5 Sage, A Miniature Poodle, Wins Best in Show at Westminster

Sage, a Miniature Poodle, Wins Best in Show
at Westminster
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/05/14/style/westminster-dog-show
The great-granddaughter of a former champion beat out six other group winners for the
prestigious dog show’s top prize.
1.
Sage, a miniature poodle, was named best in show.

Amir Hamja/The New York Times
2.
Handler Kaz Hosaka, presented Sage during the final.
3.
Frankie, a colored bull terrier, won the terrier group.
4.
5.
Monty, a giant schnauzer, was the winner of the working group.
6.
Micah, a black cocker spaniel, was the winner of the sporting group.
7.
8.
9.
Pineapple, a Norwegian Buhund, won the junior handler group.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Jonah Rosenberg for The New York Times
14.
15.
16.
17.
Pinned
Sarah Lyall and Callie Holtermann

Reporting from Arthur Ashe Stadium
A small dog that wasn’t afraid of the competition.
Image
Sage beat out a talented field, including Monty, a giant schnauzer that was in the final group
for a second consecutive year.Credit...Amir Hamja/The New York Times
Sage, an extravagantly coifed miniature poodle with a certain winsome mystery about her,
won the 148th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday night, prevailing over
a tough field of competitors including a majestic German shepherd, a silken Afghan hound
and a proud giant schnauzer.
The competition began with some 2,500 dogs from more than 200 breeds, then eventually
pared down to a field of seven group champions who vied against each other for the top prize.
The best-in-show judge, Rosalind Kramer, who remained sequestered during the proceedings
so that she could emerge fresh for the final round, selected Sage over what she called an
“absolutely glorious” lineup of dogs.
Sage, a three-year-old bitch whose full name is GCHG Ch Surrey Sage, was a surprise win.
Before the show, which was held for a second consecutive year at the Billie Jean King
National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens, she was ranked just 39th of all show dogs on the
country — based on points amassed in previous shows — and only fourth in her group, non-
sporting dogs. But she had something about her.
Like all show poodles, Sage appears to be about 75 percent hair, with a sumptuous coiffure
that rises to a huge pouf above and around her head, surrounds her body in a kind of puffball,
and reappears again as topiary-ed pompoms on the end of her tail and at the bottom of her
skinny legs, as if she is wearing après-ski boots. She trots daintily, as if running was slightly
beneath her.
It was the 11th time a poodle of one size or another has won the competition. In 2020, the
title was won by Siba, a standard poodle; in 2002, it was won by Spice, another miniature
poodle who happens to be Sage’s great-grandmother. Sage (and Spice’s) handler, Kaz
Hosaka, said that this was his 45th Westminster and that it was time for him to retire.
Mr. Hosaka, who is known for his poodle hairdressing expertise, — a Times profile in 2009
called him “an artist who tends his poodles’ poufs as if they were bonsai trees from his native
Japan” — carried Sage into the ring for the best in show competition, and again into the post-
show news conference, positioning her in front of a yellow-and-purple ribbon twice the
length of her body. “She’s heavy,” he said.
“I was not expecting anything,” Mr. Hosaka, 65, said. “She did it for me today.”
He said that Sage, too, would retire now that the show is over. He plans to go to happy hour
more often, he said, and Sage will finally be allowed to venture outside in the rain without
anyone worrying about what it will do to her hairstyle. “She’ll be like a normal dog.”
Mr. Hosaka has a towering reputation in the dog world for his way with poodles. A
recent article in Edge, a lifestyle magazine, said that Mr. Hosaka “is to the poodle world what
Michael Jordan is to basketball. Smooth, clever, elegant and nearly unbeatable.”
Reserve best in show — Westminster’s title for second place — went to Mercedes, a German
shepherd, who won the herding group and was a crowd favorite because of her flashy good
looks and the graceful and ebullient way she loped around the ring. Monty, a dark and
dignified giant schnauzer who won the working group, came into the show the No. 1 ranked
dog in the country and had been considered a favorite to win before Sage’s surprise victory.
Other finalists were the winner of the hound group, Louis, a 6-year-old Afghan hound with
such silky hair he looked like an animate shampoo commercial; Comet, a 3-year-old Shih
Tzu who won the toy group and who sported a fetching blue bow in his hair; Micah, a spry
black cocker spaniel, who defeated a formidable field of pointers, setters and retrievers to
take the sporting group; and Frankie, the colored bull terrier who won the popular, if
crowded, terrier group.
