Explore the history, traditions, and unforgettable moments of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the ultimate showcase for purebred dogs.
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There are dog shows, and then there is The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. From the early 20th century onward, Westminster has stood as the ultimate showcase for purebred dogs—a living tradition that honors form, function, and the bond between people and their breeds. Each February (more on the time of year later), generations of breeders, owners, and handlers gather in New York City to measure their dogs (and often decades of devotion) against the best in the world, united by a shared pursuit of excellence. Long before the lights come up and the cameras begin to roll, the dream of “Going to The Garden” has already taken root.
Westminster, as it is fondly referred to, (not “Westminister”), began in 1877, when a group of sporting gentlemen from the Westminster Hotel in Manhattan decided that a city already rich in theater and sport needed a showcase for their prized dogs. In those days, the event took place in May at Gilmore’s Garden, the predecessor to Madison Square Garden (MSG), and drew more than a thousand entries in its first year. Now counted as America’s second longest-running sporting event, Westminster stands just two years behind the Kentucky Derby as a living relic of the 19th century that somehow feels right at home in the 21st.
When the American Kennel Club (AKC) formed in 1884 to bring order to the burgeoning sport of purebred dogs, Westminster became an early anchor on the calendar. The breeds have evolved, their written Breed Standards have been refined, and the city skyline has climbed ever higher, but the idea remains unchanged: for two days each year, the best of the best converge on New York to measure their dogs—and themselves—against history.
And speaking of the skyline, in recent years, the Empire State Building has joined the festivities by glowing in Westminster’s signature purple and gold colors during show week, adding to the pageantry.
Across the decades, Westminster has chronicled the changing face of purebred dogs in America. The show long predates television, yet it was an early adopter of the new medium; in 1948, Westminster became one of the first sporting events regularly broadcast to a national audience, bringing the arcane language of Groups and gait to living rooms from coast to coast. In time, Junior Showmanship joined the program, offering young handlers a chance to exhibit their ringcraft under the same bright lights that had tested their parents and mentors.
As the sport grew, so did the show’s structure. The Herding Group was added in 1983 to reflect the American Kennel Club’s recognition of pastoral breeds that had previously competed in the Working Group. In more recent years, Westminster has expanded beyond the traditional Conformation ring to include Agility and other Companion events, making room for dogs whose brilliance shows not only in their silhouettes but also in their speed, focus, and teamwork with their handlers, celebrating performance and versatility.
Westminster is a “benched show,” one of two remaining in the US along with November’s National Dog Show Presented by Purina, which takes place thanks to the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. For many years, everything at Westminster took place under the Madison Square Garden roof. During daytime hours, several rings ran simultaneously; they were then cleared away for the one large ring where Group judging still takes place in the evening under very theatrical lighting—even spotlighting individual dogs as they enter the ring for Best in Show.
Benching was “backstage” and always a somewhat chaotic affair. The public could find the breeds they wanted by following alphabetical signs. Handlers and owners were expected to have their dogs on a literal bench for the entire day. Every dog entered had its own cubby, with a raised platform floor and sidewalls. Crates fit right into each space, and the humans were not supposed to bring chairs or have anything in the aisles. It was, and is, an exhausting set-up, but it has changed, and many feel it has improved.
These days, the Breed judging takes place offsite (2026 will again be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center; other years have been at The Piers on the westside of Manhattan and in Tarrytown, New York.) Benching time requirements have been somewhat reduced, and we have been told that this year exhibitors will even have space for a grooming table and maybe a chair. (This might not sound like a lot, but it will really improve the experience for exhibitors).
Professional handlers have their own area and do not have to bench their dogs.
Somehow, along with the throngs of spectators weaving in and out, asking questions about temperament and grooming needs, and various media and television crews angling for the best shots, we exhibitors get the job done. Meaning somehow balancing the extra needs of a benched show, while keeping our energy—and that of our dogs—preserved and ring-ready.
The 2026 Group judging and Best in Show will take place on the green carpet at Madison Square Garden.
Part of Westminster’s magic lies in its location. New York City is not a neutral backdrop; it is a co-star. For exhibitors, simply navigating the city—incoming flights and drives from all over the country and the world, maneuvering crates through hotel lobby doors, finding parking for vans, walking dogs past commuters on their way to work (often through snow and slush)—adds a sense of adventure to every trip. The show’s move among venues over the years has not diminished its identity; instead, it has underscored the idea that wherever Westminster goes, New York goes with it.
COVID brought a pause from MSG, as that venue was indoors. In 2021 and 2022, Westminster was held in May outdoors at the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York, and the following two years were again held in springtime at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens.
