One of America’s oldest sporting events is also its most slobbery. This year, the Westminster Kennel Club dog show returns to New York City for the 143th time, promising one preeminent pooch the coveted title of “Best in Show” and a lifetime supply of positive reinforcement.
While the show has evolved over its many years—it added two new breeds to the competition this year, the Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes and the Grand Bassett Griffon Vendeéns—it remains a beguiling spectacle for dog fanatics and casual observers alike. Here are some facts to get you competition-ready.
The show has seen its share of tragedy
A champion collie belonging to J.P. Morgan, who spent millions on his obsession with dogs and competed in Westminster regularly, drowned itself. Its trainer called the dog’s death “a clear case of suicide” in an 1895 New York Times article.
You don’t have to be young to win
In 2009, a 10-year-old Sussex spaniel named Stump (registered name: Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee) broke the record for oldest dog ever to win “Best in Show.” He later appeared on the cover of AARP magazine.
Nepotism has made its way into the competition
Dog-judging has always been subjective. Judges at the first modern dog show ever, in Newcastle in 1859, were also the owners of the show’s two winners. Today, the Westminster Kennel Club website acknowledges that’s it’s not a precise science. “Each judge, applying their interpretation of the standard, gives their opinion on that day on which dog best represents its breed,” it explains.
The top dog gets the royal treatment
The winner of the Westminster Dog Show traditionally eats a celebratory lunch at famed Broadway watering hole Sardi’s—breaking New York City’s health codes which prevent animals from entering restaurants.
It’s not all about good looks
The show doesn’t only value looks. A two-legged dog named Nellie participated in the first Westminster show ever in 1877, and 1980’s “Best in Show” was a true underdog: Cinnar, a Siberian husky missing part of its ear, won with handler Trish Kanzler—one of the few amateurs to ever win the title.
Things have even turned criminal
Eight dogs belonging to one prominent New York City dog breeder were poisoned during the 1895 Westminster Dog Show. Despite the story making the front page of The New York Times, no suspect was ever prosecuted for the crime.