Westminster Dog Show 2011

 

135th Westminster Kennel Club Show

Last Thursday my sweet husband called me at work to ask me the all too important question, "Do you want to go out for dinner on Valentine's Day? And if so - Where?"

My immediate response, "Out. And to Brennans."

"No problem, I'm on it." Husband replied, feigning enthusiasm on this most trying of forced romantic occasions.

Several minutes later husband called back. "OK,  here's the deal - Brennans is booked Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Valentine's Eve), and Monday (actual Valentine's). They are wide open Tuesday."

"Tuesday sounds great to me!" I said, most excited to be going to my all time favorite restaurant on an off-Valentine's night.

I tell you this story not because it is relevant to Valentine's Day but because it is relevant to how I spent last Monday & Tuesday evening.

At some point Sunday, I saw a blurp on the internet that the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show would be broadcasting live from Madison Square Garden on Monday (actual Valentine's) and Tuesday (fancy dinner reservation night).

Uh ohh. I thought. Hmm. Could I really cancel forced romantic Valentine's evening(s) to watch a dog show?

Well, that is exactly how I came to spend the best Valentine's Day dinner ever - at home in front of the T.V. watching the 'Best in Group' category of the WKC with my husband, 2 overly demanding Briards, an unnerving cat who goes in and out all evening, and the best Beef Wellington a-la-Issac ever.

With that picturesque Norman Rockwell scenario in mind, I also cancelled (really postponed) our Tuesday Brennan's fancy dinner reservations to stay home and eat leftovers.

"Really?" Issac asked, sounding a tad disappointed. "Why don't you tape it and we'll watch it when we get home from dinner." He suggested, quite reasonably.

"No. I want to see it live. It's more exciting to watch 'Best In Show' as it happens."

And also, because Anne and I text each other funny comments all throughout the dog show. . . . Handler with sequin baseball cap. Dog who had to slow it's pace because handler too nonathletic to keep up. You know mature and constructive adult type comments.

6 amazingly enjoyable hours later . . . .

 

Best In Show

And the title goes to . . . . 

Scottish Deerhound

GCH Foxcliffe Hickory Wind

Hound Category

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Over 2,500 dogs competed in the 135th Westminster Dog Show. These dogs are not judged on cuteness or friendliness. The dogs are judged on how well they represent the standard of their breed.

First the dogs compete for the honor of 'Best Of Breed', and then the winner from 'Best Of Breed' goes on to compete against other similar (but not) type breeds in 'Best Of Group'. For simplicity sake, WKC has broken down the 'Group' categories to - Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, Herding, Sporting, Working, and Terrier (actually judged in that particular order for some reason.)

In the dog show world, there is only one winner in 'Best In Show.' There is no Best In Show 2nd Place, 3rd Place, Honorable Mention, and . . . . there are no ribbons just for obeying your handler, or for not pooping on the carpet, or for not pummeling the dog next in line.

In my humble dog show watching experience, the award for Best In Show is incredibly subjective. Each of the 7 categories presents a completely different type of dog and although a judge is not supposed to be partial in anyway, I can't help but think that his impartiality is still influenced by his personal experience. Personally, I did not see the Scottish Deerhound taking (winning) the title. The judge stated that he chose Hickory because she represented the ideal standard of the dog dating back over 150 years ago. 

"This animal is like in the heavens. It's not of this world." Judge Dondina said.

I thought her head looked a little small for her body, but who am I to comment on such beauty.

- - - - -

With great impartiality (ha ha), I have ranked the finalists in order of my own personal favoritism - 1 through 7. 

Terrier Category

Fox Terrier (Smooth)

 GCH Slyfox Sneak's A Peek

*My personal choice for Best In Show.

- - - - -

Herding Category

Bearded Collie

GCH Tolkien Raintree Mister Baggins

*Reminds me of my Briards!

- - - - -

Sporting Category

Cocker Spaniel Black

GCH Casablanca's Thrilling Seduction

*My Grandmother always had Cockers, they are such sweeties.

- - - - -

Toy Category

Pekingese

GCH Palacegarden Malachy

*I had a Pek. named Missy when I was a little girl, she bit.

- - - - -

Insert Scottish Deerhound as my 5th place winner

 - - - - -

Non-Sporting Category

Chinese Shar-Pei

GCH Vage's Miss Jayne Hathaway

*Not sure why this dog was chosen at all, thinking China must have bought Westminster. Why not, they own everything else.

- - - - -

Sporting Category

Portuguese Water Dog

 

GCH Aviators Luck Be A Lady

*Obviously political, again. If the judges were going to double up on the Chinese dogs, then they had to have on Obama dog. Too bad they couldn't choose one with a proper haircut. Hate the tushi clip on a Sporting Dog.

- - - - -

In conclusion, still a tad bitter (can you tell) that my beloved Briards did not make the final 7 again this year.

But not to worry, our dogs never noticed the injustice (slight) because they had their faces buried in a dog bowl filled with Beef Wellington. 

 

Shop Dog Category
 
 Briard

 Spotswood & Ricochet 

and the title goes to . . . . . .

 

Comments

[Katherine Davies]

Just to say that I found your lovely blog a while ago, and was immediately attracted by the lovely rendering of you and the Briards on the masthead. "Briards? She has Briards??" I exclaimed to myself.

One of the most adorable, intelligent, and beautiful breeds known to man. I know this because I have had three of them myself through the years - one, Pitou du Coteau d'Avranches, (Petey) a handsome prince; the second, Chloe, bought to love and show but lost to gastric torsion at just 9 months - still breaks my heart 26 years later; and finally Jesse, a rescue (he was HUGE, lived until age 12, and was a dignified gentleman.)

Someday I will have another, and we are soon moving to France so that's as good a place as any to find one. I enjoy your blog, and especially liked seeing the picture of you and your two sweet beauties.

Best,

Katherine

[Nicole on dog housebreaking tips from TrainPetDog]

The Chinese Shar-Pei is my favorite dog. I'm glad that the breed won the Non Sporting Category. Congratulations to all winners!