Aug. 10, 1953 truly was a dog day of summer. With the 11th annual Chagrin Valley Kennel Club Dog Show less than a month away, club handlers used the Monday afternoon to prepare their dogs for the spotlight at the Polo Field in Gates Mills.
Among the handlers looking to get some extra work with their canine companions were three from the Chagrin Valley Hunt Club, who brought 10 English foxhounds. Dogs participating in the dog show went through obedience and conformation events over the course of three days.
Despite having never won Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show, the English foxhound is continually ranked as one of the best hunting dogs due to its long muzzle and high stamina. In 1964, the Federation Cynologique Internationale — one of the largest canine organizations in the world — recognized the English foxhound as a breed.
The winner of the Dog Show in 1953 is unknown. While the Chagrin Valley Kennel Club Dog Show was started and originally run by a private dog club, it was taken over in the 1960s by the Western Reserve Kennel Club, who still runs the show to this day. It moved to an adjacent polo ground in the late 1950s before moving to Bill Stanton Community Park in Madison in 2011.
