Eagle Mountain is the home of the nationally recognized top breeder of Lhasa Apsos, the Sundancers. As members of the American Lhasa Apso Club, Marsha and Tom Worlton show their dogs many times a year. They got started years back when their daughter got a Lhasa Apso as a pet and they decided to get one as well. Wanting to find out more about the breed and how they were supposed to look, the Worltons went to a dog show and that's where it began. They started showing mainly in Colorado, but now travel all over the country. This year, they are going to Missouri for Nationals, and next year are planning for Massachusetts. The Worlton's passion for dog shows includes their love for their Lhasas, how they look and their personalities, as well as their love for the social outlet it provides. Tom Worlton said that for a while there had been four other families from Utah showing Lhasa Apsos, but they are currently the only family from Utah showing this particular breed. They travel outside the state for their shows. Northern California shows have been where they have found the most competition. Traveling to the different shows and getting to know and befriend people is one of their favorite parts of showing. Lhasa Apsos are known for being a small, hearty breed with a long coat. For showing, the coat length is kept down to their toes, but as pets they are often kept in a more manageable terrier-type cut. Although small, Lhasas are not a toy breed, meaning they are not as susceptible to broken bones. Originally from Tibet, the breed has great lung capacity and was used as an informant-type watchdog. The Worlton's moved to Eagle Mountain to have the room and ability to have their dogs on their property. Their agreement with the city allows them to have the number of dogs needed for the shows. They built their home with an outside kennel attachment to the house, and the dogs spend most of their time indoors. As breeders, they are able to keep some of their dogs for showing and place others in good homes as pets. Tom Worlton admitted that sometimes the ones they place could actually have a higher quality ranking for the breed. Because they show their dogs, they usually don't place them until older than 8 months or so to decide whether or not to keep them for showing. They also sometimes place their 1 or 2 yr. old champions into homes, and always look for a home that will provide what they can provide, or better, for their dogs. The Sundancers have a website at sundancerslhasa.com if you are interested in finding out more. The Worltons always make sure that unless the people they are placing the dogs with are going to show the dogs, they will be neutered. "It's important not to contribute to the over-population of dogs." Tom said, "We don't want them to be bred indiscriminately." Dog shows are a great passion to Tom and Marsha. Being Number One isn't the main objective to them, however. They do it because they enjoy it, Tom stated. He described it as "a hobby of love".
The community news source for Eagle Mountain Utah, Saratoga Springs Utah, Lehi Utah, American Fork Utah, Highland Utah, Alpine Utah, and The Cedar Valley, including Cedar Fort Utah and Fairfield Utah. Copyright 2025 The Crossroads Journal LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
April 17, 2014, 8:04 pm
