{"id":3217,"date":"2025-10-06T23:45:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T06:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hotchin.net\/WordPress\/?p=3217"},"modified":"2025-12-06T21:45:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T05:45:32","slug":"draco-finishes-championship-at-the-welsh-terrier-club-of-america-national-specialty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hotchin.net\/WordPress\/2025\/10\/06\/draco-finishes-championship-at-the-welsh-terrier-club-of-america-national-specialty\/","title":{"rendered":"Draco finishes championship at the Welsh Terrier Club of America National Specialty!"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”3181″ img_size=”medium_large” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]New Champion Darwyn’s Black Magic.\u00a0 Many thanks to Welsh Terrier breeder judge, Mrs. Allison Sunderman.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”3181″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]It was truly a dream come true, my home-bred boy won WINNERS DOG every day he was shown on Montgomery County KC week (and Best of Winners twice!).\u00a0 To finish at the National Specialty, from the bred-by class, is what every serious show breeder dreams of.<\/p>\n

Katheryn Murray conditioned Draco for the previous few months, and showed him every day except for Montgomery County.\u00a0 Kate works closely with her family, Chrystal Murray and Paul Clas, and they make a wonderful team together.\u00a0 Kate had Draco in very beautiful condition, and the team runs a well-run and low-stress set-up.<\/p>\n

2025 Montgomery County week was very special year for many reasons including:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 The famous Morris & Essex KC, only held every 5 years<\/strong>, was part of the 2025 Montgomery week of shows, and 2025 was an extra WTCA Specialty (Draco was Winners Dog and Maddie won Award of Merit!);<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Multiple Best in Show Welsh Terriers from other countries were competing in the classes for Winners Dog;<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 There were 2 official WTCA breed specialties held<\/strong>, Morris & Essex and the National on Montgomery Day<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Every day of shows, the breed was judged by well-known and well-respected terrier-breeder judges<\/strong>, with a long-time successful Welsh Terrier breeder judging the National Specialty.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 AND … it was the 125th Anniversary Show for the Welsh Terrier Club of America!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Going into Montgomery week …<\/p>\n

Draco was relatively new to showing, and most people had not heard of him.<\/p>\n

A year earlier, as a 9 month old puppy, Draco was awarded his Canadian Championship, all from group placements, in just 2 weekends of shows.\u00a0 Draco’s finishing points in Canada came from a respected breeder-judge from Columbia, Mr. Ivan Sandoval.<\/p>\n

Prior to going to Kate, Draco was shown in Canada for a couple of weekends, and he was awarded multiple group placements, and a group 1st — these wins finished his Canadian Grand Championship!<\/p>\n

The first day of the “Montgomery week of shows” was the famous Morris & Essex KC show, held once every 5 years.\u00a0 Mrs. Lydia Coleman Hutchison judged, and she confidently pointed to Draco for Winners Dog for a major!<\/p>\n

The next two shows on “Montgomery week” were Hatboro I and Hatboro II, and Draco was awarded both Winners Dog and Best of Winners!<\/p>\n

We could have moved him up to specials to compete directly for Best of Breed, however, it has happened multiple times over the decades where foreign dogs have been entered incorrectly, and wins that you think you have, don’t end up with the points that you expect.\u00a0 Instead, we chose to pull him from competition for the Devon show day (day before Montgomery).<\/p>\n

The last day of the circuit really is the main reason that terrier enthusiasts come from all over the world to just north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.\u00a0 I (Larisa Hotchin) have has attended this show weekend over 25 times now all of the way from the West Coast of Canada.\u00a0 For 2025, it was even MORE special since it was the WTCA’s 125th Anniversary!<\/p>\n

The National Specialty was judged by Terrier Specialist and Welsh Terrier breeder-judge, Mrs. Allison Corn Sunderman of Michigan, USA.\u00a0 Draco was shown in the BRED-BY EXHIBITOR class with his breeder-owner, Larisa Hotchin.<\/p>\n

At the WTCA 125th Anniversary National Specialty, Draco was awarded:
\n– Winners Dog for a 5 point major!
\n– Best Bred-by in Breed!
\n– Award of Merit, from the classes!<\/p>\n

For something even more exciting was participating in the Montgomery County KC’s Bred-By Exhibitor Best in Show ring where Draco was then awarded BIS 3 (Group 3) Bred-By!\u00a0 WOW!!!!<\/p>\n

What made this even more special was the fact that I was able to share these amazing wins with very good friends of mine, who had traveled from other countries (England and Australia) … we all shared a hotel suite, meals, and many laughs together.\u00a0 Both Alexandra Hall and Sonya Cornick are themselves noted for showing beautiful Welsh Terriers, to many top awards, in their own countries.\u00a0 Thank you ladies for helping make this year so very special for me!<\/p>\n

2025 was most definitely a very memorable National Specialty weekend for sure![\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″]