America’s Dog Show Draws Its Largest Entry Since 1990 For 138th Westminster

Combines with first-ever Westminster Agility Trial

to bring more than 3,000 dogs to New York in February

The Westminster Kennel Club’s Annual All Breed Dog show, the sport’s most famous and prestigious event, will be bigger than ever in 2014 with its largest entry since 1990 and the addition of America’s most popular canine sport to its activities.

Westminster’s 138^th show, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 10-11, drew an entry of 2,845 as America’s Dog Show extends its standing as the second-longest continuously-held sporting event in this country, a streak that began in 1877.

There are entries in 187 breeds and varieties eligible for this year’s show. Labrador Retrievers, coincidentally the most-registered AKC breed every year since 1991, leads the way with 76 entries, followed by Golden Retrievers (58), French Bulldogs (52), Rhodesian Ridgebacks (46), and Australian Shepherds (44). In breeds that combine three varieties, Dachshunds have 62 entries and Poodles 42.

The entry, subject to final audit, includes three breeds newly-recognized by the American Kennel Club that are eligible for Westminster for the first time: Portuguese Podengo Pequeno (8 entries, Hound Group), the Chinook (4, Working Group), and the Rat Terrier (20, Terrier Group).

There are also 91 entries in Junior Showmanship.

Preceding the dog show, the first Masters Agility Championship at Westminster will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Pier 94.  With the maximum 225 dogs entered and a prime time television broadcast on FOX Sports 1, the competition will feature dogs of all breeds and mixed breed dogs (All American dogs) showing spectators and the television audience why the American Kennel Club calls Agility “the most exciting canine sport for spectators.” Details on the Agility entry will be available soon.

The combined entry of the two events means that more than 3,000 dogs will be on hand from all over the country. The dog show on Monday and Tuesday will also feature live television coverage on USA Network and CNBC, as well as live streaming video to the website and on the Westminster App, and social media.

Judging for the iconic all breed dog show takes place in two different venues. Breed judging, benching and Junior Showmanship preliminary competition will take place during the days Monday and Tuesday at Piers 92/94. Group and Best In Show judging, as well as the Junior Showmanship Finals, will be held at Madison Square Garden on Monday and Tuesday evenings, as has been the case virtually every year since the show began in 1877.

Entries have come from 49 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and 13 foreign countries. For the fourth year in a row, New York has the most with 272, while California following closely with 239. Rounding out the top five states are Pennsylvania (211), New Jersey (191), and Texas (149). Arkansas did not have an entry.

There are 127 foreign entries, led by Canada with 115. Dogs are also entered from Mexico, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Finland, Italy, Norway, Slovenia, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Many other foreign-owned dogs are entered from U.S. addresses, and in the final compilation there will certainly be additional foreign countries represented.

Breeds and varieties in the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups will be benched and judged at the Piers during the day on Monday, with Group competition that evening at the Garden.  On Tuesday, breeds and varieties in the Sporting, Working and Terrier Groups will be benched and judged at the Piers and judging of those Groups will take place on Tuesday night. Judging of Best In Show, featuring all seven of the Group winners, will be held Tuesday evening at the Garden in the final event of the show.

The evening competition will be televised live each night from 8-11 p.m. ET. Monday’s telecast of the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups will be on CNBC. Tuesday’s telecast will be on USA Network and will include the Sporting, Working and Terrier Groups, as well as Best In Show. For the first time, Tuesday night’s telecast will also be seen live in the Pacific Time zone from 5-8 p.m. PT and will repeat in that time zone from 8-11 p.m. PT as well.

Westminster, televised since 1948, will once again be America’s most widely-watched live telecast of a dog show.

As it did last year, Westminster will produce live coverage of all the breed judging during the daytime hours, posting live streaming video on its website of the competition in all breeds and varieties with real-time posting on the Westminster website.

Best In Show will be judged by Ms. Betty Regina Leininger of Frisco, TX. She heads a panel of 44 judges from 20 states and two foreign countries presiding over the dog world’s most prestigious event.

