Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is an all-breed conformation show, held annually in the New York metropolitan area.
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is one of a handful of benched shows in the United States. Dogs are required to be on display in their assigned locations (show benches) during the entire show except when shown in the ring, groomed for showtime, or taken outside to urinate or defecate. This type of presentation allows spectators and breeders alike to have an opportunity of seeing all the entered dogs. (In the more common unbenched shows, dogs are required to be present only at assigned ring times.)[1]
The event had been long-associated with the various incarnations of New York City's Madison Square Garden. In 2021 and 2022, the event was postponed to June from its past February scheduling, and moved to Lyndhurst mansion in Tarrytown, New York due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the event moved again, this time to Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Through the 134th Westminster Show (February 2010), Best in Show has been won by the Terrier group 45 out of the 103 times that the prize has been awarded since 1907,[11] more than twice as many wins as any other group. The single breed that has won the most is the Wire Fox Terrier, which has won 15 times. Two of the most popular dog breeds in the United States—the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever—have never won Best in Show.[12] The dogs are marked for Best in Breed and then proceed to compete in Best in Group, and finally in the grand prize competition of Best in Show.[13]
The oldest dog to win Best in Show was a Sussex Spaniel named Ch. Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee (a.k.a. Stump), at ten years of age in 2009. The youngest dog to win was a Rough Collie named Laund Loyalty of Bellhaven, at nine months old in 1929.[14] One dog, a Smooth Fox Terrier named Ch. Warren Remedy won Best in Show three times (1907–1909), and six other dogs have won twice.[15] Males have won Best in Show 68 times as opposed to females who have won 35 times.[16]
Announcers[edit]
For many years, Roger A. Caras was known as "the Voice of Westminster" for providing the narration for the breed descriptions during the show.[17]
In 2001, Michael J. LaFave was named show announcer at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.[18] He was replaced by Jim Fagan in 2010 but returned in 2011.[19]
