~ History ~
The Pekingese Club of Central California was formed in the late 1930’s in the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of the early documents have been lost due to antiquity. The founding members were Ms. Olds and Ms. Mays. Ms. Olds resided in San Mateo County, and Ms. Mays in Alameda County. Ms. Old’s kennel name was “Rosy Ridge” and Ms. Mays’ was “Gee-Mai”.
Travel between those counties was difficult. There was the span of the Bay Bridge and the Ferry across the Alameda estuary. It was therefore decided that meetings were to be held in Oakland, CA according to early documents, with club meetings to be held within 200 miles of Oakland, CA.
Early members were Russell Herman and Alan Talbot, kennel name “Russ All”. Others may have been Harry Aldrich of Chico, CA, and Inez Graf of Stockton, CA. Both Mr. Aldrich and Ms. Graf bred champions who became best in All-Breed show winners.
In 1964 the PCCC was given a charter by the state of California, whereby we were granted membership in the Pekingese Club of America. The club name was established as “The Pekingese Club of Central California” when Ms. Irene Rauscapt from “Sing Lee Pekingese” of Fresno, CA was President during that year. Ms. Rauscapt had purchased a male bred by Mr. Aldridge which won several All-Breed Best in Shows.
In the early 1970’s, Ms. Rauscapt became ill and could not continue on as the club President. In the interim, Ms. Jean Thomas of San Francisco, CA had sadly, given up her hobby of owning and training English style riding Horses. Her stable had closed, and continued her interest in Pekingese. She soon discovered that her neighbors objected to the Pekingese, and her household moved to San Mateo immediately south of San Francisco. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas had purchased a large home with yards where her dogs could wander unrestrained. Her first champion Pekingese was bred by Mrs. Gertrude May (“Gee-Mai”). Efforts paid off with an All-Breed show win by her home bred champion “Ai Ku Ah Chu” in 1978.
The name of “Sing Lee Pekingese” carried on when Ms. Rauscapt’s successor Gene Wing of Fresno, CA bred two litter brothers which both won All-Breed Best in Shows. One was under the esteemed English judge Mr. Derek Rayne of Carmel, CA.
Our first independent Specialty Show was held in August 1976 at the Holiday Inn just north of the San Francisco International Airport. Sweepstakes was judged by Mr. Robert Jackson (“Fourwinds”) from Seneca, IL. And Conformation was judged by Mr. Vincent Agro, a Pekingese breeder from Fairhope, AL.
The entry for Sweepstakes totaled 14. There were 45 entries in the Regular Classes. The Best of Breed competition totaled 18 champions of record with 1 veteran and 2 stud dogs. As a small club, we were most pleased with the entries, competition and judges.