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The Guardian - US
Sport
Bryan Armen Graham at Flushing Meadows

Sage the miniature poodle named Westminster’s best in show – as it happened

Westminster (Facility) Bryan America Westminster Kennel Club
Sage, a miniature poodle, poses for photos after winning best in show at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Tuesday night.
Sage, a miniature poodle, poses for photos after winning best in show at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Tuesday night. Photograph: Julia Nikhinson/AP

That’s all for tonight. Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to read our full report here.

Updated

Sage the Miniature Poodle wins best in show!

And Sage takes it! It’s the fourth best in show title for a standard poodle and first since 2002.

Updated

Reserve best in show winner: Mercedes the German Shepherd!

Mercedes is named reserve best in show. A bit of a surprise, perhaps. And there’s only one thing left to decide ...

Updated

Kramer has made her decision and she’s heading to the officials’ table to notify them before letting the world know. First the reserve best in show will be announced ... sort of a runner-up award. Then the big prize.

The final assessment begins. First to make the circuit is Mercedes the German Shepherd, drawing cheers from the gallery as he trots around the ring. Louis the Afghan Hound draws enthusiastic roars going secn. Next it’s Monty the Giant Schnauzer, who’s back in the final ring for the second year in a row, followed by Micha the Black Cocker Spaniel and Frankie the Colored Bull Terrier. Sage the Miniature Poodle is sixth. Comet, that sassy Shih Tzu who stole the show on Monday night, goes last.

The crowd swells and seven group winners are announced into the ring one by one. The biggest crowd reaction is for Louis the Afghan Hound, who enters second and struts onto the Ashe Stadium floor to cascades of applause from the upper reaches of the arena. That is, until Sage the Miniature Poodle saunters out sixth. Huge pop!

More than 2,500 dogs from 213 breeds and varieties came to New York with a dream, but only one will come away with the title of best in show. The moment of truth is here as Kramer steps forward to inspect the septet.

Not much longer now. The judge tasked with conferring best in show honors to one of these magnificent seven is Mrs Rosalind Kramer of High Point, North Carolina. Some more background on the chief arbiter, per the Westminster Kennel Club:

Mrs. Kramer brings a lifetime of experience as a preservation breeder, professional dog handler, American Kennel Club Executive Field Representative, and judge to the most prestigious assignment in the sport. As a child, Mrs. Kramer started in the sport showing her Wire Fox Terriers. She later worked for a top Scottish Terrier breeder after school and on weekends, to learn animal husbandry, and gain more experience showing dogs. Later she apprenticed under a prominent professional dog handler and eventually became a highly successful top handler herself while continuing to be a preservation breeder. Mrs. Kramer has bred National Specialty and All-Breed Best In Show winners, and numerous top-ranked dogs. She handled top-winning Terriers and Toy dogs setting records that still stand today. At the end of her career as a professional dog handler, Mrs. Kramer worked for the American Kennel Club (AKC) as an Executive Field Representative and Judges Education Chair. She retired from the AKC when she married Dr. Andrew Kramer, a fellow Terrier enthusiast, and began her judging career.

She is approved to judge the Terrier, Hound, and Toy Groups, as well as half the Sporting breeds and Best in Show. She has judged Best in Show at the prestigious Montgomery County Kennel Club, as well as Group competitions at the AKC National Championship Show. This will be Mrs. Kramer’s fifth assignment at Westminster. She judged the Terrier Group in 2018, and the Toy Group in 2022.

The final seven

Vinny the wire fox terrier wins the group and the field of seven for best in show is set. They are ...

Terrier group winner: Frankie the Colored Bull Terrier!

Frankie wins the Terrier group in an upset! That makes three females in the final group of seven.

Updated

We’re flying through the Terrier group. So many of these breeds have winning histories at Westminster, none more than the Wire Fox Terrier, which has won best in show here an eye-popping 15 times with 24 best in groups.

Ms Patricia Keenan will now make her pick from the exceptionally strong group. She goes up the line, down and up again ...

Dog shows are a simple game. Twenty-five hundred dogs pile into a stadium for two days and at the end, the terriers always win. Yes, the winner of this group will always be a hot favorite for best in show and this year’s outstanding crop doesn’t appear to be a exception. It seems like any one of this first wave could be capable of winning the top prize: Airedale Terrier, American Hairless Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Australian Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Border Terrier, Colored Bull Terrier, White Bull Terrier and Cairn Terrier.

Next up is the Terrier group, the winningest group in Westminster history by some distance. Ms Patricia Keenan of Chehalis, Washington, will judge. This group has produced a whopping 47 best in show winners through the years, most recently a wire fox terrier named King in 2021.

