The world’s most prestigious dog show, the 147th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, is set to take place from May 8-9 in New York City’s USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Over 3,000 dogs from over 200 breeds will compete for the coveted “Best in Show” prize. The event, which is the second oldest continuously running sports event in the U.S. after the Kentucky Derby, will kick off with the 8th annual Masters Obedience Championship and 10th Anniversary Masters Agility Championship on Saturday before the main show.
Monday and Tuesday’s broadcasts will air on FS2 (Fox Sports 2) from 1-4 p.m. ET and shift over to FS1 (Fox Sports 1) from 7-11 p.m. ET, with streaming available on Westminsterkennelclub.org and the FOX Sports App. The “Best in Show” honor will be announced at the end of the Tuesday broadcast. For the first time ever, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is being held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, instead of its previous location, New York City’s Madison Square Garden, which it had occupied since 1877 until the pandemic forced a change in venue to the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York in 2021 and 2022.
Dogs will be evaluated based on the standard set by their parent club in one of the seven different breed groups: Herding, Hound, Non-sporting, Sporting, Terrier, Toy, and Working. Competing dogs aren’t compared to other competitors, but to the ideal proportions, weight and size, head shape, gait and other qualities of the breed.
The reigning champion is Trumpet the Bloodhound, who won last year’s “Best in Show” prize, becoming the first Bloodhound to do so in Westminster’s 146-year history. The Bracco Italiano, a “strong, active, and sturdy breed of dog” that has hunting origins, is the latest breed recognized by the American Kennel Club and is eligible to compete in the Sporting group. The upcoming event is expected to be an exciting and highly competitive one for all the participating breeds.
