Legendary Dog Handler Peter J Green to Judge Best in Show at Westminster 2019

Legendary Dog Handler Peter Green to Determine Best in Show at 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

New York, NY—Mr. Peter J. Green of Bowmansville, Pennsylvania has been selected for the ultimate judging assignment in the sport of dogs, Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Held on February 11 and 12, 2019, “America’s Dog Show” will attract up to 2,800 dogs all vying for the Best in Show win. Mr. Green, an owner, breeder and professional handler with 60 years of experience in the sport, will make that final decision on the floor of Madison Square Garden.

A native of Neath, Wales, Mr. Green started showing dogs as a boy in 1946. He was introduced to the sport by his uncle who owned Felstead kennels and was a renowned Welsh Terrier breeder. Mr. Green emigrated to the U.S. permanently in 1963 andwas a private handler for Pool Forgekennels in Churchtown, Pennsylvania.

After years of honing his craft of maintaining a proper terrier coat and handling dogs to top wins, he launched a long and storied career as a professional handler in 1966. Mr. Green is recognized by many as the most  accomplished dog handler in the sport today. During his career as a professional handler, he tied the record for a handler achieving four Best in Show victories at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (1968, 1977, 1994 and 1998). He also won Best in Show at Crufts in Birmingham (2005), England, the largest dog show in the world, making him one of only two handlers to steer a dog to Best in Show at both Westminster and Crufts. Additionally, he piloted dogs to Best in Show wins nine times at the highly-competitive, Montgomery County Kennel Club Terrier Show in Pennsylvania.

In addition to setting records, Mr. Green has impacted the sport by mentoring many of the top winning  handlers dominating the dog show rings today. Achievements of several of these handlers include going Best in Show and winning groups  at Westminster.

Although known as a tough competitor in the ring, Mr. Green is highly recognized in the sport and by the fancy as always lending a helping hand to support the dog show community and its events. The sport has in turn honored him with numerous top handler awards throughout his career and presented him the AKC Lifetime Achievement Award and Dogs in Review Lifetime Achievement Award. Known not only as an expert in the world of terriers but also in canine conformation, Mr. Green retired from professional handling in 2006 to begin his judging career which has taken him around the world. In 2019 his Westminster judging assignment will produce another record, as he will become the only person to have handled a dog to Best in Show and judged Best in Show at both Westminster and Crufts. Next February will be his seventh judging assignment at Westminster including judging the Terrier group in 2009.

Mr. Green will be awarding the Best in Show ribbon to one of the seven group-winning dogs sent to him by a star-studded line up of group judges. The group judging held at Madison Square Garden the evening of Monday, February 11 will be officiated by Ms. Patricia Craige Trotter of Carmel, California for the Hound group; Ms. Sharon Newcomb of Sante Fe, New Mexico for the Toy group; Mr. Mark R. Kennedy of Murrysville, Pennsylvania for the  Non-Sporting group; and Ms. Peggy Beisel-McIlwaine of Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the Herding group.

On Tuesday, February 12, the group judges will be Mr. Douglas Johnson of Bloomington, Indiana for the Sporting group; Mr. James Moses of Wentzville, Missouri for the Working group; and Ms. Christine Erickson of Mesa, Arizona for the Terrier group.

For the 86th year, a Best Junior Handler will be awarded at Westminster.

On Tuesday, February 12, Ms. Angela Lloyd of Amissville, Virginia will select the winner at Madison Square Garden. The eight junior showmanship finalists will be determined in preliminary rounds by Ms. Victoria R. Seiler-Cushman of Beavercreek, Ohio and Dr. Donald Sturz of Centerport, New York.

Presiding over the 6th Annual Masters Agility Championship at Westminster on Saturday, February 9 will be Ms. Christine Bishop of Port Charlotte, Florida and Mr. Steve Croxford of Leicestershire, United Kingdom.

Ms. Diane Schultz of Ormond Beach, Florida will determine the winner of the 4th Annual Masters Obedience Championship at Westminster on Monday, February 11.

All daytime preliminary breed and Junior Showmanship judging, Agility and Obedience competitions will be held at Piers 92 and 94 in New York City. All Westminster Week events are presented by Purina Pro Plan®.

Pending American Kennel Club approval, the judging panel for the Best of Breed or Variety competitions on Monday and Tuesday, February 11 and 12, 2019 includes:

SPORTING BREEDS (33)

• Mr. Thomas H. Bradley, 3d of Watertown, NY: Brittanys, Pointers.
• Mr. Michael Canalizo of Mill Neck, NY: English Setters, Golden Retrievers, Gordon Setters, Irish Setters.
• Mrs. Kendall Herr of Gainesville, TX: Labrador Retrievers.
• Mr. Geir Flyckt-Pedersen of Raleigh, NC: Cocker Spaniels (all Varieties), English Cocker Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels, German Shorthaired Pointers.
• Ms. Victoria R. Seiler-Cushman of Beavercreek, OH: Weimaraners.
• Ms. Debra Thornton of Scottsville, VA: Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Curly-Coated Retrievers, Flat-Coated Retrievers, German Wirehaired Pointers, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers,
  Lagotti Romagnoli.
• Mrs. Cindy Vogels of Greenwood Village, CO: American Water Spaniels, Boykin Spaniels, Clumber Spaniels, Field Spaniels, Irish Red and White Setters, Irish Water Spaniels, Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes, Spinoni Italiani, Sussex Spaniels, Vizslas, Welsh Springer Spaniels, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, Wirehaired Vizslas.

