She Asked For It

The year's greatest international get-together took place last week at Manhattan's Madison Square Garden. Japanese spaniels, Italian greyhounds, German shepherds, Russian wolfhounds, English cockers, French poodles, American foxhounds and 87 other breeds met to outshine one another for the crowning glory in a dog's life: the Westminster Kennel Club's best-in-show.

A favorite among the 2,388 delegates was a ten-pound Pekingese, Ch. Che-Le of Matsons Catawba, whose family tree dates back to Chinese antiquity. Ch. Che-Le, said to be worth $1,000 a lb., had won eleven minor best-in-shows in 1941. But the pompous little Peke, apparently overconfident, failed to win even best-of-breed.

Another major upset took place when Mrs. Jack Oakie, onetime Follies showgirl who was judging Afghans, passed over Marion Florsheim's Ch. Rana of Chaman of Royal Irish, who had gone to the finals last year. Thus, when the six group winners padded into the ring for final judging, two favorites were missing. The group finalists included an English sheepdog, an English springer spaniel, an English-bred West Highland white terrier, a silver-grey borzoi (Russian wolfhound), a black poodle, a brown Pomeranian. The two dogs that commanded the fanciers' attention were the Old English sheepdog, Ch. Merriedip Master Pantaloons, the gallery favorite, and the West Highland white terrier, Ch. Wolvey Pattern of Edgerstoune.

A West Highland--in appearance a snow-white cousin of the popular Scottie--is a comparative stranger to most U.S. dog fans, though familiar to viewers of Black & White whiskey ads. There are only 120 registered with the American Kennel Club. Wolvey, a four-year-old bitch owned by Mrs. John G. Winant, wife of the U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, has dominated her breed in 60 shows since coming to the U.S. three years ago.

Last week Wolvey conducted herself with as much grace and poise as her charming mistress. After a dramatic half hour she convinced the gallery as well as Judge Herman Mellenthin that she deserved the show-dog championship of the U.S.

"She asked for it every minute in the ring," said Judge Mellenthin. "Always there, telling you, 'Here I am.' "

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