Right: Whippet
Ch. Canyon
Crest’s Mamie
and American
Cocker Spaniel
Ch. Gail’s Ebony
Don D were the
top-winning
Hound and
Sporting dogs in
1955 and 1956’57 respectively.
Below: Airedale
Ch. Westhay
Fiona of Harham
was No. 5 of all
breeds in 1957
and No. 2 in
1958 — the only
Terrier in the Top
10 lists in the
second half of
the 1950s.
92
but he was the greatest,
one of the country’s top
Hounds for three years in
the early ‘50s and twice a
Group winner at Westminster. He was followed by
two grandsons, Ch. Crown
Crest Zardonx and Ch.
Crown Crest Mr. Universe, the latter continuing to win into
the ‘60s, both demonstrating the talents of one of America’s
most successful breeder/owner-handlers ever.
Other Hounds, Spaniels and Goldens
A number of Dachshunds won a lot, and Basset Hounds were
beginning to be recognized in Group competition, but the only
other Hound kennel that consistently won Best in Shows was
Canyon Crest — another high-class establishment in Beverly Hills. Starting with Great Danes and Miniature Pinschers,
the kennel eventually focused on Greyhounds, Whippets and
Manchester Terriers. The mostly white Whippet Ch. Canyon
Crest’s Mamie was Top Hound in the mid-1950s, and Greyhounds Ch. Canyon Crest’s Splash and Ch. Canyon Crest’s Sir
Bodkins took turns winning BIS.
Cocker Spaniels of the American variety by now had their
own firmly established identity and were way ahead of their
English cousins as far as show ring success was concerned.
The ASCOB Ch. Carmor’s Rise and Shine won BIS at Westminster and was one of the country’s top dogs in 1954; the black
Ch. Gail’s Ebony Don D did even better in 1956 and 1957; and
in 1958 not one but two Cockers placed in the official list of
the country’s Top 10 dogs: The ASCOB Ch. Artru Hot Rod and
the Particolor Ch. Wilco’s Little Barney. Much more was to
follow in future decades.
English Springer Spaniels from Frejax and Melilotus won a
lot in the first part of the 1950s, but it was left to Ch. Salilyn’s
MacDuff to earn himself a place as No. 2 of all breeds, behind
Chik T’Sun but ahead of the Afghan, Mr. Universe, and the
Pom, Gold Nugget, in 1959.
Golden Retrievers, surprisingly, won a lot more than they
do now. Both Ch. Golden Knoll’s Shure Shot and Ch. Golden Knoll’s King Alphonzo were among the country’s top BIS
winners in 1950 and 1954, respectively, the latter with at least
20-something all-breed Bests. The breed type, however, has
probably changed more than most breeds. The Golden Knoll
dogs were bred by Mr. and Mrs. Russell Peterson in Iowa —
how many remember their dogs today?
Not Many Terriers
Terriers, finally, did not win as much in the 1950s as they had
done before. Were they just not as good as in earlier decades,
were they less popular, or was there another reason? The fact
remains that not a single Terrier was the top dog during the
decade. A few won a lot: the Scottie Ch. Edgerstoune Troubadour in 1952, the Wire Fox Terrier Ch. Travella Superman
of Harham in both 1953 and 1954, the Kerry Blue Terrier Ch.
Vixen’s Show-Off in 1954 and the Airedale Ch. Westhay Fiona
of Harham, who was the only Terrier to be included in the
official Top 10 lists from the first year of official rankings in
1956 through the end of the decade. Fiona was one of the
top dogs in 1957 and No. 2 in 1958, behind the ever-present
Chik T’Sun. Both Superman and Fiona were imported from
England, the former from the Travella kennel that is again
much in the limelight over there, but the Harham kennels,
owned by Harold Florsheim in Chicago, also produced many
homebred winners.
There were no Westminster wins for Terriers during this
decade after the memorable 1950 BIS for Ch. Walsing Winning
Trick of Edgerstoune (mentioned in an earlier article), but
prior to the temporary demise of the great Morris & Essex KC
show in 1958, two Terriers won BIS there. The Wire Fox Ch.
Wyretex Wyns Traveller of Trucote won in 1952 and the Welsh
Ch. Topflight Template of Twin Ponds the following year. Still,
that’s a lot less than Terrier people were used to. Things would
swing back again for Terriers in later years. I will sum up the
last half-century of top winners in a future article. DIR
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