of new breeds is that they must be rep- resented by a stable parent breed club that will organize, among other things, a standard for the proposed Breed and a Foundation Pedigree Book to document that the breed does breed true. The minutes of this meeting on April 3, 1957, are the earliest recorded min- utes that we have of the new Australian Terrier Club. The Club began plans for the First Specialty to be held February 11,1962, in conjunction with the Associated Terrier Clubs at their show site in New York City. Mrs. Augustus Riggs, IV was approved to judge. The ATCA Emblem was used for the first time in conjunction with the pub- licity for the first Specialty Show. It was designed by Dr. Roszko, who worked into the design of the Wattle, the nation- al flower of Australia, and the Southern Cross constellation on the shield. This design has continued to the present day as the official emblem of the ATCA, with some alterations of the artwork for the Aussie. Also in 1962, Nell and Milton Fox were awarded the golden “FIDO” Breed- er of the Year Award by the Gaines Canine Research Foundation in recog- nition of their work in establishing the Australian Terrier breed, for their breed- ing of winning dogs and their help to other breeders. On July 9, 1961, a Sec- ond Plan “A” AKC Sanctioned Specialty Match Show was held by ATCA at Ocean County Park in New Jersey. Mr. Frank B. Brumby judged the Regular Classes and Mrs. Anthony Walters judged the Puppy Classes. Later in 1961, the AKC approved the offering of Specialty Shows by the Australian Terrier Club of America as a licensed Club of the AKC. Today, the Australian Terrier Club of America continues to be active in performance, conformation and health issues for the breed. ATCA has formed a Rescue Organization that meets the needs of the Australian Terrier of the US. Also ATCA has formed an AusT- Trust for the continuing education and health of the breed. ATCA has instituted a Junior Membership Scholarship for continuing education. ATCA continues to have National Specialties through- out the country with progressively increasing entries.
and Elizabeth Williams, whose Willelva Kennel was located in a suburb of Syd- ney, New South Wales. They provided Mrs. Fox with her first Aussie of note, Willelva Wanderer, whelped in 1956 and was sent to his new home in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Ch. Cooees Straleon Aussie, whelped July 1, 1957, was sired by Willelva Wan- derer with the dam being Elvyne Blue Taffetta was an Aussie that was bred and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Milton Fox and became the first AKC Australian Terrier champion. The Foxes trained their Aussies in Obedience at first and Willelva Wander- er was the first to earn the Companion Dog title. Soon the Fox’s became discouraged with the fact that they could not register their Australian Terriers with the Ameri- can Kennel Club as the breed was not recognized. Early inquiries at the Ameri- can Kennel Club revealed that the AKC felt the Australian Terrier had a stain on its pedigree, having received unsavory reports from fanciers about its lack of breeding true as required for a purebred dog breed. It takes time for rumors to quell, and one must remember, that in New South Wales registering dogs in more than one breed from the same lit- ter was stopped only in 1947 and not until 1952 in South Australia. In any case, Nell and Milton Fox set about organizing their efforts and those of colleagues with Aussies toward rec- ognition of the breed by the AKC. They not only commenced many importa- tions of Aussies from Australia and England around this time, but they also joined with John F. Harjes in entering their import, Willelva Wanderer, along with the several Aussies entered by Mr. Harjes in the Miscellaneous Class of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on February 11 and 12, 1957 in New York—there were three dogs and three bitches. In April 1957, the first meeting of a few local fanciers was held to form a parent breed club. The rest, it could be said, is history. HOW THE ATCA AS WE KNOW IT CAME TO BE One of the requirements of the American Kennel Club for recognition
Ch. Cooees Straleon Aussie of Pleasant Pastures
Nell Fox with Wanderer
“NELL AND MILTON FOX SET ABOUT ORGANIZING
THEIR EFFORTS AND THOSE OF
requirements initiated in Victoria about 1940 were the first to call a halt to cross- breeding in show stock; in New South Wales, the new rules came in 1947 and in South Australia, the practice was finally ended as late as 1952! Mrs. Milton (Nell) Fox, Pleasant Pas- tures, New Jersey is perhaps the single most influential player in the introduc- tion of the Australian Terrier to the American Kennel Club Stud Book. Nell Fox owned Australian Terriers as a child living in New Zealand. Nell married Milton Fox and together they settled in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, USA, where they eventually established their Pleas- ant Pastures Kennels. It is unclear when and what dogs Mr. and Mrs. Fox may have imported or oth- erwise acquired prior to the 1950s but we know that in 1955 she requested a dog from two sisters, the Misses Elsie COLLEAGUES WITH AUSSIES TOWARD RECOGNITION OF THE BREED BY THE AKC.”
S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , J ULY 2017 • 249
Powered by FlippingBook