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WESTMINSTER 2008
Once again, in celebration of the 132nd running of America's most beloved dog show, New York City will be ablaze in purple and gold on Monday and Tuesday nights, from the lights on the top of the Empire State Building to the colored M&Ms handed out on the floor of Madison Square Garden.
At your house, shards of popcorn and chips are probably still lurking between the sofa cushions from Super Bowl Sunday, and already it's time to settle in for another major contest. Put on your comfy cozies and get ready for 6 hours of exciting and educational television as the best of the best in the canine world strut their stuff. The show begins on Monday night, February 11, from 8:00-11:00pm, followed on Tuesday night, February 12, for the final three hours, culminating in the Best in Show award.
The only live-broadcast dog show in this country, the USA Network televises directly from Madison Square Garden. Long time co-host David Frei, Communications Director for the American Kennel Club (AKC) who competitively bred Afghan Hounds and Brittany Spaniels, will be joined by NBC's Lester Holt. Non-practicing veterinarian Dr. Debbye Turner, a former Miss America, will be reporting from the floor throughout the broadcast and Basset breeder, Michael LaFave, who has announced for the past seven shows, will return to provide the ongoing commentary.
This year, the order of presentation will vary slightly. The Hound and Herding Groups have flipflopped with Working and Toy, so on Monday night, the Hound, Terrier, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups will compete, followed by Sporting, Working and Toy, and the coveted Best In Show on Tuesday.
This year the entry limit was met quickly with a total number of 2,500 registrants from 48 states, the District of Columbia and at least six foreign countries. Within the breeds, Labrador Retrievers (51) led the
pack, followed by German Shorthair Pointers (40), Pugs (37), Golden Retrievers (36), and four breeds locked in at 35 each, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, French Bulldog and Australian Shepherds. It is interesting to contrast those numbers of such popular breeds with the newest AKC-recognized breeds that will be competing for the first time, the Plott (7), Tibetan Mastiff (13), Beauceron (7) and Swedish Vallhund (9).
While we're looking at numbers, the competition within certain groups is fierce. During the daytime competitions, which are not televised, a dog has to win its Best of Breed to compete against the other breeds in its Group that night. The largest group is Sporting, with a total of 478 dogs entered, followed by Working with 405. Trailing closely is the Toy Group, with a total of 397 dogs, Hound with 364, Herding at 290 and Non-Sporting at 285. Ironically, the Group with the most wins historically, the Terrier, has the fewest entries at 281.
Several winners from the AKC/Eukanuba Championship will be participating at Westminster, and it will be interesting to see if their recent win will give them an edge in this week's competition. David Frei, Westminster co-host, was asked for his predictions, and, with one exception, he pretty much stuck to the AKC/Eukanuba lineup. His one exception is in the Sporting Group. Frei likes a Pointer, Ch. Cookieland Seasyde Hollyberry, which he considers an "underdog" choice. The Pointer is the original breed and official dog of the Westminster Kennel Club.
In the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, atypically, the females, or bitches, dominated the Group wins. Showing themselves to good advantage on the blue carpet , rather than the signature green of Westminster, were Marge, Ch. Colsidex Seavbreeze Perfect Fit, a Weimaraner, taking first place in the Sporting Group. Uno, a Beagle (over 13 inches), Ch. K-Rin's Park Me In First, almost three years old, gained top honors in the Hound Group.
The Akita, Macey, Ch Redwitch Reason To Believe, the #1 Akita and the #2 winning dog in this country, easily prevailed in her Working Group. The winner of the Terrier Group was Charmin,Ch. Efbe's Hidalgo at Goodspice, a soon-to-be four-year old Sealyham Terrier who is the #1 Terrier in the country. Charmin was named Best in Show, and in addition to the title, he took home $50,000 in prize money.
The very competitive Toy Group was won by Vikki, Ch. Smash JP Win a Victory, a white Toy Poodle, the #1 winning dog in the country and winner of her Group at Westminster last year. Another Poodle, an elegant black Standard called Yes, Ch. Randenn Tristar Affirmation, won the Non-Sporting Group. The last group, Herding, was won by Geneva, Ch. Kaleef's Geneva Aeval-Achtung, a German
Shepherd Dog. I
Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop, and is a member of DWAA and CWA (Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America). Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and three cats. At the shop are the cats, Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower bunny, Willie guinea pig and two budgies. Send email to jan@geronimos.com.
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