Westminster’s traditional two-day show has morphed into “Westminster Week”—a chance for the dog show world and public alike to gather in celebration of the dog. Last year, the AKC’s popular “Meet the Breeds” event moved its venue and date to coincide with the Westminster’s agility competition on the Saturday of Westminster Weekend.
by Joan Harrigan The Clumber Spaniel booth occupied prime real estate at the AKC Meet the Breeds event Saturday. A cluster of Clumbers spilled into the isle from the very first booth spectators encountered as they entered Pier 92—likely more Clumbers in one place than most had ever seen. Tom McMillian of Montville, N.J. was […]
By Amy Fernandez Saturday’s Havanese specialty at the Hotel Pennsylvania drew 33 entries. Winners Dog and Best of Winners among nine class dogs was Narwyn MeadowView Mischief Maker from the 12-18 class. Reserve Winners Dogs came from 6-9 Puppy and went to Viva’s Catch Me If U Can. From an entry of six class bitches, […]
At the heart of our sport are the all-breed kennel clubs and the local specialty (breed) clubs. And, there are the parent specialty clubs and a growing number of group clubs. There are also obedience training clubs and clubs for tracking, agility, lure coursing, herding, earthdogs, coonhounds, field trials and hunt tests. And, let us not forget the juniors’ clubs and the 4-H dog clubs. I found myself wondering, “just how many dog clubs are there here in the United States?”
By Amy Fernandez Group clubs were pretty rare back in the day when the Progressive Dog Club appeared on the scene. Not anymore. Over the past couple of decades AKC has rubber-stamped clubs all over the country that confine their competition to a single group. Terrier, Hound, Herding, Sporting, Non-Sporting, Working, and plenty more Toy […]
By Amy Fernandez Progressive Dog Club is one of those quirky little shows that has been around forever. Founded in 1933, AKC grudgingly accepted the club’s membership and approved its inaugural event in November of that year… mainly because everyone at the helm fully expected this unorthodox project to quickly go down in flames. AKC’s […]
The first weekend in November, I flew from Los Angeles to Orlando for the National Animal Interest Alliance Conference entitled Joining Forces to Save Our Animals. It was an inspiring and thought-provoking weekend. There were many highlights to the weekend, but one memory in particular seemed relevant a month later as I flew a similar itinerary to attend the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.
By Amy Fernandez For over 20 years Progressive Dog Club has been a key lead-in event of Westminster week. Although it’s limited to Toy breeds, it is the week’s first showdown for top-ranked contenders and the results often set the pace for weekend specialty shakeups and shockers. This year’s show drew a total of 412 […]
By any definition, America’s fascination with Dalmatians is old news, and generally not the best icebreaker with Dal people. New York’s enduring love affair with the firehouse dog might qualify as a less notorious subplot of this overworked theme. Those spotted dogs have been a hallmark of the NYFD since anyone can remember.
For over a decade we’ve heard rumors about the imminent demise of Westminster’s home base. Naturally, it’s hard to imagine since the club’s relationship with Madison Square Garden is now into its third century.
