“It’s going to be an adventure” – Interview With Westminster Spokesman David Frei

photo by Lisa Croft-Elliot

by Amy Fernandez

Westminster is months away but speculation is rampant regarding the new show plan. Most judging will take place at Piers 92/94 located at 55th Street and 12th Avenue, with group and BIS judging at the Garden. “It’s going to be an adventure” says Westminster spokesman David Frei “but we are confident that we will be able to pull it off.” he admits that this represents quite a break with tradition. “The Garden is the world’s most famous sporting arena and Westminster qualifies as the only event that has been held in all four versions of MSG. The circus and the National Horse Show departed long ago. There just wasn’t room for elephants, camels, and horses.” Many Westminster veterans might argue that there wasn’t much room for a dog show either.

The typically crowded conditions became appreciably worse in the past two years. “We are very proud to be one of the country’s few remaining benched shows, but we permanently lost space to the Garden renovation project. Last year we didn’t have any benching at all.” The thought of 200, 000 square feet of space seems like a fair tradeoff for the complications of this new arrangement. Although there are no separate grooming areas, exhibitors can look forward to an expanded benching area, spacious rings, and vendor space adjacent to the show.

It’s also allowed Westminster to raise their entry limit to 3200 dogs, which dropped to 2000 last year because of the space limitations. Calling it the biggest limit in the show’s history Frei notes “at least 1500 dogs will be benched each day. From a spectator standpoint, that’s what makes it happen. The main purpose of our show is educating people about responsible ownership and purebred dogs. That is the greatest legacy of the Westminster Kennel Club.”

Transportation between two venues definitely poses logistical challenges, but there are advantages. Driving on 12 Avenue is delightful compared to navigating midtown traffic. Convenient parking (at NYC rates) is available above Pier 92. You can find cheaper options if you are willing to hike a few blocks. Westminster shuttle buses will provide transportation between MSG, The Hotel Pennsylvania, The Affinia Manhattan, The New Yorker, and the Piers every 30 minutes starting at 5:30 AM. Dog show admission tickets will get you on the bus. Reservations are not required. The last hotel bus for dog transportation will depart at 10:30 a.m. and spectator buses will commence running the same route from 11:00 AM until 2:30 PM.

Benching hours at the Piers are 11 AM to 6:00 PM and the venue will be accessible from 7 AM to midnight. The Garden will be accessible to exhibitors from 3:00 PM to midnight.

BOB winners must be benched at MSG by 6 PM. Shuttle buses will be available for them from 3 PM to 5:30 PM. Exhibitor tickets will get you into MSG to watch group judging. Buses to transport dogs and exhibitors from the piers to the hotels run from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Spectators can also ride these buses if space permits. At 9 PM, buses will gain run from MSG to the Piers, continuing until 11:30 PM.

Details are still being dropped into place and complete information on unloading, benching, and show layout will be included in exhibitor packets “But this is NYC” says Frei. “Weather, traffic and construction are ongoing challenges. But dog show people are a hardy resourceful bunch. They always find a way.”

Updates on Westminster show plans can be accessed at www.westminsterkennelclub.org

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