Show more
May 14, 2024, 11:10 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 11:10 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
It was a surprising end to a dog show full of twists and turns. Monty, a giant schnauzer, the
top-ranked dog in the United States, was considered the odds-on favorite to win, but he didn’t
even make it into the top two.
Image
Credit...Kena Betancur/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
May 14, 2024, 11:09 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 11:09 p.m. ET
Emily Anthes
They were all good dogs. (Except for maybe a few of the terriers.)
Image
Credit...Amir Hamja/The New York Times
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 11:06 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 11:06 p.m. ET
Matt Flegenheimer
What a journey for Sage. Carried in like Cleopatra, carried out a champion.
Image
May 14, 2024, 10:56 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:56 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
And the winner is...Sage, the miniature poodle!

May 14, 2024, 10:56 p.m. ET
May 14, 2024, 10:56 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
Sage is more than 75 percent hair.
Best in Show
Sage, a miniature poodle, is named best in show!
May 14, 2024, 10:53 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:53 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
And the No. 2 dog — Mercedes the German shepherd. (Sigh.)

ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 10:51 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:51 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
The judge goes and writes something on a piece of paper at the judges’ table. That means
she’s made her choice. But what is it???
May 14, 2024, 10:50 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:50 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
And a final run around the ring. After being carried in like some sort of monarch, the toy
poodle proves that yes, it, too, can run with the dogs!
May 14, 2024, 10:49 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:49 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
The dogs are posing — or stacking, in show parlance — as the judge walks past. The moment
is approaching.
May 14, 2024, 10:49 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:49 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
Some excitement for the Shih Tzu, a breed that has never won best in show.
Image
Credit...Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 10:48 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:48 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
My grandmother had a (non-toy) poodle when I was little. He normally had normal hair, but
once he got one of those pouffy haircuts beloved of show poodles, with the little balls of
topiary everywhere. He was so embarrassed, he ran home and hid under the bed.
May 14, 2024, 10:49 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:49 p.m. ET
Matt Flegenheimer
Dogs can’t talk but they have mirrors.
May 14, 2024, 10:47 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:47 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
The judge has to know the breed standards for all these breeds, and pick which one of these
dogs best epitomizes that standard.
May 14, 2024, 10:45 p.m. ET
May 14, 2024, 10:45 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
No giant schnauzer has ever won best in show. Could this be Monty’s night?
May 14, 2024, 10:45 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:45 p.m. ET
Matt Flegenheimer
Monty has the measured gait and conspicuous confidence of a clear favorite. No frills, no
stray looks at his competition, as if he thinks he has any.
May 14, 2024, 10:43 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:43 p.m. ET
Matt Flegenheimer
The German shepherd really does glide. Mercedes almost looks like she’s hydroplaning
across the carpet.
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 10:42 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:42 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
Dressed in an elegant blue evening gown, the judge is methodically examining each of the
dogs. (Weirdly, the German shepherd is referred to as “The German shepherd dog.”)
May 14, 2024, 10:40 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:40 p.m. ET
Callie Holtermann
In the arena, the cheers sounded loudest for the German shepherd and the miniature poodle.
Moral of the story: There are different ways to win fans.
May 14, 2024, 10:40 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:40 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
Even the toy group winner, the Shih Tzu — who does in fact look like a toy, check out the
hair — has to arrive in the ring under its own steam!
May 14, 2024, 10:38 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:38 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
Here’s the Afghan hound, the winner of (obv) the hound group, with the swishiest hair of
anyone. The resident supermodel.
May 14, 2024, 10:38 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:38 p.m. ET
Emily Anthes
Don’t let the Irish Setter hear you say that!

ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 10:37 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:37 p.m. ET
Emily Anthes
Any bets?
May 14, 2024, 10:37 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:37 p.m. ET
Scott Cacciola
There’s been too much hype with Monty the giant schnauzer.
May 14, 2024, 10:37 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:37 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
And the group winners are coming in! A huge burst of acclaim for the German shepherd.
May 14, 2024, 10:34 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:34 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
Rosalind Kramer, the best in show judge, just said that this is the most exciting moment of
her life. Her husband, as we pointed out before, is described as a “terrier enthusiast” in her
official bio. Does she have a special weakness for terriers?
