CC Reports from the Billie Jean King Tennis Center

By Amy Fernandez

The Canine Chronicle was on the scene today to check out the home of the 2023 Westminster Kennel Club dog show. In terms of venue–it’s excellent. It’s big, really BIG. The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has been primarily famous as the home of the U.S Open since 1976. And tennis fans will be able to put this into perspective. It provides 22 competition-sized courts within its 46 acres and ranks as the nation’s largest tennis facility. Recently, the indoor surface was replaced with Laykold® so the floor is in very good condition.  It will get a good workout when Westminster kicks off tomorrow morning.

We met a couple of tomorrow’s contenders who were likewise scoping out the situation for Cayenne, the Smooth Fox Terrier. Owned by Mechelle Kwander, this bit of terrier dynamite has been a hot contender and a crowd favorite for awhile. In addition to proudly carrying the banner for this underrepresented breed last year in Florida, Cayenne has made headlines in both Agility and top scores in Trick Dog Competition.

The dogs get down to business tomorrow at 8 AM with the Masters Agility and Masters Obedience Championship starting at 9:00.  NYPD K9s are scheduled to present two demos, one at 11:15 and the other at 12:15. Possibly, the best new offering is Westminster’s first foray into Dock Diving. This sport has rocketed up the charts for obvious reasons. And it runs from 8 AM-4 PM tomorrow.

Westminster is also hosting a purebred showcase throughout the day. This is typically the primary attraction for spectators. They come to see the breeds, meet them, touch them, and ask questions.  That will run throughout the day.

The park is beautiful and the weather–after a week of relentless rain–has decided to cooperate.  On the other hand, brace yourself for a parking nightmare.  Exhibitors are being directed to park at Citifield, which is privately owned, which explains the hefty parking fees. The club plans to provide a shuttle service to the show.  But keep in mind that Westminster takes place on weekdays and GCP traffic can be really bad from 7-9 AM on weekdays.

See you tomorrow.

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Posted by Gia on May 5 2023. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.