Montgomery County 2019


Waiting for awards presentation in the rain at Montgomery County KC.

There is only one dog show in America that challenges the prestige of the Westminster Kennel Club show in New York, and that’s the terrier-only event known as “Montgomery County”, held every year on the first weekend of October near Philadelphia, PA.

I made my first trip to Montgomery in 1981 with my mother, won my first class, and have returned nearly every year since. For Terrier enthusiasts, it’s our Superbowl. We work all year developing puppies and older dogs with the goal of peaking on that weekend.

In recent years “Minuteman” Mini Schnauzers have enjoyed very good success on the weekend, with several different dogs winning major awards. However, with every top winning Mini Schnauzer in America in attendance, along with others flying in from around the world, just getting to the main ring to compete with the 31 other breeds for one of the four group placements is considered the most difficult task in our breed.

This year we not only won the breed at the American Miniature Schnauzer National Specialty, but placed fourth in the group with my new young dog, AmCanCh.Minuteman Colder Weather. Colder’s win could be considered a genuine upset — it was just his third weekend competing as a finished champion.

I don’t know what the next year holds for us yet, but for now I’m just content to bask in what is by far, the pinnacle in my many years of breeding and showing purebred dogs.

Now, I must get busy finding out what happened in the world while we were having fun.

48 Replies to “Montgomery County 2019”

  1. Great to see someone with a passion and an interest and do very well at it.
    You bring the same to SDA.
    Congratulations.

  2. Congratulations Kate. Hearing about your dogs and especially the pictures is definitely a favourite part of your blog.

  3. As I said in an earlier thread about your dogs, I think someone has earned himself a few doggie treats and some extra scratching behind the ears. He’s definitely the epitome of a “good boy”.

  4. A great achievement made even much greater by being a breeder-owner-handler. If I were to include “groomer”, then that would be stupendous. That’s an incredibly well-turned-out dog. Many congratulations and good wishes!

  5. Wow, Kate! What an accomplishment. Very well done. I too, love his name and his stance. Who’s a good dog? He is.

  6. Here’s what happened while you were gone. Canada’s official Crazy Aunt announced that nobody east of the Rockies may be allowed to work past the end of this election, and that we need colder weather than we’re getting now.

  7. Congratulations!!! An admirable accomplishment. Would be impressive if that was the only thing you did well. Thanks for my favourite blog.

  8. Congrats Kate. As many have observed it is a delight to see someone reach such heights “following her bliss” as Joseph Campbell would say. Is lance as well trained?

    AmCanCh.Minuteman Colder Weather

    AmCanCh.Minuteman Climate Denier?
    AmCanCh.Minuteman Global Cooling?

  9. Kate;
    WOW.
    I have read this blog multiple times a day for 20 years and although, you certainly have lots of things to brag about, I have VERY seldom heard you do so.
    This is a great accomplishment and congratulate you.

  10. I have a form of autism that robs me of the ability to ‘size up’ people.
    that task has been delegated to my part Mastiff.
    *anyone* with such a measure of adoration and desire to care for canines as shown by our Kate
    including activities that so enrich *their* lives (and they KNOW it) gets all respect and gratitude from me.

  11. Congratulations to you and Colder Weather! All of western Canada was behind you.
    But next year, might you consider entering a pooch named, “Balmy Autumn”?

  12. Congratulations Kate he is magnificent. Have a safe trip home and you deserve every award you win.

  13. Well done Kate & Colder πŸ™‚
    But… I add …
    Nice though he is, no patch on a rescued mongrel of unknown breeding, thrown out of a car window in Greece, legs broken, rescued by my friend and neighbour when she lived there, now happily resident in England, my supervisor in most tasks on the holding and occasional pilot’s assistant dog – with her own log book too – Taaraaaaa: Miss Muffin πŸ™‚

  14. Congrats Kate! You were soaring with the eagles. Now its time to fly with the turkeys.

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