Indoors or out, whether during daytime hours, the evenings, or within the benching area, Westminster has a “feel” to it. Among the hubbub, there are moments of a hushed crowd. It was less pronounced when held outdoors, but at The Garden, The Piers, and even at the Tennis Center, when dogs are in the ring, spectators are unusually quiet, at least compared to most other dogs shows. You can hear and feel the quiet; it has a weight of importance to it.
Since 1968, the present location of Madison Square Garden (there have been four) has not just hosted famous events—it has hosted defining historic moments, from the 1976 Democratic National Convention to championship performances by the Knicks’ Willis Reed, and Muhammad Ali, from the Concert for Bangladesh (the first major benefit concert) to record-setting residencies that reshaped popular culture. You can feel the history emanating from the walls. Westminster history is part of this.
What unites these events is visibility. When something happens at MSG, it is understood to matter beyond the building. That is one reason why The Garden remains, decades later, one of the most symbolically powerful venues in the world.
The Westminster record book reads like a timeline of canine fashion and function, with certain Best in Show winners etched into the collective memory. Names like CH Warren Remedy (the only dog to win Best in Show three times), the Smooth Fox Terrier who dominated the early years, or CH My Own Brucie, the glamorous Cocker Spaniel of the 1940s, still echo in discussions of type and influence. More recently, televised champions such as 2022’s “Trumpet” the Bloodhound (GCHB Flessner’s Toot My Own Horn), bred, owned, and handled by Heather Helmer, or the Colored Bull Terrier, “Rufus” (CH Rocky Top’s Sundance Kid), who won in 2006, have introduced new generations to the idea that a single dog, on a single night, can capture the heart of a nation.
For every famous Garden moment, there are hundreds of quieter ones unfolding in the benching aisles and Breed rings. A breeder watches a homebred dog step into the Group ring for the first time, knowing that decades of careful selection and sacrifice have led to those few minutes on the green carpet. An owner-handler sets foot on the floor of MSG for the first time, aware that the moment represents years of learning, loss, and persistence rather than a single win. These are the experiences that linger long after the rosettes fade, personal milestones that rarely make headlines but define the sport, and the location, from the inside out.
Those individual milestones exist within a larger continuum that gives Westminster its lasting significance. Families who once came to The Garden as spectators return decades later as exhibitors, judges, and mentors. Kennels evolve, yet familiar names reappear in the catalog, carried forward by new hands. In the benching areas, it is not unusual to see multiple generations of a breeding program standing behind a dog whose pedigree reflects just as many generations on paper.
That continuity extends beyond canine bloodlines. Friendships built through shared road trips, late-night grooming sessions, and early-morning ring calls converge at The Garden each year. For many, Westminster functions as a reunion as much as a competition, a place to reconnect with old rivals, celebrate new beginnings, and quietly remember the dogs and people who are no longer there. The show becomes a marker of time, measured not only in trophies but in the faces that return to ringside, year after year.
Westminster is a show about purebred dogs, but its role extends beyond two evenings of televised judging. By highlighting Breed winners and the breeding programs they come from, the show introduces a broad audience to preservation breeding—the deliberate maintenance of predictable dogs with specific physical and behavioral traits developed over generations. For many viewers, Westminster provides their first opportunity to see a correctly conditioned, properly presented example of a breed they may only know by name.
Within the event itself, Westminster also serves as a public demonstration of responsible breeding and handling. Parent clubs prepare educational materials, breeders and handlers engage with spectators, and judges use placements to reward sound structure, stable temperament, and adherence to Breed Standards. Across multiple rings and breeds, these decisions reinforce the standards that guide the sport.
Westminster continues to matter because it makes long-term work visible. Every dog that enters the ring reflects years of breeding decisions, training, and conditioning. That process is compressed into a few minutes of evaluation, but the underlying effort is evident in movement, presentation, and overall quality.
For the purebred dog community, Westminster provides a consistent reference point. It reflects current priorities while signaling future direction as breeds gain recognition and breeding programs evolve. For the general public, it offers context. It shows that well-bred dogs are the result of planning and expertise, not chance. That is why Westminster continues to matter, not simply as New York’s premier dog show but as a living expression of the sport at its very best.
“After being in the sport almost 50 years, I finally had a dog good enough to compete at Westminster in 2022. I was so nervous the morning of showing that I locked my key in the room with my purse when I went to walk my dog! Once in the ring, my handler, Tuni Conti, and my dog looked like winners to me! We were given BOS, and if I had buttons I would have popped them all! Yes, I was crying, and I couldn’t believe it. It was dark for most of my drive home; the ribbon was on the passenger seat and I kept looking at it, thinking, ‘I can’t believe it, I just can’t believe after all these years!’”
