Early last week, while many people may have been finalizing Valentine’s Day plans and enjoying the love in the air, I was following the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
That may not be surprising to someone familiar with some of my older articles. I used to write almost exclusively about dogs, whether it be a list of rare breeds or tips for traveling with pets. Now, I’m returning to my roots to discuss the Westminster Dog Show.
The Westminster Dog Show—not to be confused with the National Dog Show, which takes place on Thanksgiving each year—is an annual New York tradition.
In fact, it’s the second oldest continuously held sporting event in the United States, according to the Westminster Kennel Club’s website. It began in 1877 and the first Best in Show award was given in 1907. During its long run, dogs bred and owned by European royalty and American historical figures such as Nellie Bly and J.P. Morgan have competed.
This year shows took place on Feb. 8, 10, and 11. The announcement of which dog won the coveted title of Best in Show was the final event.
For those unfamiliar with dog shows, to win Best in Show a dog must first win two other competitions.
The first is a Breed Competition, where the dog competes with others of the exact same breed. Picture a parade of nearly identical poodles rocking matching puff-ball haircuts as they circle a convention center floor. Lucky dogs will be awarded Best in Breed and move on to the next competition.
The next is the Group Competition. All show dogs are categorized into one of seven groups based on their breed’s original purpose: hound, toy, sporting, non-sporting, herding, working, and terrier. In the Group Competition, the Best in Breed winners compete against the other dogs in their group.
Finally, seven dogs—one from each group—will come out on top and compete for the title of Best in Show.
It’s also important to note that the dogs aren’t really being judged against each other. Instead, there is a certain “standard” for each breed that describes what the ideal dog of that breed should look like. Show dogs are then judged on how closely they resemble that ideal.
Using this judging method, this year’s cream of the crop included a whippet, a shih tzu, a bichon frise, a German shepherd, an English springer spaniel, a giant schnauzer, and a skye terrier, according to Westminster’s website.
Second place, called Reserve Best in Show, went to the whippet, named Bourbon. Funnily enough, Bourbon had previously won Reserve Best in Show in 2020 and 2021 before retiring from the show scene. She came back this year only to win second again. This led The New York Times to bestow upon her the superlative of “Most Always the Bridesmaid.”
This year’s top dog was Monty the giant schnauzer, a big black dog with the carefully groomed brows and beard of a stately gentleman, according to the Westminster website.
This is quite a change from last year, when the winner was a miniature poodle named Sage, according to Westminster’s list of Best in Show winners. The first ever Best in Show winner was a smooth fox terrier.
Another fun fact: the ever-popular golden retriever has never won Best in Show at Westminster. The New York Times profiled one hopeful contender, Boujee, who unfortunately did not even win Best in Breed.
While I do enjoy the spunk of spaniels and regal stature of giant schnauzers, what I would’ve loved to see is a winning border collie, as that’s my personal favorite breed. Luckily, a border collie did take first place in the Westminster Masters Agility Competition, according to the website.
All in all, there’s something about Westminster for any dog lover! Whether you just want to casually watch some cute dogs, are fascinated by the speed of agility contests, or are a major fan of a certain breed, dog shows can be a lot of fun.
Now you know everything you need to tune in next time!
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