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2009 Winner Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Best In Show Goes To...

The 2009 Best In Show Trophy was awarded to "Ch Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee," a.k.a. "Stump," a Sussex Spaniel

 

The golden-liver colored Sussex Spaniel, named for its place of origin in England, is the longest and lowest of the Spaniel breeds. Its striking characteristics include its massive head and bone, long body, strong, short legs, a rolling gait and a happy tail. These traits made the Sussex ideal for its original purpose as a gentleman's flushing spaniel operating in heavy undergrowth. Among the first nine breeds recognized by the AKC, today the Sussex is one of the most rare, with only about 600 in the USA.

Visit the official website for the Sussex Spaniel Club of America

Westminster Dog Show Debut: Dogue de Bordeaux

Dogue De Bordeaux Eligible For First Time
pictured: Ch. Mount Sinai Stiletto Skye, courtesy Dogue de Bordeaux Society of America (www.ddbs.org)

The Dogue de Bordeaux is the only newly-recognized breed eligible for competition at Westminster in 2009 and will compete in the Working Group. 

Believed to have originated in France more than 600 years ago, the Dogue de Bordeaux is highly regarded for his balanced temperament and imposing presence. The Dogue de Bordeaux, also known as the French Mastiff, Bordeaux dog, Bulldogue Francais, or most commonly among fanciers, as the DDB, is a fearless, powerful dog who excels at both guard dog work and companionship to his family. With a head that may well be the largest in the canine world, the Bordeaux is unmistakable in appearance.

Though the breed did not gain significant notoriety until 1989 with the release of the Tom Hanks movie, Turner and Hooch, the DDB has always had a fiercely loyal following here in the United States, since it's import in the 1960s by Dr. Phillip Todd and Steve and Wendy Norris. The Norris Place lines can still be found in a large number of modern pedigrees today.

The Dogue de Bordeaux is an astonishingly versatile breed. Athletic and quick with a keen sense of smell and hearing, the Bordeaux was custom built for guard work and shows an outstanding aptitude with minimal training. Surprisingly fond of water, though not generally great swimmers, the DDB is limitless in it's ability to accompany his owner in any activity on land or sea. Currently the DDB is able to compete in a variety of performance events including Carting, Obedience, Conformation, Weight Pulling, Water Rescue, Tracking, and Search and Rescue. Dogues make excellent Therapy dogs and thrive on the extra attention that comes with this work.

Information for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Westminster Dog Show 2009: Save the Date

For those of you making travel plans to New York for the big Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show event, here's the dates for you to plan for:

Monday and Tuesday, February 9-10, 2009

Madison Square Garden
Pennsylvania Plaza
Seventh to Eighth Avenues and 31st to 33rd Streets
New York, New York

America's First and Only
Champions Only Dog Show
Entry limited to 2,500 dogs

170 Breeds and Varieties will be judged in seven different groups.
Debut: The Dogue de Bordeaux is the only newly-recognized breed eligible for competition at Westminster in 2009 and will compete in the Working Group.

Individual breed judging will take place each day between the hours of 8:00AM and 6PM.

The Group and Best In Show competition will be televised
live on USA Network from 8-11PM Monday and Tuesday.

Full information at http://www.thepoop.com/westminster/westminster_dog_show.asp

Four breeds debut at 2008 Westminster dog show

Tibetan Mastiff, Beauceron, Plott Hound, Swedish Valhund.
These four breeds will make their debut at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show this year, the most to be admitted at once since 1991.

nytimes.com has a wonderful interactive piece that will introduce you to these breeds.

Westminster top dog lives on

Meet Mick, the most influential Kerry blue terrier alive. He's the producer of 61 champions and maybe more in the future, if his sperm, frozen for artificial insemination, yields puppies that meet the standards of the breed as closely as he does.

When the two-day Westminster extravaganza begins Monday at Madison Square Garden, more than 2,500 purebred dogs will compete to win their breed competitions, which will enable them to vie for supremacy in each of seven groups, from which the Best in Show champion will be chosen Tuesday.

Read his story here

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show 2008 Ticket Info

Westminster Dog Show Dates

Monday and Tuesday, February 11-12, 2008
Madison Square Garden Center
7th to 8th Avenues and 31st to 33rd Streets
New York City
Show Hours: 8:30 AM to 11:00 PM ET each day

A limited number of Reserved Seats may be purchased through Ticketmaster and Madison Square Garden. www.ticketmaster.com or 212-307-7171; www.thegarden.com.

