Path to Westminster: Meet Curry, a Glen of Imaal Terrier

In the world of purebred dog shows, there is no competition as prestigious, or title more coveted, than "Best in Show" at the Westminster Kennel Club All Breed Dog Show.

Founded in 1877, the Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) is the country's oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs and the second longest continuously held sporting event in the nation -- second only to the Kentucky Derby.

Just getting your dog accepted to compete at the WKC Dog Show is quite an accomplishment. Only the world's best champion dogs -- who place in the Top 5 in their breed category -- are invited to pre-enter the show, with other champion canines vying for a spot through an application process.

With the October 31st cut-off date to earn a spot at the WKC's 2010 Dog Show fast approaching, Paw Nation is following one canine hopeful in her quest to make it to Westminster.


On a Monday afternoon in late September, I'm invited to the New York City apartment of Bruce Sussman, a songwriter and playwright, to meet his three Glen of Imaal Terriers. If you've never heard of this rare Irish breed, don't worry. "There are fewer than two dozen Glen of Imaal breeders in the United States and only about 700 Glens in the country," Sussman tells Paw Nation.

We sit in the living room near a black grand piano -- Sussman is a longtime songwriter for Barry Manilow, including the Grammy-winning "Copacabana" -- as two of his dogs, India and Curry, race up and down the hallway jumping on each other and playing. His third dog, 13 year-old Kafka, lays at the foot of my chair, dozing.

"The first time I saw a Glen of Imaal Terrier was when I was in London working on a show. I saw a picture of one in a gorgeous coffee table book called the 'Encyclopedia of Dogs,'" Sussman recounts. He had Wheaten Terriers for many years, but was instantly smitten. "Unlike the other three Irish terrier breeds, the Glen of Imaal is on short legs, but is a substantial dog. It has an interesting history and came from a remote valley in Ireland called Glen of Imaal." Originally bred to hunt and kill vermin silently, Glen of Imaals are quiet dogs. Sussman's three dogs don't emit a single bark the entire time I'm there.

Sussman was instrumental in getting the Glen of Imaal Terrier recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 2004. "It took eight years, which is actually pretty fast," Sussman says of the breed recognition process. "Some breeds just languish in limbo."

India, who is now 10 and a "blue brindle" in color, is the first ever champion Glen of Imaal Terrier in the country. "She holds every record in the breed," Sussman tells Paw Nation. "India is the first and only Glen to win Best in Show at an all breed best in show [competition]. She's a two-time national speciality winner, and a two-time Westminster champion winning best in her breed."

India retired two years ago, but her niece, Curry, hopes to follow in her aunt's legendary pawprints. "Of my three dogs, Curry is the one that needs to be loved all the time," says Sussman. "You get up and leave the room and she's at your heels. You get in bed and she's on top of you." When we catch Curry -- who is a "red wheaten" and strawberry blonde in color -- laying on the floor staring at herself in the mirror, Sussman jokes, "She's also very vain."

Curry is only three years old and just started showing this year, but has already achieved champion (or "Ch.") status. "She used to think it was play time when the judge came over [to inspect her] and she would wiggle around, but now she knows to stack," says Sussman. "Stack" is when a dog stands still in a manner that shows off a dog's body.

Curry's official name is Ch. Coleraines Mandalay Royalty. The upcoming Westminster Dog Show in February will be her first -- if she makes the cut.

It all comes down to whether Curry does well at an upcoming four-day dog show in early October in eastern Pennsylvania referred to as "Montgomery weekend" as the event culminates with the Montgomery County Kennel Club Dog Show. With this event, she may earn enough points to secure a spot as one of the Top 5 Glen of Imaal Terriers who will be extended an invitation to Westminster.

"There are ten Glen of Imaal dogs in the running for the Top 5 spots for Westminster," explains Sussman. It may seem like small competition, but with so many points that a dog can earn at Montgomery weekend -- akin to a "Terrier World Series" because it is limited to only terrier breeds and draws a large number of entries -- that "a dog who has never shown could come in and win and the whole thing could change," says Sussman. Currently, Curry holds the fifth spot of all Glen of Imaals competing in the country, but that could all change this weekend.

To prepare for Montgomery weekend, Sussman stripped Curry's coat this past June so that a nice, harsh coat could grow in. "Other than stripping out her coat, the Glen of Imaal is supposed to be a rough-and-ready working breed, so we don't fuss much," says Sussman. "These dogs aren't blow dried or fluffed. I'll give her a bath – but only her furnishings and her head. You don't bathe the jacket because the bath softens the coat and it's supposed to be harsh. I'll just brush out the hair around her face. "

In preparation for the trip to Pennsylvania, Sussman will spend a day packing: three crates for his dogs, grooming table, grooming bag with brushes, and water. He will broil calf liver and cut it into small pieces to keep in his pocket as bait to get Curry's attention when showing in the ring.

"All three dogs think it's like a day at the dog park, but with fussy rules," says Sussman. "There's all kinds of dogs around and people are dropping food all over the place and they think it's kind of great. That's why I like to take all three of my dogs. They enjoy it, even if they're not showing."

We'd wish Curry good luck, but Sussman still uses a phrase from his years in show business. "I say, 'break a leg!' and people look at me funny," he laughs.

Check in next week to find out how Curry scored over the weekend!

Tags: bruce sussman, BruceSussman, glen of imaal terrier, GlenOfImaalTerrier, pathtowestminster, westminster kennel club, WestminsterKennelClub