Westminster dog show 2022 LIVE — Kennel club breed competitions begin TODAY after Masters Agility Champion crowned

#BestAtHomeContest

The Westminster Dog Show Twitter account is promoting a social media contest in which pet owners can enter their furry friends.

According to the sweepstakes rules: “The winner receives one (1) prize package consisting of one (1) THD Home Depot Gift Card with a value of twelve-hundred dollars ($1200.00) and Westminster branded merchandise with a value of two-hundred and fifty dollars ($250.00).”

Awards: Which are given out?

The judge in the Best of Breed competition bestows the following awards, according to the Westminster Kennel Club:

• “Best of Breed (BOB) or Best of Variety (BOV): the dog judged as the best in its breed or variety. This dog advances to the Group competition.
• “Best of Opposite Sex (BOS): the best of the dogs that are the opposite sex to the BOB winner.
• “Select Dog and Select Bitch (SEL): After the judge awards the BOB and BOS winners, the champion dog and champion bitch judged next best are awarded Select Dog and Select Bitch.
• “Grand Championship Points (GCH): Wins at Westminster awarded by the breed judge (Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Select Dog, and Select Bitch) will earn points toward the AKC’s Grand Championship title. For details, see www.akc.org/grandchampionship.
• “Awards of Merit (AOM): At the discretion of the judge at Westminster, Awards of Merit may be made to recognize the quality of outstanding entries that are not judged to be either BOB / BOV, BOS or SEL.”

Awards: How they work

The Westminster Kennel Club is a Champions-only competition again in 2022, according to the website.

A dog must win a total of 15 points in a number of AKC-sanctioned dog shows to become an AKC champion.

All champions will compete in Westminster’s Best of Breed competition in their respective breed or variation.

How many dogs are participating this year?

Among the 3,500 dogs registered in three distinct categories, have the most Westminster entries by breed this year, according to Cleveland.com.

Those breeds include:

• 70 Golden Retrievers
• 49 Labrador Retrievers
• 46 Pugs
• 43 Rhodesian Ridgebacks
• 41 French Bulldogs

Dogs must sit still

Dogs competing in the show are required to be on display in their assigned locations (show benches) during the entire event – except when shown in the ring, groomed for showtime, or taken outside for elimination.

This type of presentation allows spectators and breeders alike to have an opportunity of seeing all the entered dogs.

2021 Best in Show winner

The winner of the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was Wasabi the Pekingese.

Last year’s seven group winners revealed

The winners of each category in the 2021 Westminster dog show were:

• Hound group: Bourbon, a Whippet
• Toy group: Wasabi, a Pekingese
• Nonsporting group: Mathew, a French bulldog
• Herding group: Connor, an Old English sheepdog
• Sporting group: Jade, a German short-haired pointer
• Working group: Striker, a Samoyed
• Terrier group: Boy, a West Highland white terrier

The first Westminster dog show

The first show took place at Gilmore’s Garden, later Madison Square Garden, in 1877.

The event was planned for three days but ran one day longer when over 1,200 dogs entered, according to Sporting News.

The beloved dog show weekend kicked off on Saturday, June 18, with the Westminster Masters Agility Championship Preliminaries.

Competing categories revealed

The breeds are categorized into seven groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding.

Within breed divisions, the dogs are then divided into categories based on their coat, color, and size.

Where and when the show has usually taken place

The dog show is typically held in February at Piers 92/94 and Madison Square Garden but will be held outdoors on the lawn at the Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown, New York, instead.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the show will be held outside of NYC for the second time in a row.

How long has the Westminster Dog Show taken place?

This year marks the program’s 146th annual dog show.

The Westminster dog show is an all-breed conformation show that has been hosted every year in New York City since 1877.

For the second year in a row, the famous dog competition show will be held outside of New York City.

Fan-favorite Teddy wins hearts

The competitor was captured rolling around on the ground during his segment, and fans were in awe of the pup.

Field view of Bee’s winning run

Bee, a Shetland Sheepdog won as the Overall Masters Agility Champion.

The dog finished with a time of 29.81 seconds.

Dogs watch the competition

Many dog owners are taking to Twitter to show their own pets tuning in to the competition.

Two new breeds added, part two

The mudi hails from Hungary and got its start as a sheep herding dog in the 1800s.

Genetically, the breed also has connections with the other breeds like the German spitz, according to local New Jersey media outlet NJ.com.

The dog rose to prominence after catching the attention of a museum director in the 1930s, NPR reported.

Two new breeds added, part one

This year, Westminster Dog Show has added two new breeds to the competition.

One of the new breeds making an appearance on the show floor this year is a Mudi, a Hungarian herding dog.

The other new breed is known as a Russian Toy, which resemble Chihuahas and have fox-like fur, but originate from a breed of English Toy Terriers.

Westminster dog show ticket prices

Despite being one of the most well-known athletic events in the United States, the Westminster Dog Show has reasonably priced tickets, according to Sporting News.

During the preliminary rounds, tickets are $12.50 for children ages five and up and $25 for adults.

During the agility finals, the fee increases to $15 and $30, respectively.

Children under the age of four are admitted free of charge.

What’s next?

The competition will start again tomorrow with the Masters Obedience Championship.

The first round is made up of utility and signal exercises, but all teams finish the championship by performing a six-minute routine to show off their talents.

Breed judging will start tomorrow.

Congrats, Bee!

Bee’s win came as a surprise to her handler, Jennifer Crank, because the competition was so close.

The overall champion comes from Pickerington, Ohio.

Overall Masters Agility Champion

Bee the Shetland Sheepdog out of the 16-inch class won the big blue ribbon as the Overall Masters Agility Champion.

The final runner in her class, Bee won with a time of 29.81 seconds.

Truant gets the blue ribbon

“It was a pretty straightforward course,” Truant’s handler said.

“He was a great boy.”

Here’s your Proof

Proof the Border Collie from Indiana is the final dog to run tonight.

Because Proof had a fault in getting off track, Truant is the winner in the 20-inch class.

Truant in the lead

Speedy dog Truant has taken the lead for the 20-inch dogs by running the course in 31 seconds flat.

One dog is left to go in this class.

Brio takes the cake

All-American dog Brio has taken the stage for the 20-inch dogs.

Brio stood out by getting the most air in one of his jumps.

Just two dogs are left to run.

Teenaged handler

A 15-year-old handler named Katie is running Voulez, a golden retriever, through the course now.

One of the hosts said Katie is “playing with the big dogs.”