The Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden were once again lit up in purple and gold lights in celebration of the triumphant return of The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show to Midtown Manhattan. The city that never sleeps welcomed the fancy back to the place where it all began, as native New Yorkers joined with breeders and exhibitors to enthusiastically cheer on their favorite purebred dogs at the 149th iteration of the world’s most-famous dog show.
The dog show that everyone knows on a first name basis initially took place at the Hippodrome at Gilmore’s Garden when The First Annual New York Bench Show of Dogs was held there in 1877. That event proved such a success with the general public that it was extended from one day to four, to accommodate more than 20,000 daily visitors. Interest in Westminster has continued unabated ever since, despite recent venue changes due to local building restrictions and a global pandemic that caused it to move from MSG (and from a mid-winter event to late spring/early summer) to several locations in and around the city. Perhaps that is why, after a five-year absence, the show’s return to the city proper just ahead of Valentine’s Day was greeted so affectionately by breeders and exhibitors—and regular New Yorkers alike.
This year’s show welcomed everyone for the first time to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for the Masters Agility and Masters Obedience Championships on Saturday, and Breed judging on Monday and Tuesday. The 3.3 million square-foot facility proved an ideal setting to host the dogs and their supporters who represented 2, 624 entries of 213 different Breeds and Varieties, including 25 Obedience entries. (Agility entries totaled approximately 350 athletic teams.) As one of the very few remaining benched shows in America, Westminster took full advantage of the abundance of space by providing aisles that were wide enough to encourage conversation among exhibitors and with those who came to take selfies with the dogs and learn more about their breeds. Spacious too were ten rings that allowed handlers to move their dogs with ease, and where spectators could gather four- and five-deep to watch the proceedings in eager anticipation of the judges’ decisions. The experience was every bit as exciting as any Westminster that has ever been held… maybe even more so.
The show’s triumphant return this year to MSG bodes well for next year’s event when The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will mark its sesquicentennial. Surely the lights will shine even brighter when the club marks 150 years of dedication to celebrating the companionship of dogs and improving their lives by promoting responsible ownership and breed preservation.
Westminster. There’s only one!
