Page 92 - ShowSight - January 2020

My First Westminster: Every Memory is... BY DAN SAYERS continued
Left: An ambitious ad for the 1981 Best in Show winning Pug, Ch. Dhandy’s Favorite Woodchuck, appears on Page 233 of that year’s catalog.
Right: This page from Westminster’s 1982 catalog includes a phonetic spelling, a charming sketch and the writer’s personal preferences in the Toy Group.
winning Beagles: Ch. K-Run’s Park Me In First (2008) and Ch. Tashtins Lookin For Trouble (2015). The year’s Best Junior, selected by Ellsworth Howell, was Valerie Nunes. Thirty-five years later, Val would surpass this win with another German Shorthaired Pointer by going Best in Show. In 2016, GCh. Vjk-Myst Garbonita’s Cali- fornia Journey was breeder/owner-handled to victory under Dr. Richard Meen. (Hey, kids! Take it from Gail, Eddie and Val. Work hard, keep on learning and never give up on your dreams.)
In 1981, a Westminster Parade of Win- ners was held just prior to Best. This event welcomed back dogs with a previous Group and/or BIS win for a celebratory sprint around The Garden floor before an adoring crowd. (Some of the older dogs, however, took a more leisurely stroll!) “The Best of Westminster” winners listed in the catalog include more than a few preeminent pure- breds: Skye Terrier Ch. Glamoor Gang Buster (1972 Terrier Group), Wire Fox Terrier Ch. Sunnybrook Spot On (1974 & ’78 Terrier Group); Lakeland Terrier Ch. Cozy Mischief Maker (1979 & 80 Terrier Group); and the Standard Poodle Ch. Rim- skittle Ruffian (1980 Non-Sporting Group). Four Best in Show winners are also noted: Sealyham Terrier Ch. Dersade Bobby’s Girl (1977); Yorkshire Terrier Ch. Cede Higgens (1978); and the Siberian Husky Ch. Innis- free’s Sierra Cinnar (1980). Mrs. Anne E. Snelling’s Irish Water Spaniel (BIS in 1979 under all-rounder Henry Stoecker) gave
me an opportunity to watch this show dog extraordinaire command attention at Madi- son Square Garden.
Although a Handler’s Index is not included in the 1981 catalog, a list of Box- holders is. Among the names that appear on Page 37 are Richard Bauer, Keke Blumberg [Khan], Miss Iris de la Torre Bueno, Dr. M. Josephine Deubler, Dr. Samuel Draper, Joseph E. Gregory, John C. Frederick Ped- die, Suzy A. Reingold, Dennis Sprung & Roger Rechler, Mrs. Alfred E. Treen and Mr. & Mrs. Porter Washington. How’s that for a “box” of knowledgable dog folk?
Perhaps the most intriguing pages of Westminster’s 1981 catalog are those that were paid for by commercial advertisers. It’s interesting to revisit the dog food company ads to see what it was we were all feeding in those days. Ken-L Ration Biskit, Kal Kan, Alpo, and Milk-Bone Dog Biscuits feature prominently. So too do Science Diet and Purina’s Pro Club which informs members that they can “save substantially at many family fun parks...” Several kennel clubs promote their upcoming shows in the cata- log, including the Scenic Circuit of New England (Vermont’s Holyoke, Woodstock, Champlain Valley and Green Mountain Kennel Clubs and the Carroll County and Lakes Region Kennel Clubs of New Ham- phire) and the Western Pennsylvania Ken- nel Association, Inc. and the Greater Pitts- burgh Specialty Shows. (This ad prompted me to attend the Greater Pittsburgh English Springer Spaniel Specialty to watch Julia
Gasow judge her breed.) The New York School of Dog Grooming took out a full- page ad as did Tiffany & Co., provider of the Sterling Silver bowls awarded to Group winners, and The Manhattan Savings Bank which hosted a post-Westminster exhibition of purebred dogs at their Madison Avenue location for many years.
The most astonishing ad that appears in Westminster’s 1981 catalog is found on Page 13. The half-page proclamation made by The Skyline Motor Inn, complete with Best Western logo and a simple illustration of the Statue of Liberty, offers “Mid-City Convenience...Motor Inn Freedom.” Sin- gle rooms are advertised at $58.00/night, $64.00 for a double. At these rates, the Gen- eral Manager undoubtedly had little trouble filling his establishment’s rooms, restau- rants, meeting facilities and pool with out- of-town dog fanciers. Free parking probably didn’t hurt either!
If this year marks your first visit to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show— the club’s 144th—I hope that you enjoy every new wonder that awaits. However, if this is your 64th consecutive show- ing at the world’s most glamorous dog show, you needn’t worry that you might find the action a little boring. Despite the many changes the show has undergone through the years it has lost none of its lus- ter. And the catalog, in its signature color, is still a useful device for preserving all those memories.
84 • ShowSight Magazine, January 2020