WESTMINSTER, GREATER CLARK COUNTY & ORLANDO WHAT GREAT EXPERIENCES! G etting back on track and returning to a somewhat normal show schedule seems to be the trend as we move into 2022. Although the two recent clus- ters mentioned in this article required the wearing of masks, the judges, volunteers, and exhibitors seemed to have accepted the fact that, in some cases, these mask mandates will still be with us. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we
are back to a somewhat normal situation. WESTMINSTER: THERE'S ONLY ONE!
This year marks the 146th annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show. Estab- lished in 1877, Westminster, as we all know, is the second-longest continuous sport- ing event in the country, second only to the Famed Run for the Roses, the Kentucky Derby. Televised every year since 1948, it is the longest-running nationally televised dog show. As a spectator, exhibitor, or judge, there is nothing like the magic of Westminster. It is probably the most famous dog show in the world. (I am sure UK fanciers would argue that Crufts is more well-known, but I would beg to differ.) When you attend Westmin- ster, usually referred to as “The Garden,” you feel the magic as soon as you pass through the doors. It is one of the last remnants of the “bench shows” of the past where you can meet and greet the dogs, owners, and breeders in the benching areas and spend a great deal of time just “talking dogs” in a setting no longer found at most shows. The members of the Westminster Kennel Club are dedicated to making the event not only the Greatest Dog Show on Earth but also one of safety for both the dogs and the public. Several years ago, when they realized that being able to safely continue accom- modating the dogs, handlers, and spectators at Madison Square Garden was no longer practical, the club made a few adjustments and moved the Breed judging to the Piers. The move allowed for larger Breed rings, and plenty of room for benching and the public as well as room for spectators to sit outside the rings to watch the highly competitive Breed judging. They also added Agility and Obedience to the weekend before the Con- formation show, and these have become popular additions to the event as well as for the television audience. The Groups and Junior Showmanship Finals are still held at the world-famous Madi- son Square Garden, and the stands are filled to the rafters as people at The Garden and the huge worldwide television audience watch (with great anticipation) the work-up to the eventual winner of Best in Show. Through the years, I have had the pleasure to not only exhibit but also to judge at the event. I can tell you that it is a very special place, full of history and great stories from the past. Judging a Group at the Garden is an experience like no other. You are standing in the middle of the most famous sports venue in the world, with a packed house and mil- lions of television viewers watching your every move. In front of you stands possibly the strongest lineup of Breed winners in the Group that you may ever experience. It is an incredible experience to sort through them in a timely and efficient manner, as you also need to be aware of the time situations of television. After the examination, you will make "the cut" of the eight or so dogs that you have narrowed down to, knowing that, unfortunately, there are still plenty more outstanding exhibits that are of the highest quality. You will move your final bunch one more time and then you will choose the four that, on that night, you feel deserve the top awards. Winning the Group at The Garden can be a career starter for some dogs and a retire- ment ending for others. Any award won at Westminster is a historical win that will be cherished and remembered forever. If the past two years have taught us anything it has shown us that nothing is set in stone and change can happen at any time. Here we are on the verge of the longest, con- tinuous, and most famous dog show event in the world, and for the second year in a row, it will not be held on the second week of February.
BY WALTER SOMMERFELT
128 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JANUARY 2022
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