The Handlers of the 2019 Westminster Group Winners Tell Their Story. The seven group winners at the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club show contained some crowd favorites (the Longhaired Dachshund and the Sussex Spaniel), as well as a win that was a bit of a surprise, as the Schipperke made Westminster history by winning the Non-Sporting Group.
2019 Westminster Group and BIS and Junior Showmanship Judges Comment on Their Placements. The 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on February 12 and 13 had an entry of more than 2,800 dogs in 203 breeds and varieties.
How wonderful to have two ne plus ultra events in AKC conformation – The AKC National Championship and Westminster. Both inspire hopes and dreams in nearly every person to ever set foot in a show ring, and both showcase the best of the best of the best by the time the judges have winnowed things down to Best In Show competition.
This article is a tribute to Owner/Handlers everywhere! The following article was written about an Owner/Handler’s experiences at his very first Westminster show. His story struck a chord with both Mike, the judge of his breed, and myself. I remember winning RWD with my Saluki, back in the old days, under the formidable Mr. James Edward Clark and watching Mike, with our BBE Afghan bitch also being awarded Reserve (when the entry of over 100 Afghan Hounds was typical) under Mr. Arthur Zane.
Every year I revisit the current NOHS state of affairs, and ask the fancy for their com- plaints, opinions and suggestions. I like to think AKC has listened, because they have implemented several of the suggestions over the years following their publication. Every year some concerns remain the same, but the focus tends to change. This year is no different, except that it seems more than ever, NOHS has an identity crisis.
As a judge, I see it all the time. It’s the final day of a cluster. Exhibitors walk into the ring, self-defeated before they start. I can see negative thinking, “loss” thinking in people’s eyes. They are on a losing streak.
“Our sport is dying.” These words have been said and printed so many times. August 19, 2018 is the date I went to my first dog show. I had seen plenty on TV; we have adopted the relatively new tradition of watching the Philadelphia Kennel Club show on Thanksgiving Day and we, of course, have watched Westminster.
We asked experienced AKC judges two questions about current issues affecting our sport. Here’s what they had to say…
The quintessential “Type vs. Soundness” debate endures. In our sport centered on subjective evaluation, continuing the debate is healthy and necessary for properly assessing the dogs we see. There is, however, another debate that increasingly deserves an active, unbiased, and respectful discussion. That debate is: “Type vs Style.”
The sounds of euphoria echo in my brain in much the same way that I actually heard them for two days recently. From the early hours of judging on the Piers, through the evening hours of groups, and finally Best In Show, the rousing cries of joy and elation filled the air.
