Patricia Craige Trotter Puts The Icing On The Cake

Patricia Craige Trotter puts the icing on the cake – Lines from Linda

For 145 years, dog lovers have feasted on thrills of the Westminster Kennel Club!

Like a great recipe, each year the Westminster team has perfected the ingredients that come together to top the previous year’s creation.

For 2021, the Westminster collaborators had extraordinary vision. They overcame broadly complex and demanding circumstances, meeting the high expectations that the dog world devours at their event.

Patricia Craige Trotter must have been euphoric as she was escorted into the ring by Westminster Kennel Club President Charlton Reynders, III, and Show Chairmen David A. Heming and David W. Haddock. Before awarding the two highly prized awards, she paused to make the following comments:

“Without a doubt, the entire sport of dogs is grateful to the Westminster Kennel Club members and staff for persevering through troubled times to bring us out to this gorgeous estate and create this show for the ages. We thank them for all they have done!

We also want to thank the judges whose expertise ended up putting these dogs Best of Breed in their own breed, and the second set of judges who sent them to this glorious venue to compete for Best in Show. It was a sterling line-up. All of you are worthy. I want to say this to you. We love all dogs as dog lovers, mixed breeds and pure breeds. They are all pets. Now, every pet may not be a show dog, but be assured, every show dog is a pet.

I certainly want to thank the breeders who have created these lines of beautiful animals. I’ve seen the ancestors of several of these dogs over the years. So, to the breeders and owners and handlers and trainers and conditioners, you’re on top of your game, all of you!

There is one more I would like to thank, and that is my husband, Chuck Trotter. When I married him 27 years ago, he said, ‘You have to judge with me.’ So, here I am!

And I want to thank all of the dogs that have brought us all here over the years.”

Then, on live television for all the world to see from the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York, Mrs. Trotter put the icing on the cake with her final words, “Tonight’s RESERVE BEST IN SHOW goes to the lovely WHIPPET, and tonight’s BEST IN SHOW goes to the PEKINGESE!”

For putting a fresh perspective on the 145th WKC Dog Show, applause goes to the lovely Gail Miller Bisher, Director of Communications for The Westminster Kennel Club, for leading her trio of sports commentators that includes Chris Myers and AKC Judge Donald Sturz.

Having broadcast everything from the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA Finals, The Masters, The Triple Crown of horse racing, and the Daytona 500, Chris Myers adds his colorful expressions to man’s best friends as they compete for dogdom’s highest honors. This stellar threesome is a blessing to our sport.