Editorial: January 24, 2025

Yesterday, following a lengthy phone conversation with Pat Craige Trotter, a longtime friend of 50-plus years, I reflected on the conversation with a warm glow in my heart. With Westminster on the horizon, we touched on that show as names from the past popped up regularly in the conversation — Lang Skarda, Ellsworth Gamble, Ruthie Cooper, Annie Clark and a host of others.

Pat and her Elkhounds are part of the folklore of Westminster. But what I came away with — other than the anecdotes and stories, some not to be repeated in public — was her wealth of knowledge and love of the sport, which are unequalled today. Not that it was a surprise to me, but a reawakening of what was, what is and what will be.

For some of you, Pat is a longtime popular judge who has continued her judging career even after the passing of her beloved husband Chuck Trotter. She is also an accomplished writer and author of the must-have book in any dog library, “Born To Win,” so popular that it had a second edition. Her successes in the show ring as a breeder, owner and handler are unequalled; you could say she is the female version of professional handler Peter Green. Her Vin-Melca Norwegian Elkhounds are legend. The show records compiled over the years are pages long. I always wanted to do an ad for her that read, “Ch. Vin-Melca Sparrow, Conceivably the Best One Until The Next One.”

Then there is her knowledge of structure, the combination of form and function, and most of all conditioning. Every Westminster weekend, while everyone was indoors complaining about the cold, snowy weather, you could find Pat jogging in Central Park and the streets of Manhattan with a dog in tow. Condition, condition, condition.

Her success at Westminster is also unequalled, with double-digit Hound Group firsts. Like actress Susan Lucci, that elusive Best in Show ribbon never went into the hands of a most deserving winner. However, in 2021 Pat got to hold that Best in Show ribbon in the middle of the ring not as an exhibitor but as the judge.

Back in the day, a teacher by profession, she would drive to a dog show on Friday afternoon after school and be back in the classroom Monday morning. No easy task, when in those days the shows in California were few and far between. Driving up and down the California coast was a regular weekend drive. There were no alternate choices of shows in those days. Lots of miles were put on her vans, affectionally know as Van Johnson and Van Gone.How she faced a classroom full of youngsters on Monday morning is still a mystery to me.

But I just wanted to put in print how much respect and love I have for this woman, how she made me a better dog breeder and has my undying respect for her knowledge but most of all our friendship. On behalf of the fancy, thank you, Pat.