Editorial: October 13, 2023

This weekend, the Montgomery County Kennel Club held its 88th dog show. This all-Terrier event was held at Macungie Memorial Park in Macungie, Pennsylvania, drawing Terrier lovers from around the world, and it never disappoints. It changes, but never disappoints. Observing the group judging late Sunday afternoon, there were more new faces than in years past, signaling a new generation of Terrier breeders and exhibitors. Then the 32 breeds that make up the group were paraded around the ring under the watchful eye of judge Bergit Coady-Kabel (a onetime regular in that very group as an exhibitor). Seeing old-time faces, those no longer with us crept into our thoughts, starting with last year’s Best in Show judge, Geir Flyckt-Pedersen, who recently passed away.

But our thoughts went even further back, to when we were newbies at this unique dog-show experience. So we looked back more than 40 years ago, to 1976, to see who was who and the names of those still fresh in our mind. Unlike the recent editorial about discarding old show catalogs, Montgomery catalogs enjoy several shelves in our library. Back to the days when Potter Wear was president of Montgomery, along with his wife Doris, Elsie Simmons, vice president John Marvin and his wife Bea, Josephine Doubler, Bill Etter, Patsy and Richard Woods and their daughter Missy, who was at the show this weekend, and Carlotta and Allen Howard, who underwrote the very popular catered seated luncheon — all these names held some position in the club. It was where John Ashbey was shooting photographs alongside Billy Gilbert and Stephen Klein. Today, John of course is the elder statesman of his profession and highly so.

Going through the breeds, the names that pop up include Airedale fanciers Betty Hoisington, Charlie Foley, James McLynn, Ercilia LeNy, Barbara Strebeigh, Billy Thompson; Bedlington fanciers Martin and Marcia St. Lifer, Joe and Pauline Waterman; Border Terrier fanciers Kate Seemann, Marion duPont Scott, Robert and Ruth Ann Naun; Bull Terrier fanciers David Merriam, W.E. Mackay-Smith; Cairn fanciers Celeste Hutton, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Coleman and their daughter Lydia Coleman Hutchinson, Mary Jane Ellis, Betty Hyslop; Dandie fanciers Gretchen Wyler, Robert Renn; Fox Terrier fanciers Paul and Evelyn Silvernail, James and Stevie Farrell, Eve Ballich, Winnie Stout; Irish Terrier fanciers Michael Gately, Dennis Barnes, C. Cruse Honey; Kerry Blue Terrier fanciers Bea and Mel Schlesinger, Jean Underhill, the Jacques Brothers, Ric Chashoudian, Lesley and Eddie Boyes; Lakeland Terrier fanciers Peter Green, Gaynor Green, Vell and Grace Brewin, Patricia Peters; Manchester Terrier fancier Ruth Turner; Miniature Schnauzer fanciers Nancy Fingerhut, Ruth Ziegler, Landis Hirstein; Norwich Terrier fanciers (before they were separated into two breeds, Norwich and Norfolk) Betty Fell, Joan Read, Constance Larrabee, Jack Simm, Constance Jones, Steve Hurt, Johan Ostrow, Ruth Cooper, Barbara Fournier; Scottish Terrier fanciers Elaine Young, Miriam Stamm, Barbara Kingsbury, Joan Eagle, Dick Hensel; Sealyham fanciers Margery Good (this year’s Best in Show winner), Mrs. William Wimer, the Stone Brothers, Leslie Anthony; Skye Terrier fanciers Walter Goodman, Joan and Ken McDermott, Dolly Stofer, Leslie Becker, Eugene Zaphiris, Mathew Stander; Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier fanciers Jackie Gottlieb, Cindy Vogels, Gay Sherman, Daniel and Marjorie Shoemaker (Marjorie judged Sweepstakes this year), Sue and Harvey Goldberg; Welsh Terrier fanciers Bill Brainard, Mrs. S. Sloan Colt, C. Freeman Ayers, Bardi McLennan; West Highland White Terrier fanciers Clifford and Lois Hallmark, Helene and Seymour Weiss, Sterg O’Dell, Dorothea Daniell-Jenkins and Marjadele Schiele.

Some of these names will be familiar to you and other not, but we all stand on the shoulders of these dedicated breeders, handlers and exhibitors. It helps to look back to the past to see where you’re going in the future … That’s Montgomery memories.