General admission tickets can only be purchased through Ticketmaster and MSG.

Ticket description and prices:

ALL TICKETS WILL ALLOW YOU ACCESS TO THE BENCHING AREA.
Reserved Seating-in sections 40-299. Good for both day and night events. They can be purchased through the WKC office, as well as, Ticketmaster and MSG. Ticketmaster and MSG offer single day purchases. The price for these tickets through the WKC office is $125 including S&H. Ticketmaster and MSG offer single day tickets. The price is $60 plus applicable fees.

General Admission tickets are also good for both day and night events but DO NOT HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT NUMBER. The seating is on a first come first served basis and can only be purchased through Ticketmaster and the MSG box office. These seats are in sections 300 and 400. You may purchase a ticket for one day @ $40, or a two day ticket for $75. There is a children's ticket (up to age 12) price of $20 for each day, plus applicable fees.

Ticket prices include a $4.50 MSG facility charge. Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster will incur a service fee. Tickets purchased through WKC include a $5 S&H fee.

A limited number of General Admission tickets will be available for purchase at the Garden on each morning of the show.

Westminster finalists at Iditarod

Just when you thought it was over... The satirical and hysterical online parody publication, The Onion, has brought us "Westminster Dog Show Finalists Form Elite Iditarod Team."  I needed this laugh today.

Vivi the Whippet: Saga of a Missing Show Dog

We found this touching letter in this year's WKC event catalog. It's from the owners of Vivi, the show dog that went missing after the 2006 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. We only think it can help by reprinting it here...

The day after Westminster 2006, "Vivi," the California Whippet Ch. Bohem C'est la Vie, was lost after check-in at JFK airport.

The search for Vivi continued for months. Media coverage was unprecedented, with front page stories in the NY Times and LA Times, two full pages in People magazine, mention of Vivi in Newsweek and almost every TV news show. Footage of her at Westminster was replayed endlessly on screens across America.

In spite of all efforts, Vivi has still not been found. Frequent sightings for several months were confirmed by tracking dogs.

In November, nine months after her disappearance, the NY Times headlined a story about Vivi: "Saga of a Missing Show Dog becomes N.Y. Urban Legend." To us, Vivi is still a living, breathing dog, and we will always wait for the phone call telling us she's been recovered.

Thanks to all who helped: Westminster Kennel Club, the Port Authority of NY, AKC, the American Whippet Club, Honi Reisman and Bonnie Folz who led the search in New York, Denise Flaim of Newsday, a devoted band of volunteers, and dog lovers worldwide who sent thousands of letters, emails, and donations to the Vivi Fund. Excess money is going to "Bobbi and the Strays" at JFK.

It is our hope that all the attention paid to Vivi has heightened awareness of lost dogs everywhere. Please support your local rescue organization!

Jil Walton & Rick Patterson, Owners
Paul Lepiane, Co-owner & handler
Bo Bengtson, Breeder

Best in Show Goes to English Springer Spaniel

Congratulations to Diamond Jim -

This year's Westminster Kennel Club Best in Show Winner is Ch Felicity's Diamond Jim, an English Springer Spaniel. I had a great time at the show and am proud this breed won - my father had Springer Spaniels when I was a child. It brings back great memories.

Diamond Jim beat out a Dandie Dinmont terrier co-owned by Bill Cosby, as he did at the big AKC/Eukanuba event in December. The springer was the nation's No. 2 show dog last year behind Cosby's entry.

More Westminster dog show photos and results are posted on ThePoop.com

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Begins Today

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show kicks off today with the first half of show dogs strutting their stuff at Madison Square Garden. Petville is there to bring you photographic coverage of the show. If you can't catch the show in person, the breed winners will be showcased tonight on USA Network:

WKC TELEVISION COVERAGE
USA Network

Monday, February 12
8:00 PM - 11:00 PM ET/PT
Best of Group Competitions will be judged in the following order:
- Working
- Terrier
- Toy
- Non-Sporting

Tuesday, February 13
8:00 PM - 11:00 PM ET/PT
Best of Group Competitions will be judged in the following order:
- Sporting
- Hound
- Herding
Followed by Best In Show Judging