Dachshunds Do Westchester!

By Amy Fernandez

“I was doing it on a fairly regular basis but so many times we got hit by a blizzard, I started thinking I was jinxing the show so I stepped down as show chairman.” DALI president and longtime Dachshund breeder, Diane Poranski had justified reasons for getting superstitious. The Dachshund Association of Long Island (DALI) founded in 1950, is one of many clubs comprising that long tradition of Westminster week specialties. And like the rest, it has been treading water to survive as membership dwindles, entries flatline, venues become a scare commodity- and New York’s February weather reliably adds the last straw to that package.

She knows all about it. “The last time I served as show chairman when we were still at the Meadowlands I went home after the Friday show to pick up the next day’s trophies and I never got back to the show.” That can happen with two feet of snow. “The judge flew in from England and no one could get to the airport to pick her up.” Definitely a memorable show for all the wrong reasons.

But just maybe…DALI’s luck is changing. This year’s show was a remarkably flawless production, even the weather cooperated. Along with a raft of other clubs, DALI and its companion event, DCA, relocated their Friday and Saturday events from the New Jersey Convention Center to the Westchester Hilton four years ago. Collectively known as the Winter Garden Specialties, the 2018 lineup, which ran from Friday February 9 through Sunday February 11, featured three days of English, Irish, and Gordon specialties, Dobermans and Vizsla specialties on Saturday and Sunday, along with the Sleepy Hollow German Shorthair Club on Sunday. That added up to 15 clubs including the back to back Dachshund specialties. On Friday, the Eastern Irish Setter Club also staged its All Breed Ob/Rally downstairs.

Incredibly, despite the number of clubs, breeds, and events, the rings were spacious, there was plenty of grooming space, and the hotel grounds were beautiful, accessible, and convenient for dogs. Most importantly, everyone was clearly having a good time. Parking was tight and the lighting could be better but that’s nitpicking. In terms of the crucial stuff, it was superlative. DALI treasurer and Winter Garden secretary Trudy Kawami is the first to admit that the prospects didn’t look too encouraging at the start.

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Posted by Alex on Apr 3 2018. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.