About Abbaio Ibizan Hounds
Background
My name is Sarah Murphy, and I began showing dogs in 2001 when I was eleven years old. I bought my first Ibizan Hound in 2002 from Elaine Ferguson of Serqet. Over the years, I co-owned and showed several dogs with Elaine and others. In 2009, I met a bitch named Klementine whose dam was Harmony, a bitch I had owned with Elaine who was sold to the Browns of Serandida, and she set the course for Abbaio.
At the age of 19, I began working as a professional handler's assistant which continued for five and a half years. During that time I attended about 150 dog shows per year. I learned so much while I worked for Margery Good and can never thank her enough for all of the knowledge she shared with me, not just about grooming and presentation, but about breeding and raising beautiful and healthy dogs.
With the guidance of Susan St John Brown of Serandida, I leased Klementine in 2011 and my first litter was born on March 19. I chose the name Abbaio because of my background in the study of the Italian language. It literally means "I bark", and while my hounds are not exceptionally vocal, I thought it was a fitting name for a breed known for "hunting by tongue". That first litter produced 7 puppies, and while we unfortunately lost one at an early age, the remaining 6 have gone above and beyond with 5 American Champions, 1 Canadian Champion, 3 AKC Grand Champions, 1 Best in Field winning AKC Dual Champion and Lure Courser Excellent, 1 Canadian Dual Champion, 5 with lure coursing titles, 2 with agility titles and 1 with a rally title. 4 of them earned group placements, with one of them earning multiple Group 1st awards and the first Reserve Best in Show won by an Ibizan Hound.
Over the years, I have been fortunate to present some amazing Ibizan Hounds to the fancy. I have won Best of Breed at Westminster Kennel Club seven times (Elin in 2012; Magnolia in 2014 & 2015; Iris in 2018; Mallory in 2020; The Zit 2024/2025), Best of Breed at IHCUS National Specialty three times (Iris in 2017; Kendra in 2018; The Zit in 2024), Best of Breed at AKC National Championship five times (Iris in 2017 & 2018; The Zit in 2022/2023/2024), Group 3rd at AKC National Championship (Iris in 2018), Group 1st at National Dog Show (The Zit in 2024), Group 4th at National Dog Show (Mallory in 2019), several Select and Award of Excellence at AKC National Championship, multiple regional specialty Best of Breed awards, multiple supported entry Bests of Breed, multiple Hound Group 1st, the first breeder-owner-handled Best in Show Ibizan in AKC history, the first dual champion Ibizan Hound to win a Best in Show, the top winning breeder-owner-handled Ibizan in AKC history, the top winning dual champion Ibizan in AKC history, the only Best in Show & Best in Field winning Ibizan in AKC history, Bests of Breed during the National Specialty and Beezerfest weekends, several National Dog Show Bests of Breed, and the first Ibizan Hound to win Best of Breed at the prestigious Morris & Essex Kennel Club (Klementine in 2010), the second (Magnolia in 2015), the third (Mallory in 2021) and most recently the fourth (The Zit in 2025).
Outside of my handling, Abbaio Ibizan Hounds have excelled in dog shows around the world. In 2015, one of my homebred Ibizans, "Fora" was Junior World Winner at the World Dog Show in Milan, Italy and Junior European Winner at the European Dog Show in Oslo, Norway. In 2016, "Fancy" won a Best in Specialty Show in California, "Tiger Lily" won a Best in Show at a sighthound specialty in Denmark, "Fora" was World Winner at the World Dog Show in Moscow, Russia, and "Primo" won an NOHS Best in Show in Virginia. In 2019, "Henri" ended the year as #1 Ibizan Hound in Finland!
Abbaio Ibizans have also done very well in several other venues. "Elin" has won Best of Breed at the IHCUS National Specialty AKC Field Trial twice (2011 & 2013) as well as 7 all-breed Bests in Field. Her daughter, "Ivy", has 3 Bests in Field to her credit in just a few starts as well. "Stella" won her open stake at the 2014 IHCUS National and finished her field/dual championship with a Best in Field, then was Highest Scoring Dual Champion of all breeds at the 2017 AKC National Lure Coursing Championship as a veteran and Highest Scoring Ibizan in Trial at the 2018 IHCUS National Specialty Agility trial. "Audrey" recently became a third generation Best in Field winning dual champion. "Frances" became the youngest Ibizan Hound (at the time) to win a non-conformation title, which was a Rally Novice at the age of 7 months. She also acquired her Rally Advanced and 4 agility titles before the age of 2 years. I am also proud of four generations of Best in Field winners with "Elin" (foundation), her daughter "Ivy", "Ivy's" son "Goose" and his daughter "Faline". In 2018 we were honored to have "Dharma" be awarded the Ibizan Hound Finalist at the National Lure Coursing Championship! "Zayn" was also the first Ibizan Hound to earn a qualifying splash in Dock Diving!
Dog shows and competitions are a passion of mine, but the life of a dog is mostly spent outside the ring. My dog spend their days at home decorating the couches and beds, tearing up the back yard and being amazing companions that I couldn't imagine living without.
Personally, I enjoy giving back to the sport as much as I can. I have been a member of the Ibizan Hound Club of the United States in good standing since 2011 and served as editor of The Third Eye breed magazine from 2019-2022. I founded the IHCUS Junior Showmanship committee and served as the trophy chairman for the national specialty in 2014 and 2018. I am also a member of the Sunshine State Rhodesian Ridgeback Club where I serve as the field trial secretary for AKC Lure Coursing trials. In 2022 I was selected as the AKC Lure Coursing Breeder of the Year and in early 2023 I was granted my license to judge AKC Lure Coursing field trials. In 2025 I was granted my license to judge Ibizan Hounds in conformation dog shows and I look forward to continuing my judging journey. I am a member of Take the Lead.