Group judges are Mr. Sam Houston McDonald of Chester Springs, PA, Sporting; Mr. Douglas Johnson of Bloomington, IN, Hound; Mr. Clay Coady of Paradise Valley, AZ, Working; Mr. Bruce Schwartz of Los Angeles, CA, Terrier; Ms. Keke Kahn of Sarasota, FL, Toy; Ms. Virginia Lyne of Saanichton, BC, Non-Sporting; and Mr. Walter Sommerfelt of Lenoir City, TN, Herding. Mr. Peter Kubacsz of Jackson, NJ, will judge the Junior Showmanship finals.

Tickets are still available for both the day events at the Piers and the evening events at the Garden, and for the Agility Trial.

Visit the Westminster website (www.westminsterkennelclub.org) for a full breakdown by breed of the entry, for the complete judging panel, judging schedule, agility event details, and ticket information.

Entries for 2014 (subject to final audit):

Sporting breeds (560):  Brittanys 19, Pointers 14, Pointers (German Shorthaired) 40, Pointers (German Wirehaired) 8, Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay) 20, Retrievers (Curly-Coated) 11, Retrievers (Flat-Coated) 28, Retrievers (Golden) 58, Retrievers (Labrador) 76, Retrievers (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling) 12, Setters (English) 18, Setters (Gordon) 13, Setters (Irish) 18, Setters (Irish Red & White) 11, Spaniels (Boykin) 13, Spaniels (Clumber) 7, Spaniels (Cocker) ASCOB 6, Spaniels (Cocker) Black 11, Spaniels (Cocker) Parti-Color 7, Spaniels (English Cocker) 18, Spaniels (English Springer) 28, Spaniels (Field) 10, Spaniels (Irish Water) 6, Spaniels (Sussex) 8, Spaniels (Welsh Springer) 6, Spinone Italiano 18, Vizslas 39, Weimaraners 25, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons 12.

Hound breeds (408):  Afghan Hounds 23, American English Coonhounds 6, American Foxhounds 6, Basenjis 17, Basset Hounds 14, Beagles (13”) 14, Beagles (15”) 28, Black and Tan Coonhounds 6, Bloodhounds 10, Bluetick Coonhounds 6, Borzoi 22, Dachshunds (Longhaired) 20, Dachshunds (Smooth) 23, Dachshunds (Wirehaired) 19, English Foxhounds 1, Greyhounds 9, Harriers 2, Ibizan Hounds 9, Irish Wolfhounds 9, Norwegian Elkhounds 5, Otterhounds 6, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen 14, Pharaoh Hounds 13, Plotts 5, Portuguese Podengo Pequeno 8, Redbone Coonhounds 4, Rhodesian Ridgebacks 46, Salukis 19, Scottish Deerhounds 5, Treeing Walker Coonhounds 12, Whippets 27.

Working breeds (425):  Akitas 9, Alaskan Malamutes 10, Anatolian Shepherd Dogs 5, Bernese Mountain Dogs 19, Black Russian Terriers 16, Boxers 20, Bullmastiffs 21, Cane Corsos 23, Chinooks 4, Doberman Pinschers 31, Dogue de Bordeaux 13, German Pinschers 10, Giant Schnauzers 11, Great Danes 32, Great Pyrenees 13, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs 7, Komondorok 2, Kuvaszok 2, Leonbergers 22, Mastiffs 24, Neapolitan Mastiffs 5, Newfoundlands 13, Portuguese Water Dogs 13, Rottweilers 32, St. Bernards 8, Samoyeds 23, Siberian Huskies 22, Standard Schnauzers 11, Tibetan Mastiffs 4.

