Cara Nina Lanphere

Cara Nina Lanphere, 58 died at her home on May 21, 2014 in the care of Mesilla Valley Hospice after battling cancer in her own individual way. She was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on October 31, 1955 to Robert Clayton Lanphere and Ilse Elizabeth Stauff. The Lanphere family moved to Las Cruces, NM in 1960 and Nina attended Valley View Elementary, Zia Junior High and graduated from Las Cruces High School in 1973, she attended NMSU before enlisting in the US Army. Nina served as a Military Policewoman at Presidio of San Francisco, CA and in the Panama Canal Zone. She received many Letters of Commendation during her service and received an Honorable Discharge in 1977. Returning to California Nina was employed by the USPS and began her life long journey in dog training. She trained with Gerald Smith of Santa Clara with her Doberman Pinscher Tassie, who she had begun training in the Military Police traditions while stationed in Panama. Nina realized she wanted to devote herself professionally to dog training and attended Mandelyn Kennels School for Dog Trainers in Bakersfield, CA and graduated as a Master of Dog Training/Instructor. In 1980 Nina came home to Las Cruces determined to start her career as a Professional Dog Trainer and by 1983 Contender Working Dogs was born. At first she focused on obedience and would travel to client's homes and taught many classes in local parks and at NMSU. Her love of any competitive sport with dogs helped her to achieve countless awards and titles and inspire others to join her in training and competing in Obedience, Agility, Personal Protection, Schutzhund and Rally, to name just a few. She believed that an untrained dog was an unloved dog and that any breed was capable of greatness and took much satisfaction from working with the over-looked or misaligned breeds. Nina was a strong leader to her dogs and her dog community and will be greatly missed by both. The second love of Nina's life was vintage hot rods, she was easily recognized around town in one of her three restored Fords. She traveled many miles in her 1951 Fire Engine Red Ford Pickup always a dog riding "shot gun" with more in the back, on her way across town or across the country to attend or judge an Agility competition. Her 1956 Ford "big back window" pick up received a complete restoration with the help of all local businessmen. And lastly she just had to take her 1960 Ford Falcon out to Arroyo Seco and run the drags with a pit crew of all "dog people". Fast cars and smart dogs is how we will always remember her. She is survived by her husband of two years, Darrel Gene Hughes, her sister Milette Lanphere, her family in Mississippi (too numerous to name) and her devoted friends, clients and of course the dogs. Donations can be made to Milette Lanphere, PO Box 308, San Miguel NM 88058 for an Agility award with the NADAC Nationals in Nina's honor. A memorial celebration of her life will be held on Saturday June 14, 2014 at 3445 Calle Bedado, Las Cruces, NM between the hours of 2:00pm and 4:00pm. PDF Printable Version