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Salem woman’s expertise with corgis earns her a spot judging Westminster Dog Show

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For over 40 years, Marilyn Van Vleit has been living her life’s passion by breeding, competing and judging Pembroke Welsh corgis.

She’s entered too many shows and competitions to count, she said, mostly showcasing corgis, which are her lifelong breed. 

Next month, Van Vleit will travel from her Salem home to New York City to be a part of one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world, the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The show, which is in its 149th year, will see over 3,000 champion dogs, a press release from Westminster said. It will take place from Feb. 8-11 in New York City. 

Van Vleit was invited to be a judge at the show shortly after she judged the National Dog Show in November 2023. When she got the invitation, she said she was overwhelmingly excited but had to keep the invitation a secret for around eight months until the judges were announced publicly.

Van Vleit will be one of 30 judges working at the show, judging the 201 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. Van Vleit said she will be judging six breeds within the herding group, including corgis, collies and Shetland sheepdogs. 

“It’s a huge responsibility, because you know your own breed really well, but if you learn more about other breeds, and you stand in the middle of the ring and make those choices, it’s daunting,” she said.

She first started judging in 2006, and said it was a natural progression after competing and breeding for over 20 years.

“I was kind of unhappy with some of the choices judges were making, and someone said, ‘Well, if you don’t like their choices, why don’t you become a judge so that you could make those choices?’” Van Vleit said. “I said, ‘Okay, I will.’”

The Westminster dog show is far from her first big-scale competition as she has traveled around the world to judge shows. Through judging, she’s been to Australia, Finland, Russia and the Czech Republic.

Van Vleit started training dogs with her German shepherd named Crystal in 1975. She got into obedience training and performance events and then started breeding and handling show dogs.

Growing up, “I never had a dog, but I guess I always wanted one and now that I can have them, there’s multiples in my life and it’s become a big part of my life,” she said.

After breeding German shepherds, she found herself drawn to smaller corgis.

“I kept seeing these funny-looking little short legged dogs and then I became quite interested in them and I said, ‘Someday I’m going to have one,’” Van Vleit said. “As the shepherds got old and passed away, then I found myself having more corgis … they took over.”

As with any hobby, people showing dogs have the chance to learn about the sport and find community with other breeders or competitors. The most important part of being in the dog community, Van Vleit said, is the fellowship and connection with the dogs.

In preparation for judging at the Westminster show, Van Vleit studied the standard of perfection for the breeds she is set to judge. Those standards are recorded by the American Kennel Club for every registered breed and include temperament and physical features like size, color and markings.

As a judge, Van Vleit will compare the dog to its breed’s standard of perfection, not the other dogs like some people think. 

She said she’s been studying ever since she got the invitation more than one year ago and has built files over the years of breeds she’s judged. 

Van Vleit said she and her husband are excited to enjoy the glitz and glam of New York City ahead of the show, when she will judge on Feb. 10. Her husband competed in the Westminster show three times with a wire haired dachshund and was the best of breed finalist each time.

The Westminster show is the second oldest sporting event in the U.S., following the Kentucky Derby. Its history and prestige make it a lifetime event, Van Vleit said.  

Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected].

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Madeleine Moore is working as a reporter at Salem Reporter through the University of Oregon’s Charles Snowden internship program. She came to Salem after graduating from the University of Oregon in June 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.