Members
Jay Richardson reflects on the honor of judging Westminster, shares insights on breed judging, and looks ahead to improving future shows.
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Jay Richardson: Judging a Westminster on any year is an honor and privilege. This year was even more meaningful as it was the return to New York City and the Groups and BIS at The Garden. The day judging at Javits, and the evening at The Garden, is everything Westminster should be. The club did an amazing job with everything.
Jay Richardson: Judging breeds at Westminster is always interesting and fun. One gets most of the top dogs throughout the country in the ring. One will often have several dogs you have put up in various areas of the country and then some you have never seen before. One gets to be a little more detail-orientated on breed characteristics than at your regular weekend show. In most breeds, at the end, I had several outstanding representatives of the breed to choose from and it was a most enjoyable day.
Jay Richardson: I see 2025 as not much different than 2024. We must continue to look at various ideas to improve the entries at your average dog show; the lack of majors in so many breeds has to be creating a drain on people’s pocketbooks. Is it due to a lack of dogs in the breed or too many shows in an area? I cannot answer, but it is probably a little of both.
Meet the Judges
Sharon Ann Redmer reflects on judging Herding breeds at Westminster 2026, highlighting breed function, type, and standout winners.
