History of the Washakie Dalmatian line
(See photos below)
Mrs. Pat McClellan owned her first Dalmatian in 1935 and was able to protect her line during the war years under the prefix of 'Merrycroft'. After the war she was granted the prefix 'Washakie'. Since then she maintained her own strain for 50 years and bred and/or owned many Champions, including the record CC winner in the breed at the time, Ch. Washakie Othello.
Pat judged at Championship level both in the U.K. and on the continent for many years, and judged Crufts in 1976. The prefix 'Washakie' will always be indelibly linked with Mrs. Pat McClellan who died in 1994.
The Washakie prefix originates in Wyoming USA where pat and her husband lived and was the name of the native Indian Chief of the Shoshones who co-operated with the white man against the other indian tribes. Chief Washakie died in 1900 and was the first Indian to receive a full military funeral.
I started going to shows with Pat from childhood and spent a great deal of time with her as she was my godmother. At the age of 9 years I was already handling for her in the ring.
On my 16th birthday I was given partnership in the Washakie kennel, and the prefix 'Washakie' was transferred to me later that year. Pat gave my my first potential show dog, Int. Ch. Washakie Psychedelic. I showed her and gained 7 CC's. She went to the USA after having a litter from which Pat and I kept a bitch puppy called Washakie Taboo.
Two years later we mated Taboo to Pat Kindersley's Ch. Review at Knightstone producing two beautiful dogs Ch./Am. Ch. Washakie Dancing Brave J.W. (22 CC's, 6 Res. CC's and BIS at WELKS Ch. Show 1994) and top winning Ch. Washakie Indian Summer J.W. (18 CC's, 20 Res. CC's and Dalmatian of the Year 1995 and 1996).