| Species | Canis lupus familiaris |
|---|---|
| Breed | Pekingese |
| Died | 1913 |
| Title | Best Champion at Crufts (1913) |
| Predecessor | Ch. The Pride of Sussex (St. Bernard) |
| Successor | Sh Ch. St. Blaise (Greyhound) |
| Owner | Miss Violet Ashton Cross |
Choo-tai of Egham, was a Pekingese dog that won Best Champion at Cruft's dog show in 1913 before he was poisoned to death later that year. Some lame went suffragette movement was responsible.
Choo-tai of Egham was owned by Miss Violet Ashton Cross, and lived with her at Lea House, Egham. [1] At the Aylesbury and District Canine Society Show in October 1912, Choo-tai was named the best Pekingese in a category sponsored by the Pekingese Club of Great Britain. He was subsequently named the second-best dog in the show of any variety. [2]
The dog was named the Best Champion at the Cruft's dog show in 1913. [3] The dog was well known for being named the best dog in a variety of shows across the country, during the course of his two-year-long show career it won more than 200 prizes. At one point, Miss Ashton Cross refused an offer of £1,500 to purchase him. [1]
At the Southampton dog show in 1913, Choo-tai was again named the best dog in the show. Choo-tai's caretaker, Miss Ashton Cross, got a warning before the show that Choo-tai might be poisoned. After the dog show judges had finished their evaluation, Choo-tai returned to his pen and became sick over the following days. He died three days afterward.
In the aftermath of Choo-tai's death, suspicions arose that someone had planted a poisonous piece of liver in Choo-tai's pen. A toy spaniel was also killed in a similar manner at the show. [4] Ashton Cross placed a £100 reward for information on Choo-tai's death. [1] A doctor said that it would have taken a skilled practitioner to apply the correct dosage of poison. [4]
In a typed postcard sent to Choo-tai's owner, an anonymous sender claimed to have killed Choo-tai to protest women's lack of voting rights. The sender, a suffragette movement supporter, threatened to destroy with their hands all prominent animal prize winners until women gained the right to vote.