Siba the Standard Poodle Wins Westminster Dog Show

Sarah: I heard those dogs arguing about the E.U. and the customs union just a few minutes ago.

Andy: Well, with 33 dogs in the sporting group we know one thing: It’s going to end up Leave 32, Remain 1.

Vets? Yes. Dog massage therapists? Also yes.

Jan Hoffman of The Times peeked behind the curtain at the dog show and discovered a veritable medical army has sprung up to tend to the competitors’ needs: health and wellness specialists, canine acupuncturists, massage therapists and chiropractors and veterinarians.

“Westminster is famous as a gathering of spectacular dogs, with all the people and products attendant with canine beauty pageantry: sprays, mousses, gels, conditioners, curlers, straighteners, bows, hair implants (I’m looking at you, Standard Poodles!) and mascara (flutter those lashes much, Papillon?).

“But in the last few years, Westminster has added competitions in agility and obedience, events that bring in a very different crowd — jock dogs and their humans. (‘Vanish is not just some Barbie collie,’ Aaron Kirzner said of his border collie, which is both a breed and agility champion.)”

Read the rest of Jan’s piece here.

Who won last year?

King, a wire fox terrier, won best in show honors in 2019, but not everyone was thrilled. “Boos and grumbles filled Madison Square Garden when the judge handed King the coveted pewter cup,” The New York Times wrote then. Part of that might have been terrier fatigue: Of the 112 best in show titles awarded at Westminster, 47 — more than 40 percent — have been won by the terrier group. Wire fox terriers have won 15 times, more any other breed.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/11/sports/westminster-dog.html?emc=rss&partner=rss