1921 CHOW CLUB OF AMERICA NATIONAL SPECIALTY SHOW WON BY A BITCH

CH. WINDHOLMES WAN LUNG    Sire Ch. Winsum Min T’sing   Dam Windholme’s Amoy

This gorgeous painting  above by artist Gustav Muss Arnolt depicts the winner of this second Chow Club of America National Specialty.   Besides being a rare win for a bitch in any era, her photo was no where to be found and on my short list of 3 National winning chows (from 1920-1950) left to be located.

The crazy thing is I have had the image of this painting in my digital files all along , yet had it tagged incorrectly as WANLUNG instead of WAN LUNG.   Huge thanks to my good chow history friend   in Hong Kong  Dennis Tang for spotting this beautiful painting ,recognizing her name and accomplishments from ChowTales,  and pointing it out to me today. Yippie!!!  I’m so excited to finally have her image in her rightful place on the Specialty WALL OF FAME 

Her owner Richard “Ed” Walsh of Bainbridge Kennels is pictured below in the CREAM OF THE CROP breeders group photo.

PHOTO UPDATE: Lo and behold…FINALLY one year almost to the day since I wrote this archive post……I discover a newspaper photo of the elusive WINDHOLME WAN LUNG!!!!  There is no doubt looking at this image why this lovely bitch was a top winner of the day.    I even found an article of her beating her incredible father at a show

 It was a red letter day when I discovered this article highlighting the breeders, dogs and social scene at the 1921  Chow Chow Club of America’s second National Specialty!!   What a fantastic peek back in time at our breed in it’s infancy in America, with a lineup of breed specialists that read like the Who’s Who of dogdom.   I had to retype the entire article magnified to about 1/4″ high lettering….the article was in such bad shape.

But THANK GOODNESS the photos were not just faded out silhouettes.  I was able to get some good detail via Photoshop and placed the 2 enlargements within the text.   More images are inserted from my extensive collection to give you a true feel of the people and type of dog present at the show.   Dog shows were the sport of the rich as you  will read.   Some surprising factoids in this article. Did you know the first chow shown in America was named “Lager Beer?”  I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did reviving it for the archives.

 ARTICLE BELOW IS CIRCA NOVEMBER 1921 – TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ORIGINAL NEWPAPER BY SANDRA MILLER

The twenty-fourth floor on the Mc Alpin Hotel rang out yesterday with the woof-woofs of the second annual Specialty show of the Chow Chow Club of America.  There were 117 dogs that sniffed and snarled.  Pretty women held them in leash, while dutiful husbands danced attention with fine tooth combs for their shaggy coats and panted around the exercise ring to keep the pups in condition.

The club members came from far and wide. There were few absent members from Johnnie Adams of Mount Vernon to C.J. Yancey of East Point, Ga.  There were thirty classes for chows, with everybody on their toes until 10 o’clock last night.  Aside from the blue, red and yellow ribbons to first, second and third winners, thousands of dollars and silver cups were awarded in special classes.

A few of the persons chatting about the ringside were Patrick M. Winshell of Columbus, O.;  Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Mower of Vendome, L.I., and Dr. and Mrs. J.M. Jones of Lenox Road, Brooklyn, the owner of Champion Chee Kee, an eminent chow of blue blue plus.  Another clubwomanwas Mr. John B. Herreshof.

Mrs. Robert Appleton of East Hampton, L.I., took pleasure in viewing the chow efforts of other exhibitors.  Mrs. Appleton took first honors with Radiant of Tien Hsai, a six month old chow in Class 1. (see photo below)

  Miss C.A. Knapp of Mastic, L.I. had several chows on the bench and Mrs. E.C. Waller of Hollis, L.I.  (see photo below) made a beautiful picture in her full length fur coat, parading Miss Knapp’s chows in the runway.

A chatty little group was that composed of Mrs. Madge Thorpe, a well known judge of dogs in shows throughout the country;  Miss Josephine Skinner, Miss Isabelle Sneddon, Secretary of the Queensborough Kennel Club, and Pop Skinner of Field and Stream.  A charming figure in furs and blue bird of paradise hat was Mrs. W.C. Mogk of No. 223 St. Nicholas Avenue, Brooklyn.

A sociable bevy of ladies, who, as they confessed, “just loved dogs,” were Mrs. P.J. Devine, who exhibited a six-month chow;  Mrs. Chris O’Connel, Mrs Elizabeth Bunner, Miss Helen Grein and Mrs. A. Haven.  After sitting through the show for an hour, Mrs. Devine said she wouel rather be down at Long Beach a-roller skatin’ on the boardwalk.  Mrs O’Connel has a hobby—two children -Jean, five, and Mildred, six.  “For ’tis Brooklyn’s beauties, they are” said Mrs. O’Connel, proudly.

Fred King, in a long linen duster was present.  George Foley came over from Philadelphia to supervise the show.  “You might be interested to know,” said Foley, “the first chow recorded in America was named Lager Beer exhibited at the fourth annual event of the Westminster Kennel Club in 1880.  He was full of spirit, too.”

Aside from Mrs. Adnah Neyhart, President of the club, many other club members remained all day and poured tea in the show ring.

They were Mrs. John C. Adams, Mrs E.L. Clarkson of Dutchess Country, N.Y.; Mrs W.S. Baer of Baltimore, Md.; Mrs D.A. Andrade of Brooklyn, Mrs Willian Codman of 85th Street, New York City; the Misses Flora and Marie Gannon of Elmhurst, L.I.; Mrs. W.L. Fitzgerald of Flushing; Mrs. M.E. Harby of West 50th Street: Miss Claire A. Knapp of Mastic, L.I.: Mrs E.A. Reed, Mrs M.J. Sexton, Mrs M.C. Van Buren of Oak Grove Avenue, Sound Beach Conn.; Mrs David Wagstaff of Ledgelands, Tuxedo Park; Mrs E.C. Waller, and Mrs J.K. White of Harrisburg Pa.

In Class 1, puppy dogs six months old, Mrs Robert Appleton took the blue, getting the edge on a pup from the Coassock Kennels, while Mrs Dottie Andrade was awarded the yellow silk

Mrs David Wagstaff took first honors in Class 2, puppy dogs nine months old.  (see photo below)

Miss Pauline Baum was content with second money.

In the Novice Class, red dogs, Miss Edith Bowdoin took the first prize, Mrs Andrade took the red badge and Coassock Kennels ran third.

Thomas F. Stoddart took the first money in Class 4, for novices other than red dogs, Dr. William Baer ran a close second

In Class 5 Mrs. Dottie Andrade finally forged to the front with a first winner in His Majesty of Old Orchard.    The Coassock Kennels copped both second and third winners

In Class 7, limit, dogs, E.K. Lincoln, owner of Greenacre Kennels took first money with Greenacre Li Pong Tow, Mrs. T.J. Gillen received the red badge with Pekoe Wong Lee, who does his own washing.

BELOW FIND AN OUTSTANDING ARTICLE WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE EVENTS OF THIS 1921 SPECIALTY AS WELL AS A LISTING OF ALL THE PLACEMENTS

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