  Christian EYMAR-DAUPHIN
It is with deep regret that the Société Centrale Canine, its elected representatives
and its staff announce the death of their President, Christian EYMAR-DAUPHIN, 67.
He left us quietly and with dignity, as only great men can. He had been consumed
by disease for quite a long time, but he never gave up the fight and always kept
looking towards the future, come what may.
On this day, January 3rd, 2017, grieving leaves no French dog lover untouched.
Grief also extends well beyond our country’s borders, for Christian was a man of
wisdom above all, a pragmatist, who had agreed to take on the heavy responsibility
of presiding over our organisation in 2011, as the successor of Gerard Artus. He
started gaining a thorough understanding of our organisation’s ropes upon being
elected to the Committee in 1994. In his capacity of member of the Committee, he
was a contributor to several keynote commissions within our federation.
His position led him to meet on a regular basis with his foreign counterparts, who
soon realised Christian would create strong momentum for the world of dog lovers.
More than anything, he had high regards for novel ideas, innovation and new communication
tools; he wished our dog-loving world to enter a dynamic, modern and communication-friendly
era.
A trained osteopath, he succeeded in striking a balance between a busy professional
career and an unbounded passion of the dog world. He used to love dogs, all of them
– yet he would confess a soft spot for “his preferred breed”, the Drahthaar, a skilful
and reliable wire-haired pointing dog.
Whilst fully taken up by his role as our President, he would still find time to
“run” a team of volunteers within the Canine du Bourbonnais. A team that is feeling
orphaned now...
Judging in shows was something he was keen to do on a weekly basis or so, something
he excelled in, be it in France or abroad.
The humane factor was a major focus for Christian. His tolerance, his listening
skills, his willingness to find suitable solutions, his good sense in the midst
of “lively” debates, his vision for the future of our more-than-a-century-old organisation,
make one thing clear: his work will leave an indelible mark on the history of the
Centrale Canine.
As the American poet, author and actress Maya Angelou once wrote: “A great soul
serves everyone all the time. A great soul never dies. It brings us together again
and again.” Christian will keep bringing us together around that passion that drove
him for most of his life. His path has been nothing short of exemplary.
We offer our deepest condolences to his wife Nicole, to his family and to all his
close relatives.
Franck Haymann
Société Centrale Canine
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