2023 Westminster Dog Show: Agility championship, dock diving top moments

The 2023 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is officially underway!

Hosted by the American Kennel Club, the beloved spectacle brings together thousands of distinguished dogs to compete in a number of judged events, including agility and obedience contests.

Westminster, also known as “America’s Dog Show,” kicked things off at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York on Saturday with the 10th Annual Masters Agility Championship, which airs Sunday on FOX. Dogs participated in two rounds of agility preliminaries Friday before the field was narrowed down to 50 finalists — the top 10 finishers from five respective height classes — who competed Saturday evening for the title of Masters Agility Champion.

This competition a unique, as both purebred and All-American (mixed breed) dogs are eligible to compete each year. They are judged on time and completion (minus faults) of the course, which is revamped each year to ensure no advantages for repeat competitors; Handlers and their dogs get their first look at the course roughly 45 minutes before the event begins.

Dogs ranging from a tiny Papillon to a massive Rhodesian Ridgeback competed in this year’s finals. Border Collies were once again the top-represented breed in the competition with five finalists across two different height classes. 

Follow along below to find out which lucky dog took home the 2023 title!

8″ Class – dogs up to 11″ at the shoulder

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12″ Class – dogs over 11″ and up to 14″ at the shoulder

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16″ Class – dogs over 14″ and up to 18″ at the shoulder

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20″ Class – dogs over 18″ and up to 22″ at the shoulder

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24″ Class – dogs over 22″ at the shoulder

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The 8th Annual Masters Obedience Championship — a command-driven competition open to both Purebred and All-American dogs that tests a dog’s ability to comply with commands of their handler, which can include a combination of sit, stay, jump, retrieve and scent discrimination — also took place Saturday.

After a long day of tough competition, Baker the Golden Retriever took home this year’s championship title!

Day 1’s competition concluded Saturday with Dock Diving, a sport in which dogs run the length of a dock and leap as far out into the water as possible to catch their favorite toy. The fan-friendly South Plaza was set up with a 27,000-gallon pool for the inaugural event. The three dogs with the best jumps who came out on top were:

Premier Open Winner: Vern the Labrador Retriever (24 feet, 9 inches)
Elite Open Winner: Loki the Belgian Malinois (25 feet, 6 inches)
Senior Lap Winner: Tink the Cairn Terrier (12 feet, 9 inches)

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