Growing up in Pennsylvania, Debbie Long-Gschwender’s mother wasn’t keen on her having a dog. In order to get Maggie, her beloved first rough collie, then 16-year-old Long-Gschwender struck a bargain with her mom to enter Maggie into an obedience program. She excelled and quickly found herself competing in training shows.
Now, at 72, the longtime Nampa resident will be judging the most prestigious dog show in the world.
In January, Long-Gschwender, a retired schoolteacher-turned-canine breeding and training expert, will be flown out — all expenses paid — to Madison Square Garden in New York City, where she will judge the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Feb. 1-2.
Established in 1877, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the U.S., behind the Kentucky Derby (founded two years earlier in 1875.) At the show, 2,500 dogs will represent more than 200 recognized breeds and varieties, drawing competitors from all U.S. states and nearly two dozen countries…