May 14, 2024, 10:32 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:32 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
The terriers have hustled out the back, in their terrier-like way, and we’re waiting for the final
event: the Best in Show competition, pitting the winners of all the different groups against
each other. Remember, they’re not giving out awards for who is the prettiest, floofy-est or
hardest-working dog, but rather the dog that most perfectly fits the Platonic ideal of its breed.
The dogs are not competing against each other so much as competing against an ideal — and
the ideal is different for each breed.
May 14, 2024, 10:32 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:32 p.m. ET
Scott Cacciola
In a live interview with FS1, Rosalind Kramer, the best in show judge, emphasized exactly
what Sarah just noted — that she’s judging based on each breed’s standard. But she said she
would also consider “showmanship and personality, becuase that’s what it’s all about.”
May 14, 2024, 10:32 p.m. ET
May 14, 2024, 10:32 p.m. ET
Matt Flegenheimer
There’s something either genuinely lovely about this idea — be the ideal version of yourself,
don’t sweat the competition — or tragically Sisyphean. Who can hope to compete against an
ideal? (Okay, it’s getting late.)
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 10:26 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:26 p.m. ET
Callie Holtermann
Frankie, a colored bull terrier, wins the terrier group.
Image
Frankie was the final group winner ahead of this year’s best in show judging.Credit...Amir
Hamja/The New York Times
The terriers are closely watched at Westminster, for good reason: Their 47 best in show titles
make them the most dominant group in the competition.
Frankie, a colored bull terrier, won the group this year (the colors in question being brown,
black and white). In just a few moments Frankie will face the crowd favorites Mercedes, a
German shepherd, and Comet, a Shih Tzu, for best in show.
The terrier judge, Patricia Anne Keenan, sorted through a squat assembly of terriers of the
Australian, Norfolk, Skye, smooth fox and wire fox varieties. (She appeared to be able to tell
them all apart.) The crowd went still when a Welsh terrier’s handler tripped and fell, but he
was soon back on his feet, tucking a purple handkerchief back into his pocket.
Terriers were originally bred to hunt vermin, but now make good pets, according to the
American Kennel Club. Buyer beware: “They can be stubborn; have high energy levels, and
require special grooming (known as ‘stripping’) to maintain a characteristic appearance.”
During the competition, the gray Glen of Imaal terrier balanced nimbly on his hind legs while
his handler held up a treat. The stunt did not earn him a shot at best in show.
Show more
May 14, 2024, 10:25 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:25 p.m. ET
Matt Flegenheimer
A thought exercise while we wait for best in show: Televised confirmation hearings for
Westminster judges. A supermajority of breeds is required for approval. Would make for
some fascinating legislative coalitions.
Terrier Group Winner

Frankie, a colored bull terrier, advances to best in show.
The final seven dogs have now been picked, with best in show next.
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 10:16 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:16 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
There was a momentary bit of panic here when the handler putting the Welsh terrier through
its paces tripped and fell down in the ring. As the terrier looked on, obviously worried, the
man was helped to his feet and managed to finish the round. I can’t emphasize enough how
unusual it is for something like this to happen at this point in the dog show.
May 14, 2024, 10:17 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:17 p.m. ET
Callie Holtermann
The crowd applauded extra loudly when the handler and his dog survived the judge’s first
round of cuts.
May 14, 2024, 10:09 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:09 p.m. ET
Emily Anthes
If the terriers want a more generous assessment, they should try not going last, when we are
all tired and out of nice things to say.
Image
May 14, 2024, 10:09 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:09 p.m. ET
Callie Holtermann
You guys are being awful to these terriers. You must be forgetting that they can read!
May 14, 2024, 10:10 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:10 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
Callie, are you okay?
May 14, 2024, 10:10 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:10 p.m. ET
Callie Holtermann
Of course, Sarah! I’ve been here for 10 hours and I’ve eaten three potato chips.
May 14, 2024, 10:07 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:07 p.m. ET
Matt Flegenheimer
Scottish Terriers “have charmed three presidents,” an apparent White House record. And they
were said to be exceedingly discreet confidants.
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 10:06 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:06 p.m. ET
Scott Cacciola
The Russell terrier, Ana, has stolen my heart. I am bewitched. And she has a squeaky toy!
May 14, 2024, 10:04 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:04 p.m. ET
Matt Flegenheimer
The Norwich Terrier has two Best in Show wins (mostly recently in 1998) and a fictional one
in “Best in Show,” with an assist from Eugene Levy.
