Camden Sports - Mr. & Mrs. G. William MacFarland & Far Land Thundergust

FAR LAND THUNDERGUST, a black chow dog bred by Mrs. William MacFarland of Camden NJ, won the 1936 Westminster Dog Show award for Best of Breed in 1936. He topped that achievement by carrying the Best of the Non-Sporting group the following year.

WILLIAM MacFARLAND, born George William MacFarland, was born in Clayton, New Jersey on September 26, 1863. By 1910 he was living in Camden, New Jersey. In that year he and wife, the former Emma Strang, lived at 612 Benson Street. He worked as a livestock dealer and managed a livestock business, trading mostly in horses. At the time of the 1920 Census he was living in an apartment at 232 Cooper Street with his wife Emma. Sadly, Emma passed away that same year.

On April 3, 1921 William MacFarland remarried. His second wife, the former Gladys Heacock, was over 30 years his junior. The Macfarlands were soon blessed with a son. The 1930 census shows the couple and their son William, aged 7, were living somewhere near the city limits, in Camden's 13th Ward, which encompassed Parkside and much of Whitman Park, in a home valued at $50,000... a huge amount at the time. The 1940 Census shows their address as 1756 White Horse Pike, near the Camden city limits.

William MacFarland had been highly successful in the breeding and sale of livestock, especially horses. The MacFarlands started breeding and showing dogs, and specialized in the Chow breed.

Their Son Too-Far Land Black Onyx won many shows, his son, Far Land Thundergust, as written above, won Best of Breed at the 1936 Westminster Dog Show and Best of Non-Sporting Group the following year.

William MacFarland was last a resident of Moorestown, New Jersey. He passed away on February 29, 1949. survived by his wife and son. Mrs. MacFarland later moved to Pembroke, Maine, where she died on June 13, 1984.

Camden Courier-Post * February 11, 1936

MacFARLAND ENTRY WINS IN DOG SHOW
Far Land Thundergust Victor in Chow Event at Westminster Event

New York, Feb. 11.-A Camden entrant was one of the winners in yesterday's Westminster show at the Madison Square Garden, greatest of all events in dogdom.

Showing his best against the sternest kind of competition, Champion Far Land Thundergust, a beautiful, well conformed dog owned by Mrs. William MacFarland, Camden, carried off the best of breed award for chows.

"Gust" as he has come to be known amongst the exhibitors at this "world series" of American dog shows, was, in the words of rival handlers, "at his best."

While a large first-day crowd applauded his selection, the brawny, heavily-coated black son of Son Too-Far Land Black Onyx, now in his sixth year and cutting a wide swath among the chows, seemed to sense that it was his day. He went through his routine without flaw, his coat in such excellent condition that even laymen marked him out.

Only champions compete in this group, and one of them, Shanghai Chief, owned by Mrs. Barney J. Houston, Cincinnati, pushed Thundergust for the award.

But the Camden winner, bidding for his third Westminster ribbon, and fresh from his latest triumph as best of breed at Baltimore, was not to be denied.

The Westminster is, as customary, a three-day fixture. On Wednesday night six dogs who have gone triumphantly through the various breed and group competitions will be judged for the supreme honor, best in the show.

The dog which attained this peak last year is back in the running. It is Nunsoe Duc de la Terrace of Blakeen, a white poodle. In the last 30 years of the Westminster, only three dogs have been able to win the best of breeds prize two years in a row..