When Gilded Age gentlemen hunters first organised a New York event to compare their prized dogs, it is unlikely they could have envisioned it evolving into what is now dubbed the "World Series of dogdom" or the "Super Bowl of dog shows".
Indeed, neither the World Series nor the Super Bowl existed then, nor did iconic landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge or the Statue of Liberty.
Yet, the Westminster Kennel Club's dog show, established in 1877, has not only endured but is now set to celebrate its 150th annual edition.
"The trappings, the window dressing, you know, changes over time. But what’s at the core, what’s the heart of it, which is the love of dogs ... that has been the same," says club President Donald Sturz, reflecting on the competition's remarkable longevity.
The show’s distinctive name originates from the Westminster Hotel, a favoured haunt where the founders would gather at the bar to extol the virtues of their canine companions. Though the hotel is long gone, its moniker has remained.
The inaugural "First Annual New York Bench Show of Dogs" in 1877 was a substantial affair, featuring approximately 1,200 dogs across dozens of breeds, from pugs to mastiffs. Among them was an English setter valued at $5,000, a staggering sum when an average labourer in NewYork earned around $1.30 a day.
Contemporary reports from The Associated Press noted that "the bulldogs are represented by a number of noticeable delegates," and a family of "Japanese spaniels" was deemed "highly amusing." While not the first dog show in the US, its scale and impact ensured its survival. In fact, among American sporting events, only the Kentucky Derby boasts a longer unbroken annual history.
This year's Westminster show will feature 2,500 dogs, representing up to 212 breeds and 10 "varieties" – subsets like smooth versus wirehaired dachshunds. Many of these breeds were either not present in the US in 1877 or had not yet been developed. However, as Sturz points out, many breeds remain largely consistent with their early Westminster counterparts.
Minor details, such as muzzle length or coat thickness, have evolved in some breeds, and improved canine nutrition may have led to "a little bit more size, or a little more bone" in others.
Today, all competing canines hold champion rankings within a formalised sport, governed by a complex point system and official "standards" for judging each breed. They vie for the coveted Best in Show trophy, a prize introduced by Westminster in 1907, as earlier shows lacked an overall winner. Hundreds of other dogs now compete for separate titles in agility and other sports, which commence the show this Saturday.
From its inception, the Westminster show exuded an air of refinement. "Everybody was fashionably dressed and wore an air of good breeding," The New York Times observed of the 1877 event, referring to the spectators rather than the animals.
Not to be outdone, some dogs were also adorned with lace collars and ribbons. Over the decades, the event has attracted entries from foreign royals, American tycoons, and modern celebrities including Martha Stewart and Tim McGraw. A long list of professional athletes, from baseball’s Lou Gehrig and Barry Bonds to the NFL’s Morgan Fox, have cheered on their animals.
Westminster has carried a distinct sense of bygone, clubby gentility into the 21st century. Handlers wear suits and dresses, while upper-round judges don black tie, underscoring the competition's serious nature. Many top contenders arrive with hired professional handlers and a show record built through extensive travel and buzz generated by dog-magazine advertising.
Yet, numerous participants handle their own dogs, coming from diverse backgrounds such as policing, medicine, the military, and corporate roles. Some of the animals themselves also serve in working capacities, including bomb-sniffing and search-and-rescue. "It’s an elite event, but it’s one that we want everyone to feel that they can access and be a part of," says Sturz, a clinical psychologist and retired school district superintendent.
Westminster first took place at Gilmore's Garden, a precursor to today's Madison Square Garden. Almost every subsequent show has been held in some iteration of the building, even after a section collapsed, tragically killing four people, including a Westminster official, shortly before the 1880 show.
Next week's semi-finals and Best in Show finals, scheduled for late Tuesday, will be staged in the present-day Garden. From the outset, the show has drawn thousands of spectators in person, with millions more tuning in via television since the late 1940s, and even more through streaming services today.
Beyond live broadcasts, Westminster has also found its way onto the silver screen. Christopher Guest's cult-classic 2000 mockumentary, Best in Show, satirised the world of dog competitions through its portrayal of obsessives and eccentrics at the fictional "Mayflower" dog show in Philadelphia. Guest conducted extensive research at Westminster for the film. Is it truly like that? As with any satire, it is "sort of."
While circulating at Westminster, one might indeed encounter intensely focused individuals primping and presenting their animals, but one will also witness competitors cheering for each other, sharing expertise, and interacting playfully with their cherished pets. The film elicited mixed feelings among show participants, but it undeniably helped broaden Westminster’s audience, according to David Frei, who hosted the show broadcast from 1990 to 2016. "They didn't make fun of the dogs," Frei said. "They just made fun of the people."
As Westminster's prominence grew, it inevitably became a focal point for criticisms that dog breeding prioritises aesthetics over health. As early as 1937, some show-goers questioned the health implications of collies' narrow heads and long noses, an issue reported by the AP at the time.
In recent years, animal welfare activists have occasionally infiltrated the ring or demonstrated on the sidelines. This year, PETA has erected billboards near the venues highlighting the breathing difficulties faced by flat-faced dogs, and supporters carrying oxygen tanks plan to protest outside. "Westminster has had countless opportunities to evolve, yet it clings to an outdated obsession with aesthetics," a PETA staff writer stated in a recent op-ed.
Sturz, however, asserts that the club "has a longstanding history of showing its commitment to dog welfare." He highlights the organisation's contributions to veterinary scholarships, pet-friendly domestic violence shelters, rescue groups, and other canine causes. These philanthropic ties date back to 1877, when some proceeds from the first Westminster show helped the nation's oldest humane society, the ASPCA, construct its initial shelter.
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