CLUB HISTORY
In 1941, an enthusiastic group of Pekingese breeders headed by Zara Smith, Jalna Pekingese Kennels, founded the Evergreen State Pekingese Club. Its 22 members were very active, having monthly meetings in members’ homes. Showmanship, care of dogs, exhibiting and other pertinent subjects were discussed. Such notable judges as Mrs. Richard Quigley, Grace Greenberg, Robert Cross, Anna Young, and other breeder judges all agreed that the quality of our Northwest Pekes was far above average.
Harmony, good fellowship and earnestness of purpose was and is the aim of the Club. The membership has always been dedicated to helping our little Celestials maintain the high place in dogdom they so richly deserve.
During the 1950’s, the Pekingese classes
of the Seattle Kennel Club shows were used as our Specialty. In 1962, during
the World’s Fair, we joined several other breed clubs in holding a
combined Specialty at the
In August of 1991, we established a second annual Specialty. It is held on Friday with the Olympic Kennel Club All-Breed Show the next 2 days.
In March of 1992, we celebrated our fiftieth anniversary.
In March of 1993, we hosted the 3rd annual Roving Show of the Pekingese Club of America. It was a three-day weekend with Rose City presenting its show on Thursday, Evergreen State having the Friday show and hosting the PCA show on Saturday. A special banquet featured Betty White as our speaker. We are proud to have been chosen as hosts of this special weekend.
In October of 2001, we hosted the 11th annual Rotating Show (formerly the Roving Show) of the Pekingese Club of America.
We have many events throughout the year educational as well as fund raisers and social events like our summer fun match and pot luck picnic, our Christmas party. This year we joined Sirius about dogs by sponsoring an education booth at there two day event in June.
Lydia (Frank) Kretzman was born and raised in New York. Her first Pekingese as a birthday present from her mother when she turned eight - and she has owned them ever since.
Upon graduating from college, Lydia taught school in Maine for eight years, and then taught for two more years in Vermont. After her marriage to Byron Kretzman, Lydia and Byron moved back to New York where they raised their three children. It was during their time in New York that Lydia became involved with the Pekingese Club of America.
After Byron's retirement in the late '80's, at age 70 they moved from New York to Washington state to be closer to two of their three children. Shortly thereafter, Lydia and her daughter Robin joined the Evergreen State Pekingese Club.
During her tenure as president, she investigated other options for our specialty shows. She saw that holding our specialty away from the site of an accompanying all-breed show posed a unique set of of challenges, and made it difficult to offer a show with major championship points. Her investigation also revealed that many of the toy breeds did not have an independent specialty club. So she decided the Puget Sound area needed a Toy Group club to represent them.
In 1994, Lydia contacted AKC to find out how to form a Group Club and started the ball rolling. At her own expense, she organized a preliminary meeting at the Lake City Community Center in February 1995. This was the birth of the Toy Dog Club of Puget Sound. Lydia was elected their first president.
Another big accomplishment for Lydia was securing the Rotating Pekingese Club of America show, hosted the by the Evergreen State Pekingese Club, in 1993. She also continued to be active in the Pekingese Club of America, serving on their board until the early 2000's.
Now almost 89 years old, she continues to adore her two pekingese and attend meetings and shows when she can. Lydia's devotion to the Pekingese, and her dedication to the ESPC and the Toy Dog Club of Puget Sound, made a positive influence in our dog fancy, and for this we honor her.
Sandy Nelson
ESPC Secretary
Posted 4/2007