BEST BREED IN SHOW SPOTLIGHT JUDGE MRS . PATRICIA CRAIGE TROTTER OF CARMEL , CALIFORNIA
AFTER ELEVEN APPEARANCES IN THE BEST IN SHOW RING AT WESTMINSTER AS AN OWNER / BREEDER / HANDLER , HOW DID IT FEEL TO JUDGE BEST IN SHOW THERE ?
Due to the fabulous Madison Square Garden look-like arena , it felt familiar and awesome . At the same time , not having a dog with me seemed quite different in that the responsibility became weightier . My focus is now on seven finalists rather than my own single dog that always shored me up . It truly was an exhilarating experience that I will always treasure . And I loved the fact that families of dogs I had admired for years were represented in the Best in Show class with their breeders !
YOUR BEST IN SHOW ASSIGNMENT AT WESTMINSTER WAS ALSO THE FIRST TIME WESTMINSTER WAS NOT ONLY HELD COMPLETELY OUTSIDE , BUT OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK CITY . DID THE DOG SHOW FEEL DIFFERENTLY TO YOU FOR THOSE REASONS , AND IF SO , HOW ?
Because I had both exhibited and judged previously on the beautiful Lyndhurst grounds , it was familiar . Yet , I was unable to see the outdoor rings due to the sequestering protocol for the Best in Show judge . So indeed , it was totally different ! And at the same time , there was a sense of Déjà vu . The awesome arena constructed for the occasion gave one “ the feeling ” of the famous Manhattan arena . It was an unbelievable replica of “ the Garden ” and an exciting and humbling one-time experience for this individual .
THE FIRST DOG YOU EVER SHOWED WAS A COCKER SPANIEL , AND YOU ALSO SHOWED A DOBERMAN PINSCHER . YOU ARE A LEGEND , HOWEVER , IN NORWEGIAN ELKHOUNDS . WHAT ABOUT THE ELKHOUND MADE IT THE PERFECT BREED FOR YOU ?
Yes , my first “ show dogs ” were Cocker Spaniels and one Doberman . Because one breeder of Dobermans had some dogs I didn ’ t recognize as a kid , I asked about the dogs out back that turned out to be his hunting dogs . In time , I had one , and we truly bonded . Thus , the Elkhound became my breed . I loved the fact that they were a natural breed . Also their outdoor nature appealed to a youngster who loved to hike in the woods and was a regular runner . That first Elkhound was my sidekick and buddy . She singularly hooked me on the breed .
YOUR FIRST DOG SHOW WAS IN THE LATE 1940S . SINCE THEN , YOU ’ VE SEEN THE DOG FANCY GO THROUGH CHANGES . WHAT HAS IMPROVED SINCE YOU STARTED , AND WHAT NEEDS WORK ?
When I started showing dogs seven decades ago , it was a man ’ s world . Within a few years , women such as Anne Rogers ( Clark ) and Jane Kamp ( Forsyth ) were just turning 21 and able to become professional handers . For those of us in Children ’ s Handling ( the name later changed to Junior Showmanship ), they were our “ rock stars .” No woman pioneered female acceptance and success in the sport more than Maxine Beam , as well as Clara Alford . On the West Coast , Daisy Austad competed with the greats on equal footing . Nonetheless , it wasn ’ t until the seventies or early eighties that women began to outnumber the men in our sport .
D . HAN
56 WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB 2022