Before all of them, there was Leo. Leo was Kirstie’s first Hungarian Vizsla, and the dog who changed everything.

Leo, always Kirstie’s Main Man, was her very first Hungarian Vizsla and the dog who opened the door to everything that followed. He came from Sian and John Hine of Gamecall Hungarian Vizslas after a wait of almost a year for the right puppy. At the time, nobody could possibly have known just how much would begin with him.

Leo had originally been chosen with the hope that he might one day work in the field, while Kirstie famously added that she “may show occasionally.” Those words have been laughed about many times since. Leo became the perfect introduction not only to the Hungarian Vizsla, but to an entire world Kirstie had grown up alongside without ever truly being part of. He was beautiful, willing and forgiving enough to let a complete newcomer learn with him, while being talented enough to make that learning impossible to walk away from.

For all his success, Leo’s greatest gift had very little to do with what he won. At a time in Kirstie’s life when almost everything else seemed uncertain, Leo was the constant. He was her main man, her shining star and, for a while, the centre of her world.

Through Leo came showing, and through showing came something Kirstie had never really known she was looking for. Growing up, when people asked what she wanted to do with her life, there had never been an easy answer. Then along came one red dog, the pedigree dog world opened around them, and somehow, she had found her place.

Together they learnt the ropes, with Leo proving himself patient enough to forgive a beginner and talented enough to make her want to keep learning. He became a multiple Best Exhibit in Group winner, a Puppy of the Year qualifier and the winner of numerous Classes in Show. Every new experience led to another, and somewhere along the way the woman who thought she might “show occasionally” had very thoroughly gone to the dogs.

But Leo’s story was never going to belong only to the show ring.

Lure coursing became another place where he shone. Leo became the first Hungarian Vizsla ever to compete in and earn a title in the sport in Australia, and the breed’s first Coursing Ability titleholder. He had genuine instinct, drive and ability on the course; more than a decade later, people who watched him run still remember Leo the Lure Courser. Years later, his great-niece Fable would follow him into the sport, building upon a path that, for the Hungarian Vizsla in Australia, began with him.

Looking back now, it is almost impossible to separate Leo’s story from everything that came afterwards. Through him came the showing, the dog sports, the friendships, the mentors, the learning and a love for the Hungarian Vizsla that eventually grew into Batorok. There was no carefully mapped-out plan for any of it. There was simply Leo, and a world that suddenly felt like home.

The dogs who followed would achieve things Kirstie could never have imagined when her Main Man first came into her life. Champions, Supreme Champions, Best in Show winners, sporting firsts, breed record holders and generations carrying the Batorok name would all come later. But none of their stories can ever really be told without his.

Before Batorok had a history, there was Leo.

Some highlights include:

First Hungarian Vizsla to achieve a Lure Coursing title
First Hungarian Vizsla to achieve Junior Courser
First Hungarian Vizsla to achieve Coursing Ability
Puppy of the Year qualifier.
Multiple Best Exhibit in Group winner.
Multiple Class in Show winner.

Official titles:

Australian Champion title - 8 months old.
Junior Courser title.
Coursing Ability title.