Showsight September 2020

HISTORY OF THE SEALYHAM TERRIER

top: Percy Roberts placed Ch. Robin Hill Brigade First in Group at Morris & Essex in 1955. bottom: Margery Good with Ch. Efbe’s Hidalgo at Goodspice—BIS at Eukanuba in 2007.

Evelyn Grosvenor. The Duchess of Teck was one of the breed’s earliest and most influential supporters. King George him- self owned a Sealy named “Jock.” Princess Margaret owned two Sealys, “Pippin” and “Johnnie.” Both were bred by Major Sir Jocelyn Lucas, MP (Ilmer). Queen Moth- er Elizabeth frequently took care of the Sealys. Queen Elizabeth is shown with a Sealy in early photographs with her Cor- gis. Lord Louis Mountbatten and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands also owned Sealys as did Winston Churchill’s daughter, Mary Soames. Sealyhams became famous in the 1930’s and 1940’s with Hollywood and other famous folks. Among those who owned Sealys were Humphrey Bogart, Ronald Colman, Conrad Veidt, Clark Gable, Adolphe Menjou, Madeleine Carroll, Tal- lulah Bankhead, author Agatha Christie, author Maurice Sendak, Dorothy Parker (Algonquin Round Table), Deborah Kerr, Betty Grable, George Brent, Bert Lahr, pro golfer Gene Sarazen, author F. Scott Fitzgerald, Wimbledon Champion Helen Wills Moody, Leslie Howard, Catherine Cornell, Hedda Hopper, Zeppo Marx, Mae West, NY Yankees Pitcher Lefty Gomez, Rex Harrison, Publisher William Randolph Hearst, Jr., and humorist Will Rogers. Actor Gary Cooper and his wife Rocky owned Best in Show winner Ch. Holly- bourne Delia and bred her champion son, Ch. Balgary Plainsman. Perhaps the great- est advocate was Sir Alfred Hitchcock who featured a Sealy prominently in the 1941 film “Suspicion” and made his cam- eo appearance in “The Birds” walking his Sealys “Geoffrey” and “Stanley” (both bred by Major Sir Jocelyn Lucas, MP) out of a San Francisco pet emporium. Other films with Sealys: Storm in A Teacup; Peg O’ My Heart; The Young in Heart; and Bells Are Ringing. Because of the dramatic drop of Sealy- ham registrations over the past few decades, the Sealyham is classified as a Vulnerable Native Breed in the UK. The breed is also in the lower 10% of Terrier registrations in the US. It is hoped that designer breeds will run their course and that people will once again discover the charm, engaging personality, and fun of life with a Sealyham Terrier. It is a jester, peerless guardian, best friend, entertainer, hot water bottle, enthu- siastic listener, and door chime all in one adorable package.

Best in Show awards, tying Wolvey Noel. All records were smashed two years later by Ch. Dersade Bobby’s Girl’s 48 Best in Show wins under Peter Green’s leadership. In the early 2000’s, Ch. Stonebroke Right On the Money won an amazing 67 Best in Show awards for owners Mickey and Linda Low and is the top-winning American-bred Sealy of all time. For bitches, Ch. Tint- ern Tzarina, bred by Cheryl Jennings and handled by Geoff and Peggy Browne, holds the record for American-bred bitches with 13 Bests. The top-winning Sealy of all time was Ch. Efbe’s Hidalgo at Goodspice, bred in Canada, who placed Group One at West- minster (2008) and also took Best in Show at Crufts (Birmingham, UK) in 2009, the World Dog Show in Stockholm in 2008, and the AKC/Eukanuba National Cham- pionship in 2007. “Charmin” won a total of 91 Best in Show awards in his American career. He was an amazing sire with a won- derful temperament and lived to 14-½. Ch. Torset Touch of Class, bred by Stella Rootes in the UK and shown by Margery Good, is the leading all-time sire of 41 champions, while his great-grandson, Ch. Efbe’s Hidalgo at Goodspice, is runner- up with 36 champions.

Ch. Slyfox All Fired Up Seberdale, bred by Mark and Joan Taggart and Frandel Brown, and owned by Karen and Ken- neth Haugland, is the all-time leading dam having produced 16 champions. In second place is her ancestor Ch. Penllyn Paprika Goodspice who produced 13 champions. The American Sealyham Terrier Club was founded May 15, 1913 with August Belmont Jr. as its first President. Since 1952, the ASTC has held its annual Specialty in conjunction with Montgomery County Kennel Club in Pennsylvania. In the past 15 years, the Sealyhams Forever Founda- tion was formed to rescue and rehome any Sealy in need. Sharon Yard is President of the former and Suzanne Hill is President of the latter. The Sealyham Terrier Club of Southern California, founded in 1954, is the only regional Sealy Club in the United States. It has a small, but active, membership and holds its annual Specialties in conjunction with Great Western Terrier Association. Two great ladies, Helen Moser and Dorothy Love, led this club for decades. Jill Ferrera is current President. British Royalty first became associated with the Sealyham through the marriage of King George V’s brother-in-law, Prince Adolphus of Teck, and Lady Margaret

198 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 2020

Powered by