Anna Katherine Nicholas – The WKC Blizzard of ’69

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210 – August, 2024

By Amy Fernandez

Yes, it appears that Westminster is gearing up for yet another relocation. Arguably, after the last few years, we should be pretty good at navigating the free-floating Westminster. A couple years at the Piers, a couple years at Lyndhust, a couple years at BJK. For sure, the basic Westminster logistics are far more demanding than the average show. Just getting there and back requires extensive pre-planning–never mind all the unforeseen complications that inevitably make the experience memorable.

Good or bad, get ready because we are going. It’s almost hard to remember when, despite the substantial drawbacks of NYC in February, there was a rock solid predictability to the event. It got me wondering about the general reaction back in 1969 when Westminster made its first move after nearly a half-century. Since 1925 the show had been held at MSG III, uptown on 49th Street. So, 1969 definitely represented a major upheaval. Dog people took it in stride, energized by the promise of spacious luxury at the show’s new home. They had no choice. Less than a day after Westminster 1968–while exhibitors were still checking out of their hotels across the street–the wrecking ball reduced that place to a pile of rubble. But this was all good. The brand new 34th street venue, perched on top of the brand new Penn Station, was expected to make up for the many drawbacks of the old Garden.

The irrepressible Anna Katherine Nicholas was on the judging panel that year, as she had been throughout those decades. She got her first dog as a young child–a Pekingese–and she was all-in to the purebred dog scene from that moment on. Although she is primarily remembered as a judge, her original interest in dogs came through writing. Over the years, she authored 70 published titles and won numerous writing awards–and she continued writing once that judging career commenced in 1934.

Click here to read the complete article
210 – August, 2024

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