HOUND BREEDS (34)

• Mr. Michael Canalizo of Mill Neck, NY: Afghan Hounds, Basenjis, Basset Hounds, Grand Basset Griffon Vendéens, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéens.
• Mr. Jamie Hubbard of Bloomington, IN: Borzois, Greyhounds, Otterhounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, Sloughis, Whippets.
• Mr. William P. Shelton of Pomona, CA: Portuguese Podengo Pequenos, Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
• Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. of Centerport, NY: Beagles (both varieties), Dachshunds (all varieties).
• Ms. Debra Thornton of Scottsville, VA: American English Coonhounds, American Foxhounds, Black and Tan Coonhounds, Bloodhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds, Cirnechi dell’Enta, English Foxhounds, Harriers, Ibizan Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Norwegian Elkhounds, Plotts, Redbone Coonhounds, Treeing Walker Coonhounds.

WORKING BREEDS (30)

• Mr. Douglas R. Holloway, Jr. of Newark, DE: Alaskan Malamutes, Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, Boerboels, Cane Corsos, Chinooks, Dogues de Bordeaux, German Pinschers, Great Pyrenees, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, Komondorok, Kuvaszok.
• Dr. Niksa R. Lemo of Zagreb, Croatia: Black Russian Terriers, Bullmastiffs, Giant Schnauzers, Mastiffs, Neapolitan Mastiffs, Samoyeds, Standard Schnauzers, Tibetan Mastiffs.
• Ms. Victoria R. Seiler-Cushman of Beavercreek, OH: Akitas, Boxers, Great Danes, Rottweilers, Siberian Huskies.
• Mr. William P. Shelton of Pomona, CA: Bernese Mountain Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, Leonbergers, Newfoundlands, Portuguese Water Dogs, Saint Bernards.

TERRIER BREEDS (32)

• Mr. Michael J. Dougherty of Hot Springs, NC: Irish Terriers, Kerry Blue Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers, Scottish Terriers, Soft Coated
  Wheaten Terriers.
• Mr. Alfred J. Ferruggiaro of Burtonsville, MD: Norfolk Terriers, Norwich Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers, Rat Terriers, Russell Terriers, Sealyham Terriers, Skye Terriers, Welsh Terriers, West Highland White Terriers.
• Mrs. Knowlton A. Reynders of Newbury, NH: Airedale Terriers, American Hairless Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Australian Terriers,
  Bedlington Terriers, Border Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Standard
  Manchester Terriers.
• Mr. James G. Reynolds of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Bull Terriers (both varieties), Cesky Terriers, Dandie Dinmont Terriers, Glen of Imaal Terriers, Smooth Fox Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Wire Fox Terriers.

TOY BREEDS (23)

• Mr. Michael Canalizo of Mill Neck, NY: Toy Poodles.
• Ms. Evalyn Gregory of Louisville, KY: Chihuahuas (both varieties), Papillons, Pekingese, Pomeranians, Shih Tzu.
• Mrs. Rita Holloway of Newark, DE: Affenpinschers, Brussels Griffons, Chinese Cresteds, English Toy Spaniels (both varieties), Havanese.
• Ms. Elaine J. Lessig of Clinton, NJ: Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Italian Greyhounds, Japanese Chin, Maltese, Miniature Pinschers, Toy
  Manchester Terriers.
• Mrs. Cindy Vogels of Greenwood Village, CO: Pugs, Silky Terriers, Toy Fox Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers.

NON-SPORTING BREEDS (21)

• Mr. Michael Canalizo of Mill Neck, NY: Miniature Poodles, Standard Poodles.
• Mr. Michael J. Dougherty of Hot Springs, NC: French Bulldogs, Keeshonden, Lhasa Apsos, Tibetan Terriers.
• Mr. Geir Flyckt-Pedersen of Raleigh, NC: Dalmatians, Finnish Spitz.
• Ms. Victoria R. Seiler-Cushman of Beavercreek, OH: Boston Terriers, Chinese Shar-Pei.
• Ms. Sari Brewster Tietjen of Rhinebeck, NY: American Eskimo Dogs, Bichon Frises, Bulldogs, Chow Chows, Cotons de Tulear, Lowchen, Norwegian Lundehunds, Schipperkes, Shiba Inu, Tibetan Spaniels, Xoloitzcuintlis.

HERDING BREEDS (31)

• Dr. Niksa R. Lemo of Zagreb, Croatia: Beaucerons, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdogs, Belgian Tervuren, Bergamasco Sheepdogs, Berger Picards, Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, Icelandic Sheepdogs, Polish Lowland Sheepdogs, Spanish Water Dogs, Swedish Vallhunds.
• Ms. Sheree W. Moses of Wardensville, WV: Australian Cattle Dogs, Australian Shepherds, Bouvier des Flanders, Finnish Lapphunds, German Shepherd Dogs, Pulik, Pyrenean Shepherds.
• Mr. William P. Shelton of Pomona, CA: Briards, Canaan Dogs, Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Miniature  American Shepherds.
• Mr. Robert H. Slay of Cary, NC: Bearded Collies, Border Collies, Collies (both varieties), Norwegian Buhunds, Old English Sheepdogs, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Shetland Sheepdogs.
• Ms. Debra Thornton of Scottsville, VA: Pumik.
• Peter J. Green Headlines Judging Panel for Westminster Week 2019