How 1973 Changed Poodle Grooming Forever
Sasha Riess
BIS Magazine USA February 2021
Poodle show grooming would change forever on a cold, rainy evening at the Westminster Kennel Club Show on February 13, 1973 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Prior to 1973 there have been only five instances of a Poodle taking the podium as Best in Show at Westminster. The trim which they sported was the old English Saddle Trim which after this night would become out of fashion.
The old English Saddle Trim had three pompoms on the hind legs, the characteristic kidney patch on the side of the loins. The front legs had a shaped pompom. The chest coat was left to grow to its full extent and barley shaped.
The images that appeared on the cover of The New York Times on the February 14, 1974 shocked not only the very dissatisfied audience who chanted the boos throughout the awards ceremony, but also the numerous professionals and show Poodle people from around the world who saw the new Westminster winner as a new trend.
Maybe the dog won because it was clipped differently. It is possible that the grooming influenced the decision of the judges. What happened?
In the pictures one could see the dissatisfaction of the audience. However, beyond the picture one could recognize the sheer talent and bravery the handler Frank Sebella possessed. He realized what he had to work with and had no doubts about the dog’s quality and his performance. The challenge was to make the judges recognize the same. It only takes someone to go after what they believe in to change the course of history.
The judge, Mrs. August Riggs, was able to see beyond the coat to recognize the Poodle, withstanding the pressure from the established Poodle styling paradigm of that time she chose the new the future.
It is worthy of admiration and leaves one breathless having the courage to go against the grain and barring the roaring crowd.
This event represented a revolution in the Poodle show grooming world, it enabled one to come to the realization of how unimportant the coat style itself is in relation to the actual quality of the dog.
The New York Times was covering this event and wrote:
“A stunning white Standard Poodle, Ch. Acadia Command Performance, came through with a true command performance at Madison Square Garden last night, as the two‐day Westminster Kennel Club event came to a close when he was named best in show in a field of 3,029 dogs.
The decision was not a popular one with the 10,000 spectators last night and there was considerable booing.
Mrs. August Riggs, of Woodbine, Md., who judged the final, said, ‘” The booing didn’t bother me at all. The crowd has booed the best‐in‐show decision plenty of times in the past. I made the final decision on over ‐ all quality and the way of moving. The poodle’s mistakes? I don’t call exuberance a mistake.”’
Bart, as the 67-pounder is called by his owners, Mrs. Jo Ann Sering of Portland, Ore., and Edward B. Jenner of Richmond, Il., was two years old just 10 days ago.
Choice of Bart is greeted by boos here.
The first time out as a special, still in puppy coat, he took the top award at Santa Barbara. As a champion, he has been shown 19 times and he has taken 18 blue rosettes, one red and last night his ninth best in show.
Frank Sabella of Granada Hills, Calif., who showed Bart, was lavish in praising his charge. ‘“I’ve been handling poodles for 14 years and have seen some good ones. But Bart is a really great one.”’
Once Bart took over the cover pages, everyone in the world started to groom the chest of the Poodles much tighter creating a more elegant silhouette.
It wasn’t about the grooming, it wasn’t about politics, it wasn’t about the audience, it was about the dog and the courage, to do it right.
For 1973 this event was epic, it was far and away from the generally accepted beauty of a Poodle coat. The style of the English Saddle Trim took over as an inspiration, creating the new course in Poodle grooming.
With brave actions we inspire future generations to think outside of the box, and to have the inspiration to see the Poodle beyond the in-vogue grooming style.
Maybe it is a time for a new 1973.
