Editorial: October 3, 2025

As we ready ourselves for the long and exciting Montgomery County Kennel Club all terrier event, that hosts the most national and supported entries than any other all breed dog show, this year we include the unique Morris & Essex Kennel club dog show which is held once every five years. Five days of shows and lots of memories. Our first Montgomery was over 50 years ago. It was 1974, attending our first Montgomery event, a show that had well known and respected names associated with the event like Josephine Duebler, who would lead this show with a personal touch to every detail that has never been duplicated, Bill Etter, Carlotta Howard, who underwrote the sit-down hot luncheon that was a crowd favorite, the Mackay-Smiths, the John Marvins, Elsie Simmons and her sister Doris & Potter Wear, the Richard Woods, Ida Ellen Weinstock, Ruth Turner, Barbara Strebeigh the Archibald Watts and Dorothy Wimer. Some socially prominent but all well known and respected breeders and exhibitors in their respected breeds. Coming from a more casual hound group (still wearing ties and jackets) with bloodhounds and beagles and sprinkling of whippets, it was  quite a change from slop towels and muddy knees rolling on the ground trying stack and then navigate bloodhound puppies around the show ring. Neophytes in the terrier group, it was a completely different world, its own dog show within a dog shows. Three shows: Hatboro, Devon and Montgomery. We entered with great anticipation and we were more than shocked when our Airedale bitch bred by the late Countess Ercilia LeNy and handled by her partner at the time, Guenter Behr, was Winners at Hatboro and Best of Winners at the national specialty at Montgomery earning 10 points over the weekend. In the days, the Airedale entry was over 130 and required two judges. As you went from ring to ring and specialty to specialty you see names like Bob & Betty Hoisington, Lou & Carol Scott, Wilma Carter, Karen Wilson, Mareth Kipp, the Taylor Colemans and their daughter, Lydia Coleman Hutchinson, Betty Hyslop, Robert Renn, Cathy Nelson, Allan Sheimo, Paul & Evelyn Silvernail, James & Steveie Farrell, Freeman Ayers, Bill Brainard, Mrs. Sloan Colt, Nell Fox, Michael Gately, Eve Ballich, Joan & Ken McDermott, Adele Goodman, Walter Goodman, Kate Webb Seemann, Gene Simmonds, Barbara Keenan, Sterg O’Dell. Dick Hensel, Miriam & Betty & Tiny Fell, Joan Read, Patricia Peters, Johan Ostrow and, of course, the “terrier handlers” Peter Green, Cliff  & Lois Hallmark, Ric Chashoudian, Sue Baines, Damara Bolte, Bob & Jane Forsyth, Bob Condon, Joan Huber, Tom Natalini, Bert Torrey, Dora Lee Wilson. All those years ago, most of those friends now gone, but fortunately some still with us. Forgive us we left out the name of someone special. We enjoy mentioning their names now and again, as they all contributed to our sport and should be remembered. So, enjoy this special and one of kind weekend and build your own memories.