Winners of the inaugural Bouvier Working Championships, in Labadie, Mo. (1980) From the left: Hans Betzgen with Farko v d Stadt Homberg, organizer Dr. Erik Houttuin, and Hans Brust with Golf v d Stadt Homberg. Both dogs were Schutzhund III, trained and residing in West Germany.

The advent of the new era in working Bouviers came in October 1980 when Erik Houttuin founded the North American Working Bouvier Championships by holding the first one in Labadie, Missouri. It was a bold move, but the time was right and it proved to be a masterstroke, for it transformed the American Bouvier scene. In some ways it was not an overly auspicious beginning, for publicity was scant, organization was sparse and participation was not large. But these were details, for Erik brought over two German working teams that put on a Schutzhund demonstration that showed us what real working Bouviers are all about. Those of us fortunate enough to have been there regard ourselves as having been present at the creation. The Schutzhund competition was won by Hans Brust and Golf v.d. Stadt Homberg of West Germany. The AKC obedience winner was Flandersfield Anka owned by Dorothy Berger and the carting winner was Rosemary Lewis' Flandersfield Bilbo Baggins. There was a tie for first place between Golf and the other German team of Hans Betzgen with Farko v.d. Stadt Homberg.