Progressive Dog Club 2025 is Back in the Big Apple!
By Amy Fernandez
Photos by Deana Niosi
Progressive Dog Club exemplifies NYC zeitgeist. Founded on the cusp of the Great Depression, times have been good and–just as frequently–not so good. Either way, they never thought about saying goodbye. With 100 shows to their credit, this club is a diehard New York institution. And they proved that this weekend–specifically Friday, February 7th and Saturday the 8th.
This alone, qualifies as a miracle because things have been rough for the club in recent years. Yeah, Covid caused problems for everyone. But it has been especially challenging for clubs that have traditionally tacked on to the NYC/Westminster monolith in February–not May.
So, there’s that. Then the beloved Hotel Pennsylvania got the wrecking ball, and along with it, the space where Progressive held its show. Last February, the club hosted two shows in Tarrytown, NY; and once that show planning gets underway, it’s no simple matter to tear up the plans and start over. Changing course means a lot of money goes down the drain. The solution is to grit your teeth and move forward with the show. Despite the obvious disadvantages, it was still a great show thanks to the know-how and resolve of these members. President Kathleen Kolbert has been running shows with military precision for decades. Tim Lehman is possibly the most optimistic show chairman I’ve ever encountered. The vibe is good; he does not permit anything less.
So, on to this year’s show. The new location at the New Yorker is ideal, convenient, dog-friendly, and a very work-friendly set-up with ample grooming space and three rings. Purina Pro Plan, a strong supporter of purebred dogs, provided generous sponsorship, which was great. Entries were up from last year. Yorkies topped the list by a wide margin, which is no surprise. This has been their specialty HQ for decades. Three days of shows is also a big lure. Otherwise, Long-Coat Chihuahuas drew strong entries, as did Pomeranians, Pekes and Maltese. Manchesters, a breed that we don’t see enough of, turned out to support the club. And the Beiwer Terriers were out in force.
Traditionally, Progressive predictably attracted top competition from all over the country and that remains the case. However, local support has always been the mainstay of this club. Now that the show has returned to Westminster week, that should improve.
Just like the good old days, there were vendors at the show and spectators from midtown were strolling in for a look. Show vendors understand their market. Although we know this, it’s always cool to watch the reaction from people accustomed to the yucky, mass market options. They bought leads, brushes, etc.–and these are products that really do the job and last for years.
That’s all good, but in terms of a show’s success, it’s all about the judging panel. Last year, the club got Bert Easdon, the famed British Pekingese breeder and Toy expert. It’s hard to top that choice, but they came pretty close with a panel comprised of Vicki Abbott, Jason Hoke and Mickey Feigelson-who was possibly rockin’ the finest jacket on the planet yesterday.
This year’s Progressive wrapped up Saturday with David Fitzpatrick doing Best. In view of the fact that David has won this show more times than I can count, it was great to see him making the choice for Best on Saturday. Here are the results from Friday and Saturday:
Friday, February 7, 2025:
http://caninechronicle.com/show-wins-gallery/progressive-dog-club-6/
Saturday February 8, 2025:
http://caninechronicle.com/show-wins-gallery/progressive-dog-club-7/
Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=318400
Posted by Liz
on Feb 9 2025. Filed under Current Articles, Featured.
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