Here’s what the American Kennel Club has to say about the Terrier Group:

Feisty and energetic are two of the primary traits that come to mind for those who have experience with Terriers. In fact, many describe their distinct personalities as “eager for a spirited argument.” Bred to hunt, kill vermin and to guard their families home or barn; sizes range from fairly small, as in the Norfolk, Cairn or West Highland White Terrier, to the larger and grand Airedale Terrier. Prospective owners should know that terriers make great pets, but they do require determination on the part of the owner because they can be stubborn; have high energy levels, and require special grooming (known as “stripping”) to maintain a characteristic appearance.

So here’s where things stand. Six of the seven dogs who will compete for best in show have been decided.

All that remains to fill out the field of seven is the winner of the Terrier group, which is coming up next.

Working group winner: Monty the Giant Schnauzer!

Monty does it again! The Giant Schnauzer, who is currently the nation’s top-ranked dog in the Canine Chronicle magazine’s statistics, wins the Working group for a second year in a row. Could this be the year he makes history for his breed?

All 31 have made the circuit in the Working group! The Portuguese Water Dog, Rottweiler, St Bernard, Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Standard Schnauzer and a Tibetan Mastiff named after Rafael Nadal close us out.

Mr Rick Gschwender takes a close look at the competitors. Finally, he picks out the Siberian Husky, the Boxer, the Giant Schnauzer and the Alaskan Malamute. The tension is high!

Lots of crowd favorites in this next run: the Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Komondor (always a favorite), Kuvasz, Leonberger, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff and Newfoundland.

Updated

We’re breezing through the Working group. The Chinook, Doberman Pinscher (always popular, prompting roars of applause), Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux and German Pinscher.

Next is Monty the black Giant Schnauzer. He won this group last year and is going for a rare repeat.

Updated

First five into the ring are the Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Bernese Mountain Dog and Black Russian Terrier. None of these five have previously won best in show, though the Akita has come closest in recent years, winning the group in 1995, 2007 and 2008.

Some animated audience reaction for Amy the Bernese Mountain Dog from upstate New York. Three more crowd favorites follow: the Boerboel, Boxer and Bullmastiff. According to the AKC, Marlon Brando, Bob Dylan and Christina Aguilera, Michael Bay, and Jon Bon Jovi have all owned Bullmastiffs.

Updated

The Working group is on the stadium floor, all 31 of them! They will be judged by Mr Rick Gschwender of Nampa, Idaho. This group has produced a total of 15 best in show winners through the years, most recently a slobbery, crowd-pleasing Newfoundland named Josh in 2004.

Here’s what the American Kennel Club has to say about the Working Group:

Quick to learn, dogs of the Working Group are intelligent, strong, watchful, and alert. Bred to assist man, they excel at jobs such as guarding property, pulling sleds and performing water rescues. Doberman Pinschers, Siberian Huskies and Great Danes are part of this Group, to name just a few. They make wonderful companions but because they are large, and naturally protective, prospective owners need to know how to properly train and socialize a dog. Some breeds in the Working Group may not be for the first-time dog owner.

So here’s where things stand. Five of the seven dogs who will compete for best in show have been determined.

All that remains to fill out that field are the winners of the Working group and the Terrier group.

Updated

Sporting group winner: Micha the Black Cocker Spaniel!

Micha has won the Sporting group. The Black Cocker Spaniel has been entered in every Westminster since 1877 with two best in show wins ... by the same dog!

That would be My Own Brucie, who did the rare back-to-back in 1940 and 1941, and whose death prompted front-page obituaries in the New York Evening Sun, the New York Times and The Montreal Gazette that described him as the most photographed dog in the world. What a life!

Updated

Lots of love for the Spinone Italiano, the ancient Italian gun dog known as the most versatile of the Sporting dogs. Less so for the Vizsla, pride of Hungary. The Weimaraner, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and Wirehaired Vizsla close things out.

Now it’s David L Kittredge’s turns to narrow the field. He’s making a circuit on the floor, looking at each of the 35 good boys and girls.

He’s picked out the Irish Setter, the German Shorthaired Pointer, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, the Labrador Retriever, the Black Cocker Spaniel, the English Cocker Spaniel, the Welsh Springer Spaniel.

Huge cheers for the Labrador. Even huger for the Clumber. The two clear crowd favorites. If either of them are picked from here, this room will explode.

Updated

Spaniel run! Clumber, Black Cocker, Ascob Cocker, Parti-Color Cocker, English Cocker, English Springer, Field, Irish Water, Sussex and Water Springer. Spaniels have historically enjoyed great success at Westminster ever since a Parti-Color with the champion’s name Midkiff Miracle Man won the group in the first year it was judged in 1924.

