The only people watching groups and Best In Show these days are the handler’s assistants and some judges waiting for a ride. It may shock those who weren’t around during the sport’s golden years to hear that exhibitors used to regularly stick around to cheer for their breed in the group. Now, the only people at ringside during groups are judges waiting for a ride, and the enthusiastic, woo-woo cheering people.
Being a breeder is rewarding, exciting, fulfilling, and deeply heartwarming.
So, it’s over. Westminster 150 concluded on the evening of February 3rd before a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden. The crowd was raucous and excited to be part of this event. They seemed to understand the historic importance of being present a century and a half after the first Westminster KC show was held.
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Long before there was electricity, there was a Westminster Kennel Club. It’s interesting to discover how it all began. A group of gentlemen gathered regularly to brag about their hunting skills at the bar in the Westminster Hotel located in Manhattan, New York. What they had in common was the pleasure of taking their dogs into the field to hunt and shoot, the spirited conversations which followed, and the opportunity to enjoy their drink as well. What ensued was the Westminster Kennel Club, established in 1877 by this group of stalwarts who turned the name of their bar into a legend.
The domestic dog is the most diverse species on earth. Nowhere is this more evident than in the dog show world. While much of this variation is due to the separation of breeds and further selection for oddities during the Victorian age, there were already loads of variations before then, based upon selection for function. We tend to think of that variation as first arising during ancient Egyptian times, when we find evidence of coursing and warrior dogs, and later in Roman times, when even toy dogs joined the party. But when did dogs really start to fractionate?
English ivy is the worst. It strangles every bit of plant life, destroys fencing and brickwork, and worst of all, it is impossible to eradicate. As the president of the local Audubon Society explained, “It’s hard to manage invasive species like English Ivy, but it’s even harder when those plants are on an island, and your organization doesn’t own a boat.” That was the situation on Maclellan Island, a nineteen-acre wildlife sanctuary in the middle of the Tennessee River. A range of invasive plant life was overrunning the island’s protected flora. After a “controlled burn” failed to resolve the problem, the local fire chief suggested a truly old school solution. Goats. No one had previously considered this remedy, but they were desperate. So, they took the advice and ordered six goats. But goats need 24/7 tending, and Maclellan is uninhabited. You know where this is going.
Long after the emergency has passed, many owners are left with the same question. Was there a right choice?
In the dog fancy, junior showmanship is often described as a pipeline. Junior handlers are born into the sport, grow up in the sport, hone their skills in the ring, deepen their husbandry knowledge as assistants, and eventually transition into roles as breeders, judges, or professional handlers. Within this narrative, there is an unspoken assumption that the most committed juniors are those who never step away–the ones seen working diligently each weekend, remaining continuously visible, continuously competing, and continuously immersed.
