WESTMINSTER 2018 J N McGinnis III continued Their 142nd, my 39th, and always somebody or something’s First
Making arrangements to attend West- minster is tough enough for spectators; exhibitors have an especiallty difficult and different set of obstacles from other shows on the calendar. In addition to maneuvering dogshow paraphernalia— not to mention dogs—through a crowded, high-energy city, one has the added excitement of unpredictable weather. We’ve pretty much seen every- thing from balmy breezes (this year) to total city shut-down due to blizzards (many years). This year was simply beautiful so we’ll spend no more time on that. But showing dogs in midtown Manhattan can be something of a trial; if the possible rewards were not so great, one might not want to do it at all. I am reminded of a famously true tale from Westminsters of yore, and I cannot pass it up. The late, great, Walter Goodman was attempting to get his ex- hibit into Madison Square Garden de- spite like two feet of newly-fallen snow. He was lugging his top-winning Skye Terrier so as to keep him pristinely above the muck and mire. A friend spied him from an overlooking hotel room and later remarked, “Walter, I saw you carrying your dog while your poor mother trudged along behind through the drifts and blustery winds. Why didn’t you help her?” And in typical fashion, Walter replied, “Well, I wasn’t showing my Mother !” That kind of illustrates how most of us feel about the Garden. It’s at the top of the list and all else pales. As with any major attraction there are smaller events in its orbit. Westmin- ster weekend always kicks off with Pro- gressive Dog Club’s important event on Friday. Although PDC has an all-breed charter, only classes for Toys are offered making it one of the three limited breed shows in the country able to give an All-Breed BIS award, along with Metro- Mile High (again, Toys only) and Mont- gomery County (Terriers). The competition at this show is staggering and opens the door to a weekend of Specialties in the same location, always heavily supported and keenly watched. We often see the sport’s new top con- tenders emerge here first so the crowd contains fanciers of all breeds looking to get a heads-up on the year. Sprinkled around nearby are other shows, too, al- though the popularity of Westminster is such that almost no other shows take place in the country on the weekend prior to its Monday-Tuesday dates. >
Mrs. Stenmark with Sporting Group winner, Sussex Spaniel GCH CH Kamand's Full Of Beans @ Erinhill; Working Group winner GCH CH Ingebar's Tynan Dances With Wildflowers, Herding Group winner GCHP CH Majestic Elite Clever Endeavor, Border Collie; and Hound Group winner, the Borzoi GCHG CH Belisarius JP My Sassy Girl. Photos by John Ashby
174 • S how S ight M agazine , M arch 2018
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