May 14, 2024, 10:02 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:02 p.m. ET
Emily Anthes
I swear we are starting to see repeats now. Are we sure these are all new dogs?
May 14, 2024, 10:04 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:04 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
Emily, some of them are changing outfits and sneaking back in, like Zendaya at the Met
Gala.
May 14, 2024, 10:00 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:00 p.m. ET
Scott Cacciola
The Manchester Terrier is historically known as a rat killer. New York City should hire an
army of them.
May 14, 2024, 10:00 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:00 p.m. ET
Matt Flegenheimer
Mayor Adams replacing his “rat czar” with a Manchester Terrier would certainly shake
things up.
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 9:59 p.m. ET
May 14, 2024, 9:59 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
A word about the outfits. The judges are in black tie — the men in dinner jackets, the women
in evening gowns. The handlers wear regular suits (men) and sparkly bedazzled vaguely
Vegas-vibe skirt suits (women). The guy sitting near me is wearing shorts, tattoos and a baby
in a sling.
Image
Image
May 14, 2024, 9:57 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:57 p.m. ET
Michael Grynbaum
One detail that I love is that the best in show judge is prohibited from watching any of the
preceding rounds. When she walks into the ring, she will be seeing all of the finalist dogs for
the very first time in this competition.
May 14, 2024, 9:59 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:59 p.m. ET
Benjamin Hoffman
Those of us who don’t exactly love the terriers may want to take note of the fact that tonight’s
best in show judge, Rosalind Kramer, has a background in terriers and also married a “terrier
enthusiast” per her bio in the media guide.
May 14, 2024, 9:56 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:56 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
Perhaps this would be a good time to remember the classic song “God Loves a Terrier” from
“Best in Show.”
May 14, 2024, 9:55 p.m. ET
May 14, 2024, 9:55 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
It’s hard to believe that the terrier group competition has lasted a mere five hours.
May 14, 2024, 9:56 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:56 p.m. ET
Scott Cacciola
Five hours down, seven to go.

ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 9:47 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:47 p.m. ET
Scott Cacciola
I just hope the dogs aren’t listening to Chris Myers. Their self-esteem would be in ruins.
“That definitely is a Roman nose,” he said of the Bull Terrier.
Image
May 14, 2024, 9:47 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:47 p.m. ET
Michael Grynbaum
Myers just expressed concern for the dogs being “prodded and poked.” His co-host corrected
him: “we say caressed.”
May 14, 2024, 9:45 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:45 p.m. ET
Scott Cacciola
Some of the euphemisms that are used to describe these dogs are priceless. Strong willed =
doesn’t listen. Protective = will bite your face off.
May 14, 2024, 9:47 p.m. ET
May 14, 2024, 9:47 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
Gentle family pet = lies around the house all day.
May 14, 2024, 9:33 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:33 p.m. ET
Callie Holtermann
Monty, a giant schnauzer, wins the working group.
Image
Monty won the working group for a second consecutive year.Credit...Amir Hamja/The New
York Times
The winner of the working group at Westminster on Tuesday night was Monty, a dignified
giant schnauzer who triumphed over more than 30 competitors, taking the group for the
second year in a row.
Monty is something of a celebrity in the group. He sits atop the Canine Chronicle’s
rankings of all breeds, and his father, Ty, won reserve best in show (that’s dog show-speak
for “runner-up”) in 2018.
Monty advanced to best in show last year, but lost the top prize to Buddy Holly, a petit basset
griffon Vendéen. When it was announced that he would be getting another chance, Monty did
not leap onto his handler or gloat in front of the runner-up, a Siberian husky.
“We’re all together, we love our dogs, we’re just trying our best,” Monty’s handler, Katie
Bernardin, told the crowd.
Members of the working group were bred to drag sleds and guard property, but at Arthur
Ashe Stadium they lined up for assessment by the judge Rick Gschwender in front of a lively
crowd. Spectators whooped for the stately St. Bernard and the agile Great Pyrenees.
Despite Monty’s success, it has been two decades since a working group champion has won
best in show: A 155-pound Newfoundland named Josh took the prize in 2004.
Show more
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 8:43 p.m. ET
May 14, 2024, 8:43 p.m. ET
Callie Holtermann
Micah, a black cocker spaniel, wins the sporting group.
Image
Micah beat out a crowded field of sporting dogs and will advance to consideration for best in
show.Credit...Amir Hamja/The New York Times
Micah, a spry black cocker spaniel, won the sporting group title at Westminster on Tuesday
night, defeating a formidable field of pointers, setters and retrievers.
