548 



SPORTING CHAMPIONS IN COMPETITION. 



THE WINNER ON THE BOARD IS CH, HIGH LEGH BLARNEY. 



CHAPTER LXIII. 



THE LADIES' KENNEL ASSOCIATION (Incorporated). 



BY MRS. H. .WLMER. 



"/ see yon are fond of dogs, sir. So am I." — Mr. Jingle. 



yfl TRES leinf^s, tiiitrcs niivurs. — 

 y^j Wlicn, in i.S()2, tliree s't-ars after 

 the tlrst dcii[j sliow on rt-cord took 

 [)la(<-. tin- names of two ladies, the Hon. 

 Mrs. Col\-ille and Mrs. Buri<e, appeared 

 anionir tiie prize winners at liirniin>jhani, 

 there was prohabh' tiie usual outcr\- hearil 

 \\hene\cr wdiiien strike out a Iresli line. 

 .\s time went on, ho\\e\er, a few other 

 ladies had the couras^e <if their (■on\ictions, 

 and joined in placinsj their doc^s in public 

 competition; but it was not till 1869 that 

 the custom met with much approval. That 

 year was a memorable one in the annals of 

 women exhibitors, as Her Maiest\' Queen 

 .Viexandra, then Princess of Wales, set the 

 seal to fashion when, at a show held in 

 Laycock's ("attle Sheds, Islington, her 

 .Mastilt, Duchess, was second in its class, 

 and was ol'hcially described as "the best 

 e\er exhibited," rmd when her two Borzois 

 took lirst and .second prizes in the class for 

 foreiq;n do^s. 



In 1.S70, at the .second show held under 

 the auspices of what, three vears later, 

 became the Ivennel Club, a special prize 

 was offered for the best doe owned by a 



lady, and was won bv Miss Hales with a 

 Mastiff named Lion. 



Prejudice is difficult to overcome, and, 

 in sjiite of the Royal example, it was not 

 until i8(j5 that the dog world awoke to the 

 fact that women, who had so long been 

 interested spectators, meant to take a more 

 active part in the plav. 



The first Ladies' Kennel Association was 

 feirmed with a long list of vice-presidents, 

 reading almost like an extract from Burke, 

 and her Majesty graciously consented to 

 become patron. Under the association's 

 fostering wing shows were held from time 

 to time at Ranelagh, Holland House, 

 F.arl's Court, and the Botanical Gardens. 



After manv ups and downs the associa- 

 tion was voluntarilv dissolved in order 

 to make place for a new incorporated 

 association, the members of which run no 

 risks bevond their subscription and los. 6d. 

 When, in 1903, the financial affairs of the 

 old association could no longer be ignored, 

 the committee was reorganised, and con- 

 sisted of the Countess of Aberdeen (chair- 

 man), the Lady Evelyn Ewart, Lady 

 Gordon Cathcart, Ladv Reid, Mrs. Preston 



