Vicki L. Abbott: What an extreme honor it was to have been invited to judge and be a part of this year’s historic Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show! Having attended many years of Westminster as a spectator, exhibitor, owner, and handler, the show this year brought back so many fond memories of the great experiences of being on that green carpet over the years with the wonderful and very special dogs we did quite a bit of winning with. Westminster’s historic return to New York City was amazing. The Javits Center was turned into a combination of both the historic element of the Westminster of old, along with the newness of a beautiful building in the heart of Manhattan. No detail was omitted, and the energy in the building during the day, which followed through with the return to Madison Square Garden in the evening, was electric. It was moving and emotional, from the opening with the National Anthem through each of the Groups, culminating in a sold-out venue for Best in Show. Congratulations to Dr. Donald Sturz and The Westminster Kennel Club for what can only be considered a spectacular feat and an award-winning performance to remind us that “There’s Only One!”
Vicki L. Abbott: I had some very excellent dogs to judge, with nice entries! The quality of the competition was deep in each breed. The following are my comments about my Best of Breed dogs in each of the nine breeds that I had in my ring:
Xoloitzcuintli: My Best of Breed dog was a combination of elegance and strength. In silhouette, he had moderately balanced proportions, was slightly longer than high, had a long, slightly arched, elegant neck, and a level topline with a slight arch over the loin. His whole bearing took your breath away with his noble carriage and expression, set off by the wedge-shaped skull, correct almond eye, and expressive, large, high-set ears. A beautiful, strong example of the breed. I was pleased to see him take a Group 2 in the Non-Sporting Group.
Lhasa Apso: In Lhasas, I chose a beautifully balanced rectangular dog with a correct double coat that was heavy, straight, hard, dense, and wonderfully groomed. This dog has never had a bad hair day any time I have seen him. In addition, he moves with the regal attitude a Lhasa should exhibit. Topline was always level, with correct tail carried well over the back. Add to that a lovely head and soft expression, enhanced by the dark brown, almond-shaped eyes and dark pigmentation on his eye rims and lips. It was wonderful to see him take a Group 3 in the Non-Sporting Group.
Schipperke: This little bitch that I chose for the Breed winner in Schipperkes totally met the requirements for a small, thickset, tailless, cobby black dog with a fox-like face. Secondly, she exuded type with her correctly shaped, wedged head, small, dark, oval eyes, and high-set, small, triangular ears. She was decidedly feminine without being overly refined, and her expression was always mischievous and impudent! Thirdly, her coat was in wonderful, harsh condition and in the correct, characteristic natural pattern. Icing on the cake was her smooth, graceful movement with good reach and drive. I was excited to see her place fourth in the Non-Sporting Group.
Chinese Shar-Pei: A lovely experience in Shar-Peis as I had some very nice examples of the breed to judge. I stood back to look for square silhouettes with correct, slightly rising toplines and a characteristic high tail set. From there, I put emphasis on each head, looking for those beautiful, small, almond-shaped eyes, very small triangle ears, that broad and full “hippopotamus” muzzle, and a correctly colored tongue—all of which give this breed its unique type.
My Best of Breed dog had all of this and more, including a great, harsh coat, and proper reach and drive. It was very rewarding to find out later that he was the father of both the Select Dog and one of the Award of Merit winners.
Dalmatian: This was a ring full of beautiful Dalmatians. I look for three top components in judging this breed: movement, body shape, and spotting. My Best of Breed dog had effortless movement, with tail carried correctly in a slight upward curve while moving, was symmetrical in body shape, and had distinct and evenly distributed spots. Very handsome, and would be capable of great endurance as the Breed Standard calls for.
Shiba Inu: This is a breed that I have a special affection for. A Shiba should own the ground it stands on and give you a look like everything else is beneath them. In other words, they should have a strong character, and everything about them should show that. They should stack all by themselves, with an attitude of determination and correct haughty expression enhanced by the proper triangular eye shape and slant to the eye, the full cheeks, and a small, tilted ear. It is a sight to behold, combined with the Urajiro and correct colors on this moderate dog. There were some good examples of all of those things in my Shiba ring; however, one dog in particular put that all together on the day, and with his correct, light-footed gait, became my choice for Best of Breed.
Tibetan Terrier: Within this wonderful group of well-groomed and well-presented dogs, I looked for an outstanding example, strong in the distinguishing features which added up to correct breed type. In doing so, I was looking for a medium-sized, moderate, square-balanced dog with a protective double coat and large, flat, round feet. My choice for Best of Breed excelled in all of those areas, had an especially lovely and profuse, well-conditioned double coat, and moved with a smooth and powerful trot, carrying a nice level topline.
American Eskimo Dog: Best of Breed went to a small, very compact dog with adequate bone for his size. His correct white, stand-off, double coat was in beautiful condition. Combined with the ideal black points, correct ear shape and placement, and a correct Nordic face with a lovely expression, this dog was very deserving of the Breed win among a group of very nice American Eskimo Dogs on this day.
Coton de Tulear: The hallmark of the Coton is the very soft white coat with the texture of cotton. I had a number of very lovely dogs to choose from in my ring with correct coats of varying condition. This is not an easy coat to keep, and having dealt with white coats almost my entire life, my hat is off to those who can keep this coat in such wonderful condition. My Best of Breed dog had a profuse, very correctly textured coat, proper outline and balance, and topline with a very graceful, correct arch over the loin. He demonstrated his happy attitude on the move.
Vicki L. Abbott: We had a very busy January this year, judging in the Southeast, Midwest, and Northwest, making it possible for me to say that the quality of dogs being shown so far in 2025, in my opinion, is very good in different parts of the country. There was good depth of quality from the Breeds to the Groups, to the Best in Show lineups. I would say that it bodes well for a very competitive 2025!