The group judge, David L. Kittredge, appraised Micah from snout to haunches before making
his determination. The dog zipped determinedly around an artificial turf ring twice during the
presentation, his charcoal-colored coat swishing attractively as he sped past his competition.
In a post-victory interview on Fox Sports, Micah let his handler, Per Ingar Rismyhr, do most
of the talking. (Micah did contribute by nuzzling a reporter’s microphone.)
Westminster’s top prize last went to a member of the sporting group in 2016, when C.J. the
German shorthaired pointer took things into his very capable paws. The group’s champions
have won best in show in show 20 times — a total second only to that of the terriers.
Sporting dogs are an energetic bunch bred to assist hunters. The group includes Labradors
and golden retrievers, breeds that have both never won best in show despite making some of
the country’s most popular pets.
Bowie the golden retriever received cheers from the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium, though
not nearly as many as a Clumber spaniel whose considerable jowls bounced with each step.
As Micah celebrated, Cutter the Labrador retriever looked on, stoic in defeat. His breed
would have to wait another Westminster.
Show more
May 14, 2024, 7:44 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 7:44 p.m. ET
Benjamin Hoffman
Meet your bloggers (and their pets).
Image
Charlie.Credit...The New York Times
Image
Pajama.Credit...The New York Times
As always, we have a decorated group of correspondents at Westminster.

Leading our coverage is Sarah Lyall, a writer at large whose dog expertise comes from
sharing her house (and her husband) with a two-year-old Border terrier, Charlie. Callie
Holtermann is a reporter from Styles who has a chocolate lab named Luca. Matt
Flegenheimer is a correspondent with a focus on profiles of powerful figures and his family
dog is a golden retriever named Murphy. Michael Grynbaum is a media reporter and the
parent of Pajama, a Persian cat who has a very high opinion of herself.
Image
Luca.Credit...The New York Times
Image
Juni.Credit...The New York Times
Emily Anthes is a reporter on the Science desk who covers animals and has both a Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel named Watson and a cat of unknown origin named Juniper. Christine
Chung is a travel reporter and lover of all dogs (especially the mutts) who has a jindo mix
rescue named Juni who has never done a day of agility in his five years of life.
Image
Buddy.Credit...The New York Times
Image
Lucy.Credit...The New York Times
Scott Cacciola is a Styles reporter who has never owned a dog (he’d like to someday) but gets
his puppy fix from Buddy, a 15-year-old Yorkie who lives with his soon-to-be-inlaws. And
I’m a senior editor in Styles who will spend the evening with my 15-year-old cat, Lucy, who
is nearly always annoyed.
Show more
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 7:27 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 7:27 p.m. ET
Christine Chung
With extensive planning, and treats, 2,500 show dogs
descended on New York.
The A-listers who traveled to New York this past weekend, gathering for the biggest event of
their careers, arrived by car and driver, or on planes surrounded by entourages. They didn’t
even carry their own passports, much less pack their kibble or squeaky toys.
Each and every one of them, though, is a very good dog.
Some 2,500 top-ranked dogs are in New York City to compete in this year’s Westminster
Kennel Club Dog Show. Breed judging, the marquee event, will begin on Monday, while
several hundred other dogs have already battled it out in events testing agility, obedience and
the ability to dive the farthest off a dock.
Getting into the show takes years of training and effort. Getting to the show requires
extensive organizing by owners and handlers, who plan hours- or days-long road or plane
trips, pack thousands of dollars worth of gear — grooming tables, industrial-strength hair
dryers, leashes, collars, toys, kibble and more — and pray that neither delays nor
cancellations disrupt their itineraries.
Treats are nonnegotiable.
“I try to stock up on healthy, single-ingredient treats such as freeze-dried duck or freeze-dried

liver,” said Shell Lewis, 71, who came to New York with a Russell terrier and a Cairn terrier.
On show days, however, her dogs receive “something special and high value.”
“It involves a drive-through McDonald’s to pick up two sausage biscuits — I eat the biscuits,
they get the sausage,” she said.
In the United States, accumulating titles at local, regional and national dog competitions
require constant driving, with long journeys the norm. Most dogs, their trainers say, are used
to the road.
Ms. Lewis drove 14 hours from Geneva, Ill., for Spangle, her 2-year-old Russell terrier, to
compete in the agility event (Alas, Spangle was knocked out in the preliminaries.) Ms. Lewis
also brought along Nora, her 7-year-old Cairn terrier.