Terriers breeds (319):  Airedale Terriers 13, American Staffordshire Terriers 11, Australian Terriers 7, Bedlington Terriers 18, Border Terriers 16, Bull Terriers (Colored) 2, Bull Terriers (White) 4, Cairn Terriers 11, Cesky Terriers 6, Dandie Dinmont Terriers 1, Fox Terriers (Smooth) 20, Fox Terriers (Wire) 13, Glen of Imaal Terriers 7, Irish Terriers 7, Kerry Blue Terriers 13, Lakeland Terriers 7, Manchester Terriers (Standard) 10, Miniature Bull Terriers 5, Miniature Schnauzers 15, Norfolk Terriers 5, Norwich Terriers 15, Parson Russell Terriers 11, Rat Terriers 20, Russell Terriers 11, Scottish Terriers 11, Sealyham Terriers 7, Skye Terriers 7, Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers 11, Staffordshire Bull Terriers 12, Welsh Terriers 7, West Highland White Terriers 16.

Toy breeds (417):  Affenpinschers 7, Brussels Griffons 14, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 28, Chihuahuas (Long Coat) 38, Chihuahuas (Smooth Coat) 27, Chinese Cresteds 37, English Toy Spaniels (Blenheim & Prince Charles) 3, English Toy Spaniels (King Charles & Ruby) 5, Havanese 30, Italian Greyhounds 16, Japanese Chins 13, Maltese 21, Manchester Terriers (Toy) 9, Miniature Pinschers 8, Papillons 19, Pekingese 13, Pomeranians 17, Poodles (Toy) 8, Pugs 35, Shih Tzu 18, Silky Terriers 6, Toy Fox Terriers 13, Yorkshire Terriers 32.

Non-Sporting breeds (307):  American Eskimo Dogs 5, Bichon Frises 18, Boston Terriers 32, Bulldogs 27, Chinese Shar-Pei 7, Chow Chows 8, Dalmatians 25, Finnish Spitz 1, French Bulldogs 52, Keeshondens 16, Lhasa Apsos 14, Lowchen 6, Poodles (Miniature) 11, Poodles (Standard) 23, Schipperkes 10, Shiba Inu 13, Tibetan Spaniels 13, Tibetan Terriers 18, Xoloitzcuintlis 8.

Herding breeds (318):  Australian Cattle Dogs 12, Australian Shepherds 44, Bearded Collies 15, Beauceron 6, Belgian Malinois 15, Belgian Sheepdogs 10, Belgian Tervurens 13, Border Collies 23, Bouviers des Flandres 14, Briards 15, Canaan Dogs 3, Cardigan Welsh Corgis 26, Collies (Rough) 11, Collies (Smooth) 11, Finnish Lapphunds 6, German Shepherd Dogs 16, Icelandic Sheepdogs 8, Norwegian Buhunds 5, Old English Sheepdogs 8, Pembroke Welsh Corgis 14, Polish Lowland Sheepdogs 10, Pulik 5, Pyrenean Shepherds 16, Shetland Sheepdogs 10, Swedish Vallhunds 2.

Entries by state:    

Alaska 5, Alabama 17, Arizona 26, California 239, Colorado 39, Connecticut 115, Delaware 16, Florida 146, Georgia 67, Hawaii 9, Idaho 6, Illinois 67, Indiana 35, Iowa 9, Kansas 7, Kentucky 30, Louisiana 20, Maine 17, Maryland 85, Massachusetts 100, Michigan 84, Minnesota 31, Mississippi 6, Missouri 18, Montana 1, Nebraska 16, Nevada 14, New Hampshire 32, New Jersey 191, New Mexico 11, New York 272, North Carolina 80, North Dakota 2, Ohio 121, Oklahoma 22, Oregon 13, Pennsylvania 211, Rhode Island 19, South Carolina 37, South Dakota 4, Tennessee 30, Texas 149, Utah 4, Vermont 10, Virginia 110, Washington 73, West Virginia 8, Wisconsin 48, Wyoming 2.

Others:  District of Columbia 3, Puerto Rico 3; Canada 115, Mexico 5, Japan 2, Australia 1, Brazil 1, Chile 1, Columbia 1, Finland 1, Italy 1, Norway 1, Slovenia 1, Thailand 1, United Kingdom 1.

Junior Showmanship:  91

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=40572

Posted by chesliepickett on Dec 30 2013. Filed under Breaking News, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.