2023 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: Everything you need to know

Hit paws on your early May plans: it’s almost time for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

The woof-tacular spectacle returns for the 147th time, as numerous dogs of over 200 unique breeds will put their skills on display in New York. It’s the second-longest running sporting event in American history (behind the Kentucky Derby) and this year’s event will span across four days.

What is the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show?

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

Judges are aiming to assess the quality of breeding stock present, and winning breeders will be rewarded based on their ability to produce and train the next generation of dogs. Dogs are separated into several categories: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting and herding. Each dog will be designated by.its owner to compete in either the Masters Agility, Masters Obedience, Junior Showmanship or Best In Show championships.

Qualification rounds took place from Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022, and the top dogs in each eligible category were invited to the national event. 

Where will it be held?

The event will be held at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the same location as the U.S. Open. It was previously hosted in New York City from its creation in 1877 through 2020, but moved to the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, NY for 2021 and 2022. This will be the first time it’s held at the Bille Jean King Tennis Center. 

Of note, Best in Show, All Groups, all Toy breeds, all Terrier breeds and Junior Showmanship Finals will be held on artifical turf at Arthur Ashe Stadium (which is part of the National Tennis Center). All other breed judging and Obedience will be on artificial turf in a tent-covered court.

When is it, and how can I watch?

The schedule is as follows:

Sunday May 7, 2023

Tenth Anniversary Masters Agility Championship Finals: 2:00-4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX NOW App and FOX Sports App

Monday, May 8, 2023

Select coverage of Breed Judging and Junior Showmanship Preliminaries: 1:00-4:00 p.m. ET, FOX NOW App and FOX Sports App

Pre-Show Programming: 7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET, FS1

Group Judging (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding Groups): 7:00-11:00 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX NOW App and FOX Sports App

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Select coverage of Breed Judging and Junior Showmanship Preliminaries: 1:00-4:00 p.m. ET, FS2, FOX NOW App and FOX Sports App

Pre-Show Programming: 7:00pm-7:30 p.m. ET, FS1

Group Judging (Sporting, Working, and Terrier Groups followed by Best in Show): 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX NOW App and FOX Sports App

FOX Deportes will provide Spanish-language coverage of the competition.

How does it work?

Each dog will compete against others in its selected group, and will be awarded points based on the number of dogs it’s able to defeat. So, the more dogs competing in any given event, the more points the winner will receive. 

Dogs will be judged according to a pre-written standard detailing the ideal dog based on a number of factors such as height, weight, coat, colors, eye color and shape, ear shape, feet, tail and more. The four dogs who are deemed Best in Breed move on to compete in Best in Group competitions, and the best of those dogs will vie for the ever-coveted Best In Show title.

What should I know about the events?

The affair will begin with the Masters Agility Championship, in which dogs square off in a pair of preliminary standard agility rounds (jumps and weaves), and are timed on their quickness. 50 finalists are chosen from that group (10 from five respective height classes) to compete for the Grand Champion crown. 

Next comes the Obedience section, which kicks off with several signal exercises, and concludes with a six-minute obedience routine created by each owner. Junior Showmanship Finals and Group judging follows thereafter, and the event culminates with the Best In Show competition. 

Who won last year?

Trumpet the Bloodhound was crowned Best In Show after wooing judges with a lovable face and showing off riveting skills. Trumpet topped three other dogs — Hollywood the Maltese (Toy Group), Winston the French Bulldog (Non-Sporting Group) and River the German Shepherd (Herding Group) to bring home the championship.

Trumpet defeated over 3,500 other dogs from 49 states and nine other countries. Here’s a comprehensive list of all the winners.

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