The Clumber, who goes by Sargeant Major, seems to be an early crowd favorite.

A rollicking audience reaction for Bowie the Golden Retriever, one of America’s three most popular breeds which has still yet to win best in show despite having been entered since 1928. Only three times has a Golden even won best in group, most recently the crowd-pleasing Daniel in 2020.

The Labrador Retriever, another popular breed, goes next, followed by the Setter run (English, Gordon, Irish, Irish Red and White).

Updated

The first five to show are the Barbet, Bracco Italiano, Brittany, Lagotto Romagnolo and the Pointer. The Pointer, one of the oldest sporting breeds (and the emblem of the Westminster Kennel Club), has been entered in the competition since 1877, three times winning best in show (1925, 1932 and 1986).

The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is next followed by the German Shorthaired Pointer, another three-time best in show breed who garnered loads of attention in 2016.

The German Wirehaired Pointer, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Curly-Coated Retriever and Flat-Coated Retriever are next.

Updated

First up tonight is the Sporting group. This group has produced a total of 20 best in show winners through the years – second only to the Terrier group (47) – most recently the German shorthand pointer named CJ in 2016.

Here’s what the American Kennel Club has to say about the Sporting Group:

Naturally active and alert, Sporting dogs make likeable, well-rounded companions. First developed to work closely with hunters to locate and/or retrieve quarry. There are four basic types of Sporting dogs; spaniels, pointers, retrievers and setters. Known for their superior instincts in water and woods, many of these breeds enjoy hunting and other field activities. Many of them, especially the water-retrieving breeds, have well –insulated water repellant coats, which are quite resilient to the elements. Thinking of getting one? Just realize that most require regular, invigorating exercise.

Arthur Ashe Stadium is filling up with group judging set to commence in any moment now. The judges for tonight will be David L Kittredge of Rochester, New York, for the Sporting group; Mr Rick Gschwender of Nampa, Idaho, for the Working group; and Ms Patricia Keenan of Chehalis, Washington, for the Terrier group.

Keenan’s roots with Westminster run particularly deep. A West Highland White Terrier owned by her mother and grandmother was named best in show here back in 1962.

A West Highland White Terrier with the official champion’s name Elfinbrook Simon was named Westminster’s best in show in 1962.

Best in show will be judged by Mrs Rosalind Kramer of High Point, North Carolina. More on her later.

There’s already a bit of history in the offing tonight. Toy group winner Comet can become the first Shih Tzu to be named Westminster’s best in show – only five months after becoming the first of his breed to win the prestigious American Kennel Club national championship in Orlando.

“He just never lets me down,” co-owner, breeder and handler Luke Ehricht said after Comet was named best of the 25 entrants in the group on Monday night. “He’s such a wonderful dog. He’s a wonderful representative of his breed and he’s been appreciated by the best in the sport and I just can’t be prouder.”

Louis is out to become the third Afghan Hound to take best in show after the breed’s previous wins in 1957 and 1983. He is handled by Alicia Morrison Jones and co-owned by Morrison Jones and Jamie Souza Bartlett.

Sage can become the fourth Miniature Poodle to win top prize after wins in 1943, 1959 and 2002. She is handled by Kaz Hosaka and owned by Cathy Gauche.

Mercedes can become the third German Shepherd to win in the comparatively recent 41-year history of the Herding group. German Shepherds were named best in show in 1987 and 2017 (though not without controversy). She is handled by Kent Boyles and co-owned by Cynthian Wilhelmy and Sheree Moses.

The Westminster agility championship took place over the weekend with a six-year-old female named Nimble becoming the first mixed-breed dog to win in the competition’s 11-year history. It was also the first time a dog from the 12-inch division took the top prize.

Nimble, whose official champion’s name is NAC MACH Breezy Blue’s Be Quick! T2B MXF, won the championship round by clearing a serpentine obstacle course in a blistering time of 28.76 seconds.

Cynthia Hornor, an agility trainer from Ellicott City, Maryland, became the third owner/handler to win the competition more than once. A border collie named Verb, profiled by the Guardian in 2020, won top prize in 2019 and 2021.

Animal-rights activists have long claimed that Westminster’s confirmation portion enables the breeding of dogs for beauty over health and function to the detriment of the animal. Judging at these shows, critics say, almost exclusively places an emphasis on physical appearance, effectively ignoring the genetic factors like health, temperament and function that enable a dog to live a successful life as a working or companion animal.