“The win was a dream come true! Years of hard work and dedication made the win much more possible. I believed in my dog, and he showed his heart out. It still to this day feels so surreal.”
“I have been to Crufts and the World Dog Show, but nothing compares to Westminster and seeing your dog strutting his stuff on the green carpet.”
“My husband had shown at Westminster many times, but Westminster 2023 was not only his first time showing a dog that he owned himself, but it was also our honeymoon! It was very moving for us to walk down the ramp into the Arthur Ashe Stadium, thinking about all of the historic athletes of tennis who had traveled that path before us. At 18-months-old, our bitch was the youngest entry in our breed, and although she didn’t place, she showed beautifully and she was even on the front page of our local newspaper!”
“I wanted a Bull Terrier my whole life. As a spectator at Westminster many years ago, I was introduced to a Miniature Bull Terrier. After doing more research when I got home, I got my first, and it has been a love affair ever since, with two of my girls taking top honors in the breed at The Garden years later.”
“I had been showing a Golden bitch I bred and co-owned, and our entry got into WKC. We made the cut in Breed and I was thrilled, but figured that was it, until it wasn’t and we won BOB! My friend, Tuni Conti, was outside the ring having a fit because I had been just standing there with my ‘pet,’ which is what we call our dogs in the ring as an affectionate joke (they are all our pets, after all). She helped me get to the shuttle and off to MSG. That became a surreal experience backstage with the massive crowds pouring in to see the dogs. And then we were on the big, green, carpeted ring. Honestly, it was beyond thrilling!”
“Cherish every moment you have with your teammate! Work hard, because being on the green carpet feels like you’re floating, and it’s all worth it.” – SHOWSIGHT March 20, 2025.
“A fun time was when I was there with Kingsmere Moondoggie (Smudgie), and he had won the breed, and I was contacted and asked if I could be interviewed for USA Today. It was great. We were standing near where he was benched, and all of a sudden I could hear the voice of Charlsie Cantey! She was the voice who interviewed the jockeys after the Kentucky Derby and I just about fainted.” Ed Note: Fun fact: Smudgie was the first Mini Bull to portray Bullseye, the famous Target mascot, establishing the breed’s connection to pop culture.
“I still have ‘Bonnie’s’ (Magor Matchless Matrix) invitation in the safe. Most precious possession.”
“Westminster is a unique experience, seeing champion canines competing at one of the most prestigious dog shows in the world. It provides an educational opportunity to interact with seasoned breeders, handlers, and fanciers. There are numerous ongoing activities focusing on ‘all things canine’ to participate in and enjoy. Attending WKC is a magical experience not to be missed by canine enthusiasts.”
“There have been so many moments with dogs that I have been close to who went BIS, but also watching run-offs at the Breed level between top-winning dogs is electric. Even the dogs can feel the electricity in the air… and I remember so well when Rufus (2006) came to my suite after BIS and got to eat whatever he wanted—everything on the
appetizer tray!”
“Myna is my first Breeder/Owner-Handled Best of Breed win. With a win like this at WKC it’s a breathtaking experience to go to The Garden; step foot on that green carpet and present your own dog to the world.”
“My favorite part of Westminster is the bench area at The Garden. Thousands of dog lovers coming in to meet the dogs that are about to show; they actually start to cheer for the dogs. It shows the other side of shows—just a dog-loving life.”
“When David Helming called me and asked me to judge Best in Show at The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show for 2023, I was astounded because it was April 2023, and my best friend, Geir Pedersen, was supposed to be judging. I knew that Geir was very ill, but I didn’t think it was so bad that he would give up that assignment; nonetheless, of course I was thrilled beyond words because that, of course, is the assignment every AKC Judge dreams of.
As I walked into the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, I saw a plaque on the wall that says, ‘pressure is a privilege,’ and that is certainly true. I was privileged to judge seven very, very lovely dogs and put up the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen that I thought embodied his breed. It was the memory of a lifetime, although I have to confess, I did say to Janice Hayes as I handed her the ribbon that there’s nothing better than receiving this ribbon as a handler, owner, and breeder. I think that is the epitome of success in the world of purebred dogs.”
“My girlfriend, Kathie Rizzo, bred my first show dog, Skye, and we made it all the way to Westminster in my first year showing. We placed Award of Merit; she’s retired now and just had her last litter, and I’ll keep a bitch from this litter to show!”
“My son, Freeman Wilson, and I have had Westminster Variety/Breed wins—18 years apart! In 2006, I was his assistant; in 2024, he was mine. Those two nights in the Terrier Group remain among the most cherished moments of my life; it was history for the dogs and our family.”
Dog Show History
Linda Ayers Turner Knorr reflects on her first judging assignment, sharing cherished family memories and lifelong devotion to the sport.