“They haven’t learned to drive yet,” said Ms. Lewis, “but they are excellent travelers.”
Show more
May 14, 2024, 6:45 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 6:45 p.m. ET
Callie Holtermann
The dog show has a scrappier, sloppier cousin.
Image
If Westminster starts to feel chaotic, but in a good way, be sure to tune in for the Puppy Bowl
every February.Credit...Animal Planet, via Associated Press
There are no touchdowns to be scored at Westminster, where decorous show dogs sit, stay
and otherwise flaunt their pedigrees. Things go differently at what is arguably the other most
prominent dog-related event you can find on television every year: The Puppy Bowl.
Animal Planet’s annual football game for dogs, which we wrote about in February, is a
scrappier, sloppier occasion. The puppies bark. They snooze on the field. They pee on the
referee with such regularity that he keeps four pairs of backup pants in his dressing room.
The Puppy Bowl, which aired on Super Bowl Sunday for the 20th time this year, began in
2005 as a low-effort stab at counterprogramming the big game. “We would joke, ‘Why are
we working this hard?’” said Margo Kent, then an executive producer for Animal Planet.
“Let’s just put puppies in a box and point a camera at it.”
The event has evolved into a counterprogramming juggernaut that draws millions of viewers
and functions as a sneakily effective call to adoption. According to Animal Planet, all of the
1,298 dogs that have played in past Puppy Bowls have been adopted.
The game itself is played by three-to-six-month old, untrained puppies recruited from shelters
across the United States. (Some even throw preseason training camps.) It is filmed over the
course of a week in October, at a hockey arena in Glens Falls, N.Y.
Victoria Schade, the on-set trainer, is responsible for getting the dogs to gaze upward
patriotically during the national anthem — a request that they do not understand, because
they are dogs.
Her strategy? Dangling treats above their heads. “Freeze-dried chicken, freeze-dried liver,
freeze-dried cheese: That’s going to get your Puppy Bowl-worthy performance,” Ms. Schade
said.
Show more
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 6:30 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 6:30 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
Striker’s journey from fan favorite to ‘dog influencer.’
Image
Striker, a fan favorite in 2021 and 2022, remains a star.Credit...Jonah Rosenberg for The
New York Times
I just ran into an old friend: Striker the dazzlingly white Samoyed, a charismatic fan favorite
who reached the finals in 2021 and 2022 but sadly failed to win both times (he was robbed,
according to his owners).
But Striker has hardly been bitterly licking his paws, or even lounging around in regal
idleness, at home in Toronto. This year he returned to Westminster in a new role: as brand
ambassador for the canine joint supplement Cosequin, one of the dog show’s sponsors. He
has been drawing streams of admirers as he pads regally along the paths, his impossibly
fluffy coat practically sparkling in the light. He’s also been posing (and occasionally
snoozing) in a special V.I.P. tent.
Marc Ralsky, Striker’s co-owner along with Coreen Pacht, said that Striker has emerged as a
kind of dog influencer, so well known that some of his admirers arrived at the show with little
gifts for him. Among the items in his haul were a plush toy in the shape of a can of Coca-
Cola, a Samoyed-themed key chain and a roll of toilet paper printed with small blue dogs,
because Striker is well known (at least to his followers on Facebook) for his affinity for toilet
paper.
On Sunday, Striker, who has been staying in a hotel near La Guardia Airport, made a special
arrangement to visit Cartier — he would have looked particularly striking against a backdrop
of diamonds — but his owners nixed the trip on account of the rain. “We wouldn’t have had
time to dry his hair,” Mr. Ralsky said.
Striker has mostly been working hard at what he does best. “He’s a star,” Mr. Ralsky said.
“His job is to make people happy.”
Show more
May 14, 2024, 6:15 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 6:15 p.m. ET
Callie Holtermann
In 1877, The Times detailed ‘a fine collection of canines.’

Image
“ITS VERY GREAT SUCCESS.” The Times was not subtle in its praise of the first
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.Credit...The New York Times
In the spring of 1877, The New York Times reported that “a new fashionable amusement”
was coming to Manhattan: an exhibition of more than 1,000 dogs. “They came singly, in
pairs, in dozens, and in truck-loads” read an article published on May 8 of that year. “Crowds
of boys and men surrounded the portals, and gazed with open-mouthed interest at the
unending procession.”
