Brits Invade 1936 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Published July 15, 2019.

The Curly Coated Retriever line-up at the venerable Westminster Kennel Club dog show in 1936 came with a decided British accent: the six entrants were all English imports.

The British invasion was led by three of J. Gould Remick's curlies, including the Best of Breed winner Dennington Mayfly of Marvadel.

Remick was a wealthy retriever owner and breeder who bred Chesapeake Bay and Labrador retrievers, as well as curly coats, under the Marvadel prefix. He served as Westminster Kennel Club president, was on the AKC's board of directors and was involved with a group of industrialists and financiers who were instrumental in starting retriever field trials in the U.S.
 
 Remick imported and bred many curly coated retrievers, starting in 1934 when he imported Sarona Sam, who was renamed Sarona Sam of Marvadel. Remick and his wife owned property in New York City, Cedarhurst, Long Island, and Centre Moriches, Long Island. Their curly coats were shown in conformation dog shows and run in retriever field trials. (More about this in a later post.)

Another wealthy dog fancier, Mrs. Morgan Belmont, exhibited the curly bitch that came in second to Mayfly. Mrs. Belmont, nee Margaret Frances Andrews, was married to Morgan Belmont, the youngest son of August Belmont, Jr.
 
 By marrying into the Belmont family, Margaret Andrews Belmont, who was a wealthy socialite in her own right, joined one of the wealthiest families in the U.S. The Belmonts had many and varied businesses and investments. They financed construction of the first New York subway, ran the New York City transit system, built the horse racing track Belmont Park, and owned several railroad companies.

Decades later, Morgan Belmont's nephew, August Belmont IV would gain fame as the owner/handler/trainer of one of the most famous Labrador retriever field trial champions NFC/2XNAFC Super Chief.

At the 1936 Westminster show, dogs and bitches were shown together. The six curly coated retrievers entered earned the winner, Mayfly, a 5-point major.