Madison Square Garden is home to many spectacular events throughout the year. From professional baseball and ice hockey tournaments to circuses and ice shows, it hosts some of the most exciting events in the world throughout the year. One of the finest annual shows to be hosted in Madison Square Garden is the Westminster Dog Show. The show has a legacy stretching back to over a century, with its origins in 1875. Since then, every year, proud masters bring their dogs to participate in the show and win the much coveted title of “America’s Dog”. The show has been broadcast live on television networks since 1948 and consistently ranks as one of the top viewed shows in sports entertainment in the United States. With its popularity and mass appeal, the Westminster Dog Show is truly the Oscars of the dog show world.
February in New York
The show is held in the month of February each year. After a gruelling round of initial rounds, roughly 2500 dogs are selected to compete in the gala event that takes place in Madison Square Garden. The Westminster Dog Show is hosted over two days because of the sheer volume of participants. Dogs are judged on the basis of their breed standards. These standards are defined for each canine breed by the judges. Each dog is evaluated against its breed standard by the panel of judges.
The examination follows strict, highly controlled processes to ensure a fair assessment of different breeds of dogs is possible. By comparing each dog to criteria that have been identified as the best for each breed, the judges eliminate the unfair bias that would be inherent while comparing different breeds of dogs to each other. The breed standards are defined methodically and thoroughly covering all the salient aspects of each breed like body weight, size, the color and texture of the coat, the shape and length of the muzzle, etc. Apart from this, there are a series of competitions held for dogs of the same breed to determine the best of the breed.
Once the best of each competing breed have been determined, group competitions are held to arrive at the finalists.
America’s Dog
For a vast majority of the audience at Madison Square Garden and those watching the proceedings from home, the excitement of the Westminster Dog Show is not about the technical details for each competing dog. Most people are happy to ignore the intricacies and nuances of the judging process and focus on the fascinating array of participating dogs. Indeed, dog owners spend a lot of time grooming and training their dogs exclusively for the show. Each participating dog in the show goes through a rigorous amount of preparation. While the show does not offer a cash prize, the fame and recognition of being “America’s Dog” for a year is sufficient for most dog owners. The winning dog is invited to breakfast news shows, talk shows, and even an exclusive visit to the Observation Desk in the Empire State Building.
The Westminster Dog Show is recognized as a monumental event by more than just dog show fans. There are a slew of events held in the city before and after the show. The Empire State Building has been a long-term partner of the show. During the show dates in February, the tower lights up in purple and gold which are the Westminster colors. A window display for the show is put up on Saks 5th Avenue for the duration of the show. The New York Stock Exchange shows its support by inviting the winner to ring its opening bell. The Westminster Dog Show is truly a New York event that captures the hearts and minds of the city and dog lovers all over the world.