The origins of dog agility can be traced to the 1978 Crufts dog show in Birmingham, where a former committee member named John Varley was tasked with coming up with intermission entertainment for the audience between the conformation and obedience competitions. His solution was a variation on show jumping designed to demonstrate a dog’s willingness to work with their handler in a variety of situations. Nowadays it’s more popular than every – the AKC claims more than one million entries to the registry’s agility program each year – offering a far more inclusive, dog-positive arena free of controversy.

Updated

The essential purpose of dog shows is to facilitate the evaluation of breeding stock for use in producing the next generations. Each breed’s parent club creates a standard, a written description of the ideal specimen of that breed. Judges are charged with evaluating dogs in comparison to their breed standard. Most breed standards relate form to function. Some can be very specific, while others can be general and leave much room for interpretation.

More than 200 breeds and varieties are represented, from Affenpinschers to Xoloitzcuintlis. Some have better odds of advancing than others: only one Lancashire Heeler (a newly recognized breed) was entered, compared to 49 Chihuahuas, 48 Labrador Retrievers, 47 Golden Retrievers, 38 Vizslas, 37 Dachshunds and 36 French Bulldogs.

There’s no prize money for winning Westminster, but owners of champions can demand top dollar for breeding rights.

The 148th edition of Westminster has played out amid an unexpected reckoning in the US dog show circuit. Dr Adam Stafford King, a Chicago-area veterinary ophthalmologist and Havanese breeder who was slated to judge several toy breeds at this year’s show, was arrested in March on federal charges of distributing child sexual abuse material to an online contact. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail.

According to court records, the FBI began investigating King in October as part of a child pornography investigation in New York. Agents concluded a subject in the New York case had received several illicit videos and images involving minors from King over the dating app Scruff and the messaging app Telegram.

In a statement, King’s attorney said, “The press nor the public should jump to any conclusions. Mr King pled Not Guilty because he is in fact, Not Guilty. He is committed to fighting these charges until his name is cleared. We look forward to a swift trial where the facts will demonstrate Mr King’s innocence and that he has been wrongfully accused.”

According to the Associated Press:

While King’s alleged crimes didn’t occur at dog shows, the case helped reveal discussions that had percolated quietly for years about whether the AKC has done enough to protect children who compete and apprentice as handlers. A Business Insider investigation in April found four show-world professionals have been convicted since 2008 of crimes against children, some of them at dog events.

The AKC began requiring its field representatives and registered handlers to complete an abuse prevention program in 2021. The club recently switched to a different program and last month extended the requirement to judges, handlers and some others, covering about 20,000 people, spokesperson Brandi Hunter Munden said.

On Thursday, the club approved a policy that could make it easier to sever ties with people, particularly over conduct outside dog shows. The policy calls for discipline, which can include lifetime suspension, for anyone convicted of a crime or found to have engaged in sex offenses, harassment or any conduct endangering someone else’s well-being or that undermines the club, among other misdeeds.

“Our goal is not just to protect the youth in our sport, it’s to protect every individual,” she said. “We want this sport to be safe, inclusive and family-friendly.”

Four of the seven group winners who will compete for the title of best in show were decided on Monday night. The remaining three groups (Sporting, Working and Terrier) will be judged tonight in advance of the final showdown.

Louis the Afghan Hound, a six-year-old male from Roseville, California, won the Hound group ...

… Comet the Shih Tzu, a three-year-old male from Monclova, Ohio, won the Toy group …

… Sage the Miniature Poodle, a three-year-old female from Houston, won the Non-Sporting Group …

… and Mercedes the German Shepherd, a four-year-old female from Bethesda, Maryland won the Herding Group.

How to watch

Westminster has aired on television in the United States every year since 1948. Fox Sports signed a 10-year deal for the global broadcasting rights in 2015, taking over for NBCUniversal’s USA network, which had carried it for more than three decades.

Tonight’s final night will be nationally televised in the US on FOX, FS1 and FS2. It can also be streamed on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App.

A half-hour pre-show begins at 7pm ET with the final three best of group competitions starting at 7.30pm. The judging for best in show, going by previous years, should begin at approximately 10.30pm.

Preamble

Hello and welcome to the final night of the Westminster Kennel Club dog show! We are ringside at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the 148th edition of the nation’s most prestigious conformation show, the oldest continuously held sporting event in the United States after the Kentucky Derby, and there’s a palpable buzz in the air as the title of America’s top canine will be chosen – the last dog standing after a winnowing-down process that began on Monday morning with more than 2,500 very good boys and girls in 213 breeds and varieties hailing from all 50 states and a dozen other countries, including Canada, Japan, Chile, Thailand, Iceland, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates.

Last year it was Buddy Holly, who made history as the first ever Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen to be named best in show. Who will bring home the hardware in 2024?

Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s a look back at last year’s history-making winner.

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