The Westminster Kennel Club dog show features champion dogs from over 175 breeds in the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the United States, just one year behind the Kentucky Derby. Even people who don't follow conformation shows know about and watch the Westminster dog show's live broadcast. A dog that wins at Westminster can become as famous as a movie star, and their breed's popularity usually surges after a Westminster Best in Show win.
History of the Westminster Kennel Club and Dog Show
Founded in 1877, the Westminster Kennel Club predates the World Series, the Brooklyn Bridge, the zipper -- and even the governing body for dog shows, the American Kennel Club, founded in 1884. The first Westminster dog show took place at New York City’s Gilmore’s Garden, the forerunner to Madison Square Garden, home of the Westminster show today. The first Westminster competition for Junior Handlers, then called the Children’s Grand Handling Challenge Trophy, took place at the 1934 show and has been held annually ever since.
The Westminster show is more than a conformation show. During the World Wars, proceeds from the Westminster Kennel Club dog shows were donated to the American Red Cross and the National War Fund. The Westminster Kennel Foundation has awarded annual veterinary student scholarships since 1990, and in 2010 began a Junior Handler scholarship program for the eight finalists in the Junior Handling competition.
Notable Moments in Westminster History
For the first 30 years of the Westminster dog show, the club did not award Best in Show. The first Best in Show, in 1907, went to the Smooth Fox Terrier bitch Ch. Warren Remedy. She repeated the win in 1908 and 1909 – the only dog ever to win three Bests in Show at Westminster. In 1928, Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge became the first female solitary judge of Best in Show; previously a few women had judged as part of a Best in Show panel. The first woman handler to win Best in Show was Mrs. Sherman Hoyt in 1935. In 1951, a dog from west of the Mississippi won Best in Show at Westminster for the first time; that dog was the Boxer Ch. Bang Away of Sirrah Crest. Westminster was televised for the first time in1948, and in 2005 the Kennel Club began streaming video of breed judging over the Internet, garnering 15 million hits that first year.
Entries at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
The first Westminster Kennel Club show drew an entry of 1,201 dogs – an impressive feat, considering the lengths to which dog owners had to go to get their dogs to New York City at the time. By 1905, entries had grown to 1,752, making Westminster the biggest dog show in the world. Westminster entries continued to grow as the show became more popular and more prestigious, hitting 2,000 in 1908 and 3,140 in 1937. Today, Westminster limits entries to 2,500 dogs.
Since 1992, the Westminster Kennel Club has held their dog show as a Champions-only event. The top five dogs of every AKC breed receive invitations to compete at Westminster. Invitees still pay an entry fee, but they are guaranteed a spot if their entry is received by the closing date. Westminster processes entries from invited dogs up to the date and time that entries close; after that time, they process entries in random order until reaching the limit.
Famous Owners of Westminster Dogs
Dog shows in the past appealed primarily to the upper classes; it is only in the last half century or so that the average household could afford to show a dog in AKC conformation shows. The list of owners of Westminster Kennel Club dog show entries illustrates the elite nature of dog shows in the past. Throughout the show’s history, dogs entered have listed owners such as the Czar of Russia, the Emperor of Germany, J.P. Morgan, Nellie Bly, Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, and Lou Gehrig. Bill Cosby and his Terriers have been regulars at Westminster for several decades. More recently, Amy Grant and Vince Gill’s Welsh Springer Spaniel won the Breed at the Garden in 2009.
Over the years, the Westminster Kennel Club dog show has delighted crowds, inspired owners, and awarded those dogs that are exceptional examples of their breed. Westminster winners have visited the White House, opened the stock market, and thrown out the first pitch at Major League opening days. As one of the most well-known and beloved dog shows in the country, Westminster truly is America’s dog show.
Jennifer A. Walker - I have been writing for as long as I can remember, and was first published when I was eleven and wrote a profile of a local poet for my ...
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