Meet Polly (Mrs. Robert) D. Smith: 2026 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Terrier Group Judge

Meet Polly (Mrs. Robert) D. Smith: 2026 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Terrier Group Judge

Can you describe your reaction to receiving an invitation to judge the Terrier Group at this year’s historic 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show?

Polly (Mrs. Robert) Smith: Well, when I first picked up the letter from the mailbox, I had another meeting to go to, and so I just tossed the mail in the house and didn’t look at it until the next morning. It was a bit of a shock!

What does it mean to judge a Group at Westminster’s sesquicentennial event?

Polly (Mrs. Robert) Smith: Westminster is like no other show. It is the show you want to win and it’s the show you want to judge. I have judged at Westminster before, but it was quite an honor to get this assignment. It was quite exciting, really.

When you got your start in dogs, did you ever imagine you’d judge a Group at this landmark show?

Polly (Mrs. Robert) Smith: No. I never imagined I’d be judging, period. I was doing it as a breeder and as someone who loved dogs.

What were you thinking or feeling moments before you stepped into the center of the Group ring?

Polly (Mrs. Robert) Smith: I was anxious to see which dogs would be there, and I was thrilled to see the quality of dogs that entered the ring.

Was there a heightened energy coming from the dog and handler teams? Did you feel any excitement from the spectators?

Polly (Mrs. Robert) Smith: I think they were all showing to the best of their ability. The handlers were showing their dogs excellently. They let their dogs show themselves, as Terriers do so well. You here the spectators, of course, but it doesn’t change your mind about the judging.

How challenging was this assignment? Can you share your selection process?

Polly (Mrs. Robert) Smith: It was challenging. I had not judged a Terrier Group for the year before; I tried to stay away from Terriers. Some of the dogs in the ring I had never had my hands on, and some I had only seen in pictures. But they were all outstanding examples of their breed type and character. Any one of them could have gotten a ribbon in that ring.

Do you have a word or two about your Group winner? About the dogs that placed?

Polly (Mrs. Robert) Smith: The winner was outstanding. I don’t think the Smooth Fox Terrier put a foot wrong when he moved. He was up on his toes and alert all the way through. I had never seen the American Staffordshire Terrier before, bred in Romania as I was told by the handler. The Miniature Schnauzer I had seen in the Breed ring early on, but I had never judged the Norfolk Terrier.

Are there specific ways in which this show furthers the cause of purebred dogs?

Polly (Mrs. Robert) Smith: Oh, yes, absolutely. Westminster does an outstanding job of publicizing purebred dogs. I’ve spoken to people who, if they don’t watch any other dog show or know anything about dog shows, know about Westminster and look forward to seeing it every year.

There is no other show quite like Westminster. Is there anything you’d like to say to the members of The Westminster Kennel Club and the show’s sponsors?

Polly (Mrs. Robert) Smith: Purina does an excellent job with their support, and this year, The Westminster Kennel Club and its officers went out of their way to put on a superb 150th anniversary show. I mean, every detail was done to perfection.

Now that your assignment is complete, what does Westminster mean to you personally?

Polly (Mrs. Robert) Smith: Westminster has always meant a great deal to me and my late husband. We both judged Groups in 2017; he judged the Herding Group and I judged the Hound Group. I think one of the greatest honors you can have is judging either Breeds or a Group at The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.