February 15, 2019

With a storied history of over 140 years, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City is highly anticipated every year. Beginning last Saturday, more than 200 canine breeds and varieties competed in the initial round of judging, but only one could be “top dog.” On February 12, the appropriately named King, a wire fox terrier, pranced proudly after earning the coveted Best in Show award.

King, a wire fox terrier, proudly paws the Best in Show trophy at the conclusion of the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Feb. 12, 2019. Credit: © Lev Radin, Shutterstock

The Westminster Kennel Club of New York City holds the most prestigious dog shows in the United States. The shows have been held annually since 1877. That predates the invention of the automobile, the airplane, and the television; the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Lincoln Memorial; and baseball’s first World Series. Since Westminster’s first show, 12 states have joined the union. Westminster even predates the establishment of the governing body of the sport, the American Kennel Club (AKC), which was founded in 1884. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is the second longest continuously held sporting event in the United States. Only the Kentucky Derby, first run in 1875, has been staged longer.

Kennel clubs in many countries sponsor dog shows. At these competitive events, dogs are evaluated on their physical appearance and behavior. In the United States, the AKC regulates most dog shows, and dogs must be AKC-registered to compete. The club maintains official descriptions of each dog breed called breed standards. Breed standards include such details as the size and shape of the dog’s body and the color and texture of its coat. Other characteristics include temperament, type of movement, and how the coat must be trimmed. Judges award points based on how closely an animal meets the breed standard.

In an all-breed dog show, judges first select the best member of each recognized AKC breed. These dogs then compete against one another to be chosen best in each of the seven major groups of dogs. From these seven dogs, the judges name the overall champion as Best in Show. The most coveted award in the dog show world, Best in Show at Westminster was given for the first time in 1907.

The Westminster Dog Show includes multiple events over four days. This year, a Bouvier des Flandres named Baby Lars won the herding group. Burns, a longhaired Dachshund, represented the hound group. The toy group was won by a Havanese (the national dog of Cuba) named Bono. Colton, a schipperke, represented the non-sporting group. Bean, a Sussex spaniel, won the sporting group. The working group winner was Wilma, a boxer. And the terrier group champion was the Best in Show winner, King. Wire fox terriers have won Best in Show at Westminster more times (15) than any other breed.

The Westminster Dog Show also includes the Masters Agility Championship, won by a border collie; the Masters Obedience Championship, won by a Labrador retriever; and the AKC Meet the Breeds event that allows people to interact with more than 100 different dog breeds and—surprise!—more than three dozen breeds of cats.