Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a two-day benched dog show that takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City every year. Dog owners from around the world come to show their dogs. Dogs are judged closely by eminent American Kennel Club (AKC) judges. It is considered by many to be America's most prestigious canine show.

History

The first Westminster show was held in 1877. No other continuously held sporting event in the United States is older except for the Kentucky Derby, which predates Westminster by only two years. The show originated as a show for sporting dogs, primarily setters and pointers, initiated by a group of hunting men who met regularly at the Westminster Hotel at Irving Place and Sixteenth Street in Manhattan. They decided to create a kennel club called the Westminster Kennel Club specifically for the purpose of holding a dog show.

Related Topics:
1877 - Kentucky Derby - Sporting dog - Setter - Pointers - Manhattan - Kennel club

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The first show took place in May of 1877 at Gilmore's Gardens (the Hippodrome) on the site now occupied by the New York Life Building, which also contains the AKC headquarters. The first show drew over 1200 dogs and proved so popular that its originally scheduled three days became four. It remained 3 or 4 days until 1941, when it changed to its current two-day format. Gilmore's Gardens at the time was an old railroad depot, which two years later became the first Madison Square Garden.

Related Topics:
Hippodrome - Railroad

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Dog breeds listed for the first show include the Long-haired Saint Bernard, the Esquimaux Dog, and the Siberian Bloodhound; most dogs had simple names such as Duke, Rover, Mungo, Nellie, and Rex, compared to today's fancier and longer dog names (although among today's call names there still number many Dukes, Nellies, Rexes and the like).

Related Topics:
Saint Bernard - Dog name

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The advent of Westminster predates the creation of the AKC, so breed standards were still rough and hard to find. The Westminster Kennel Club was the first club admitted to the AKC after AKC's founding in 1884.

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In 1905, with an entry of over 1700 dogs, Westminster surpassed even Crufts to become the largest all-breed dog show in the world.

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Television coverage of the event first occurred in 1948, and continues through the present time. Television condenses the showing of more than 2500 dogs in well over 150 breeds in multiple rings over two days into a usually two-hour show, primarily focusing on the General Specials (featuring winners from each breed competing for the title Best In Group) and the final Best In Show (chosen from among the winners of Best In Group).

Related Topics:
General Specials - Title

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