THE GOULD FAMILY AND ITS DOGS AT WESTMINSTER
Many of the Gould children and grandchildren were avid dog people with deep connections to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show . Brothers George , Howard , and Frank Gould , sons of Lyndhurst owner Jay Gould , made many appearances at Westminster over the years as owners , breeders , exhibitors , and trophy sponsors .
During the 1890s , the top five American Kennel Club recognized breeds were St . Bernards , English Setters , Pointers , Collies , and Fox Terriers . The Gould brothers owned , bred , and exhibited four of these breeds at Westminster at the close of the 19th century and dawn of the 20th centuries . They did not exhibit Collies , for that breed ’ s exhibition at Westminster was the passion of financier J . P . Morgan .
The Gould family ’ s participation in bench shows and field trials grew after the death of their father , railroad tycoon Jay Gould , in 1892 . As early as 1893 , Jay ’ s eldest son , George J . Gould , first entered at Westminster with a Russian Wolfhound ( Borzoi ) in 1893 . George established his Furlough kennels of Pointers and Retrievers in High Point , North Carolina and was very active in field trials with his sons . One of his sons Jay Gould II , officiated at Westminster as a judge of Pointers and Wirehaired Pointing Griffons in 1915 .
George ’ s younger brother , Howard J . Gould , of Castlegould Kennels in Port Washington , Long Island , New York , exhibited Old English Sheepdogs and Irish Terriers at Westminster , while his wife was a notable fancier of black Pugs , and offered many prizes at Westminster . The second youngest brother , Edwin J . Gould , owned Great Danes , and his wife exhibited Bulldogs .
St . Bernards at Lyndhurst
The youngest brother , Frank J . Gould — born in 1877 , the same year as the inaugural Westminster Kennel Club Bench Show of Dogs — became an avid fancier of rough- and smooth-coated St . Bernards . Frank ’ s first appearance at Westminster was in 1897 as a trophy sponsor for Best St . Bernard Puppy . In 1898 , Frank began to purchase St . Bernards from England to be housed at a new kennel building that his sister Helen built for him on the grounds of Lyndhurst .
St . Bernards named Le Prince , La Queen , Presto , Le Princess , Santa Monica , and Laura Jean began to fill the kennel cottage . This twostory hard wood structure had every canine luxury with a washroom and spacious stalls filled with straw beds for each dog on the ground floor . Upstairs were quarters for Frank ’ s kennelman Walter Johnston , who came from England to care for the dogs and take them to dog shows around the country , including Westminster .
At the 1899 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show one of his imported brood bitches , Marvelcroft , won first prize in her limit and open classes . By September , Frank ’ s first litter was born at Lyndhurst when Marvelcroft whelped five puppies . Soon his breeding program was on its way producing St . Bernards named Lyndhurst Joy , Lyndhurst Choice , Lyndhurst Beauty , and Lyndhurst Helen , named after his sister . Frank also sponsored the famous Gould Challenge Cup , a silver punch bowl , awarded to the best American Bred St . Bernard owned by a St . Bernard Club of America member .
At Westminster in February 1901 , Frank has no less than 10 entries including rough-coated St . Bernards Lyndhurst Choice and Lyndhurst Joy . Littermates Our Bobs and Coquette II out of Marvelcroft ’ s first litter debuted in the puppy classes . His smooth-coated dog Baron Sundridge won Winner ’ s Dog . It was his most successful year at Westminster , but the accolades would soon come to an end . In December 1901 , young Frank married his first wife . Two months later at Westminster in 1902 Frank had listed most of his entries for sale , including his prized brood bitch Marvelcroft . That same year his sister Helen Gould announced to the press that she was turning Frank ’ s kennel building on the estate into a cooking school for “ poor girls ” so they may learn a skill . While Frank ’ s kennel at Lyndhurst lasted only four years , his brothers George and Howard continued to exhibit at Westminster until at least 1916 .
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