Ex-captive who joined kidnappers in robbery now earns prizes at 'America's Crufts' Surprise from fellow competitors at notoriety of the winning French bulldog breeder in their midst
SHE'S better known as the newspaper heiress who was kidnapped, joined her abductors and eventually ended up in prison for robbing banks to fund their cause.
Now, it has emerged, Patty Hearst breeds French bulldogs.
And not just any bulldogs. Th
is week at the Westminster Dog Show – America's Crufts – the former machine-gun-toting revolutionary's dog, with a champion's name of Shann's Legally Blonde, earned a red ribbon as best of opposite sex – a male dog won the breed, and hers was judged the top female.
Now known as Patricia Hearst Shaw, the former member of radical Symbionese Liberation Army blended right in at the Kennel Club show, held in Madison Square Garden, New York.
Surrounded by Cardigan Welsh corgis, Chinese shar-peis and parson russell terriers, the 53-year-old Ms Shaw said: "When people find out it's me, it's like it doesn't make sense."
"The Frenchie people know me because I've been around. But others, they seemed surprised."
That summed up Mitzie McGavic's reaction. In town from Florida to cheer for her friend's Australian shepherd, she was startled to learn who was standing a few feet away.
"You're kidding. Is she the Patty Hearst?" Ms McGavic asked. "Showing dogs at Westminster, who knew?"
Ms Shaw said she always had dogs as a child. A while back – "a million years ago, back in the Jurassic era", she said – she was backstage at a fashion show and ran across a French bulldog she liked.
"After that, it was like I had to have one," she said.
Ms Shaw has appeared in films – Cry-Baby and Serial Mom among them – and television roles and done charitable work.
For the past few years, show dogs have been her passion, even though her two daughters own cats.
"But they love French bulldogs," she said.
Ms Shaw has been working with show dogs for three years, and her first trip to Westminster was well worth it.
Ms Shaw said the ribbon would probably decorate one of the swords her husband collects. The gold medallion, that one is hers to keep. "It's like winning a gold medal at the Olympics. Or would this be a silver?" she said. "Someone asked me before I came down what were the chances of winning something. I said it was one in 35, because that's how many dogs were entered. But I never expected this."
The event is the largest dog show in the US, with 2,627 entries and 169 breeds and varieties. These included four newly sanctioned types – the Tibetan mastiff, Beauceron, Swedish vallhund and Plott.
And this year could see a shock win. The best in show award has been presented 100 times at Westminster and a beagle has never won. Uno might change that this year.
Almost three, with pleading eyes and plenty of tail-wagging personality, Uno could break out of the Westminster doghouse.
He might follow the lead of Underdog, last year's Disney film based on the old cartoon – no beagle has even reached the seven-dog best-in-show ring since 1939 – that's 483 years, in dog years. On Monday night, Uno changed that when he became the first beagle to win the hound group.
"Snoopy would be proud," said his handler, Aaron Wilkerson. "He was being his merry little hound self."
Beagles are always among the most popular dogs in the country, yet Mr Wilkerson was at a loss to explain why they've never done better here.
"I can't really say," he said. "All of them are just good."
Part of the problem could be the breed's playful, friendly nature.
"Great show dogs often have an air about them. It's like this is their world and we're just living in it," Westminster host David Frei said. "But beagles want to be in our world."
They also have another disadvantage: they're far from the fancy, froufrou dogs that often win. "To some, a beagle may not look as spectacular as the Afghan hound, flying around the ring with all that hair," Mr Frei said.
Uno has already won 32 "best in show" titles and finished 2007 as the sixth-ranked show dog in the US. He retreated to the safety of his crate after his latest win, complete with his favourite stuffed frog toy and a fluffy pillow sporting a Hollywood star.
Top show judge Ralph Lemcke picked Uno over 25 others in the hound group, praising his "soft expression" and the neat "brush on his tail".
"He could run all day in the field," Mr Lemcke said.
He faces tough competition, a repeat standard poodle, a prize-winning Sealyham terrier and an Australian shepherd have also locked up spots in the final ring.
A perfectly trimmed toy poodle and a top Akita also won in their groups to reach the final.
THE 'URBAN GUERRILLA'THE granddaughter of the American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst gained notoriety in 1974 when, aged 19, she was abducted by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA).
On 4 February that year, Patty Hearst was kidnapped from her apartment in Berkeley, California, by the left-wing urban guerrilla group. An attempt to swap her for jailed SLA members failed.
Then in April, Ms Hearst announced on an audiotape that she had joined the SLA and assumed the name "Tania".
On the 15th of that month, she was photographed wielding an assault rifle while robbing a bank in San Francisco. A warrant was issued for her arrest and in September 1975 she was arrested in a San Francisco apartment with other SLA members. While being booked into prison, she listed her occupation as "urban guerrilla".
During her trial, Ms Hearst's lawyer claimed she had been blindfolded, imprisoned in a narrow cupboard and physically and sexually abused. The claim that her actions were the result of a concerted brainwashing programme was central to her defence. However, she was found guilty and spent 22 months in prison. Her sentence was commuted by president Jimmy Carter, and she was given a full pardon by president Bill Clinton.
The full article contains 1042 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
