Club History
Thanks to a dedicated band of Wheaten owners, the Greater Denver Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club, Inc. formed in 1975. The members – hoping to host the first SCWTCA Roving Specialty in conjunction with the Colorado Centennial Canine Circuit – the very first cluster show in the country. It was held in June 1976 to commemorate the Colorado Centennial. The first SCWTCA National Specialty premiered in October 1974 in conjunction with Montgomery County Kennel Club, and the Denver club members wanted to follow on the heels of that landmark. They were successful, drawing Wheaten exhibitors from both California and the East coast to the First Roving.
For many years the club focused on conformation events. The breed had received AKC recognition in 1973, so club members established itself as a group of conformation exhibitors. Obedience too enticed a number of competitors.
As years unfolded, so did many more dog events. Wheaten owners and their dogs became involved in a variety of performance events, including agility, barn hunt, nose work and tracking. With these new events, the club’s functions expanded, and in 2010, the Denver club hosted its first Agility Trial, held at the turn of each year, spanning two days. Income from those entries has provided club members the opportunity to enjoy other activities such as a pet grooming seminar, herding day and an agility fun day, as well as to support our annual Specialty conformation show.
Today the club boasts about 137 members, including approximately 14 active breeders in several states. The Greater Denver Club values the ideals put forth in our Code of Ethics, and has shifted from an exclusive breeder club to one targeting a variety of canine activities as well as member education.
