ABOUT us

Rod and Linda Vance were both animal lovers long before they ever met. Rod grew up with a bulldog named EB (short for English Bulldog) and had a pet Brussels Griffon named Critter when he was a teenager. Linda’s first love was horses. She spent much of her youth mucking out stalls to pay for her beloved Bromont’s care and activities.

Their first dog together was actually a rescue. Rescue in the sense that Rod found the puppy in a garbage can outside their Houston apartment. Xantha was the perfect first dog and sparked their joint passion for all things DOG.

Icon of a cloud with raindrops
Linda and Rod Vance with their border collie Xantha
Linda Vance with a smooth coated Brussels Griffon and Monty Worley with a rough coated Brussels Griffon

Fist Face Kennel was started in 1985 when they purchased their first Pekingese, Gimlet. She was not from good bloodlines but they learned so much from her.

They purchased their first Brussels Griffon from Monty Worley in 1987. Firediggle of Comanche Creek, Diggles, never finished her championship but gave Rod and Linda the solid foundation they needed to build a strong program.

In the photo: Linda Vance with Diggles and her breeder, Monty Worley.

MEET THE FAMILY

  • Rod and Grand Champion Wednesday

    Rodney Vance

    FOUNDER

    Rod was a body manager manager, by trade. When Tigger was at the height of his career, Rod would work 10 hour days all week and then pack up Kambria and the dog to drive all over the country to find the best judging panel. He campaigned Tigger all the way to the number 1 Griff in the country, all without a financial backer or a professional handler.

    His natural affinity for presentation and keen eye for a good dog is why we’ve heard people say “Yeah, that’s a FIST FACE.”

  • A smiling woman with short gray hair, glasses, and a patterned jacket holding ribbons, sitting indoors in a large wooden building. She is holding a small brown dog with a flat face, possibly a Brussels Griffon, in her lap.

    Linda Vance

    FOUNDER

    Linda is a goldsmith by trade. With a Bachelor’s in Fine Art, she has always appreciated and worked towards balance and substance. She spent many years as our “man behind the curtain,” as a self taught groomer. It was her persistence and devotion to this breed that has kept us going.

    Though she will deny it, she is a wonderful mentor and can see the value in any dog.

  • A woman in a blue dress sitting outdoors on a rock holding two small dogs, one in each arm, near a body of water.

    Kambria Ledesma

    NEXT GENERATION

    Kambria spent her childhood in a whelping box and in the ring. With a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, she spends a lot of her free time volunteering for the various dog clubs she is a member of. She is a stay at home mom to two boys and is working to instill a deep love for animals like her parents did for her.

    Though her parents are still in the game, there are some huge shoes to fill taking this program into the next generation.

  • A woman with reddish hair smiling while holding a small brown and black dog near a body of water with a bridge in the background.

    Kiara Vance Christensen

    TINK ENTHUSIAST

    Kiara has retired from the show ring but still have a deep appreciation for the legacy of Fist Face. Her beloved Tink is traveling the world with Kiara and her husband, and her “big smooth” brother Agrippa (Chinese Shar Pei).

A smiling woman with glasses and two young girls, all with arm around each other, sitting at a table in a cozy indoor setting with warm lighting.
Group photo at a dog breeding competition showing four people, three with small brown dogs, and one holding a large check. The background is a blue curtain with banners for Eukanuba Breeder's Stakes. One person holds a large pink ribbon award, while
Three women and a man at a dog show, two women are holding small brown dogs on a table with a sign reading "Winners, Major Win," and ribbons. The man is holding a ribbon, and there is a second sign that reads "Best of Winners."
A group of four people, two young girls, an older woman, and a middle-aged man, along with a small dog, celebrating a dog show victory. The man is kneeling with the dog, and the girl on the right holds a large award ribbon. There is a sign that reads
A young girl with red hair holding a dog leash, showing a tan Brussels Griffon dog on a table at a dog show. An older man in a black suit is standing beside her, holding a ribbon. A sign indicates they are winners at the Corn Belt Kennel Club event i
A man with a mustache in a light-colored blazer and a girl holding a small dog, both with a leash, standing with a dog on a table, in an indoor setting.