in 2012. He won BEST IN SHOW with a Great Dane at the European show in 2007, BEST IN SHOW 4thwith the same female at the World show in 2009 and Junior BEST IN SHOW with the Lhasa Apso at the World show in 2016.
Since 2008 he was the co-owner of one of the most winning European kennels “Kan Trace” where he, together with Natalija KalecakRadovanovic bred many European & World Winners and Specialty and all breed Best in Show winners in Standard Smooth Dachshunds, PBGVs, Weimaraners and Lagottos. Since 2014 he breeds under the kennel name “Aidante” Standard Smooth Dachshund, Scottish Terriers and Miniature Black Schnauzers. Dogs owned and bred by Aidante kennel won already many European and World Winner titles, Specialty and all breeds Bests in Show in Europe & USA. Together with Sabina Zdunic Sinkovic of the “Kan Trace” kennel Ante co-owns few Lagottos including the history maker femaleOrca who among many Bests in Show in Europe and USA was USA’s 2nd Top Dog All Breeds in 2021 and Crufts Best in Show winner in 2023.
Ante judged junior handling on many occasions in many different countries including the first Junior Handler of the Year contest in Croatia in 2005, the Open Daily competition at the European show in Finlandin 2006, finals for Crufts in Russia and Israel in 2009, the Helsinki Winner show in 2010, finals at the European show in Romania in 2012, Nordic championship at the Stockholm Winner show in 2015, Supreme Junior handling at the Komarom shows in Hungary in 2018, annual Championship finals in Estonia in 2019, Junior handling gala in Hungary in 2022, District finals in Oulu, Finland and German junior handling finals in 2023. He is regularly giving handling seminars and ring crafts all around the world.
Ante passed his first judging exam for three sizes of Schnauzers in 2021 and at the momenthe is an FCI International judge approved for the FCI group 4 and different breeds from the FCI groups 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 & 9. Till now he judged National, International and Specialty shows in Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Serbia, Belgium, Germany, Norway and Finland.
Ante is very honoured and excited to judge junior handling this year at the World dog show in Zagreb and junior handling finals at the European dog show in Celje.