The paper’s colorful coverage of the event, now known as the Westminster Kennel Club Dog
Show, began with its first outing at Gilmore’s Garden, which would later be known as
Madison Square Garden. “The dogs are nearly all gentle and willing to make friends with
strangers, but there are others to whom it will be prudent to give a wide berth,” the article
continued. Two days later, another report: “The prize St. Bernard dog, Lion, bit two persons
yesterday.” (Neither was seriously injured.)
The venue was rented for three days for $1,500, but the event drew such dense crowds that it
was extended for a fourth day. “The gentlemen who served as ticket-sellers could not make
change fast enough to suit the impatience of the throng that was continually clamoring for
admittance,” one report read.
Reporters encountered five “superb” mastiffs, a St. Bernard “as large as a Shetland pony,”
and a selection of “dainty” pugs and poodles. Prizes including guns and gold coins were
awarded to standouts in some breeds, however, the best in show competition did not yet exist.
“The bull dog that took the prize is about as ugly an animal as one would wish to see,” read
an article published on May 11. “His nose is bent and wrinkled so as to be almost on a level
with the top of his head, and he is so fat he can hardly waddle.”
The Times was kinder to a Skye terrier named Jet that became a crowd favorite: “The ladies
will go into ecstasies over Jet,” a reporter predicted.
Show more
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 6:00 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 6:00 p.m. ET
Callie Holtermann
Need to catch up? We’ve got you covered.

Video
Dogs and their obedient human entourages overtook the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National
Tennis Center in Queens this weekend for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
May 14, 2024, 5:30 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 5:30 p.m. ET
Sarah Lyall
There is more to Westminster than the beauty contest.
Image
The best in show competition, essentially a doggie beauty pageant, is the culmination of a
multiday canine extravaganza here at Westminster. But it follows the possibly more fun
portion of the program, the agility competition.
Some 150 dogs competed in this year’s contest, navigating a series of jumps and other
obstacles with the help of their handlers’ verbal and physical commands. The winner, with a
blink-and-you’d-miss-it time of 28.76 seconds, was an All-American dog named Nimble.
Nimble was the first All-American dog — the dog show word for mutt — to take the top spot
in the 11 years that agility has been part of Westminster, and he was also the first dog from
the 12-inch division to win the competition. (The dogs are divided into five groups according
to size, from 8 inches to 24 inches; the smaller dogs jump shorter fences.)
Winners from the different size groups included a Papillon named Lark, two Border collies
named Vanish and Typo, and a Weimaraner named Hogan.
Agility is a crowd favorite, because the dogs look like they’re having so much fun. Audiences
are generous to all the dogs, even when the dogs decide to go rogue. Perhaps the best
example is Kratu, a rescue dog who has appeared several times at the Crufts dog show in
England. In the 2020 show, he ignored most of the obstacles, hung out in the tunnel for a
while before emerging from the wrong end and then grabbed a pole from a fence, parading
around as if it were a stick.
Miles, an All-American rescue dog from Erie, Pa., who defeated the odds to become an
agility champion and whose unlikely road to Westminster was described in The Times,
competed on Saturday in the 20-inch division. His first run, of two, was clean and fast. Alas,
he failed to touch several markers in his second run, and did not make the finals.
But he had a great time anyway, said his owner, Christine Longnecker, who returned to Erie
with Miles and his four-person cheering entourage on Sunday. “He’s pretty sure he won the
whole thing,” she said.
Show more
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET
May 14, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET
Benjamin Hoffman
Four dogs have already advanced to best in show judging.
Image
Louis, an Afghan hound, was named the champion of the hound group on Monday. He will
compete for best in show on Tuesday.Credit...Mike Stobe/Getty Images
With so many dogs to evaluate, judging at the group stage is split up over two days, with four
of the groups having already had a champion named on Monday night. Those four winners
advance to Tuesday’s best in show competition, where they will face the winners of the
sporting, working and terrier groups. A look at the dogs who have already advanced:
 Herding: Mercedes, a 4-year-old German shepherd from Bethesda, Md. took the top
spot among 33 entries in the herding group, which was created as a spinoff from the
working group in 1983. The group includes popular breeds like the Australian
shepherd and the Border collie, and also royal favorites like the Pembroke Welsh
corgi. The group was judged by Michael Faulkner.
 Non-Sporting: Sage, a 3-year-old miniature poodle from Houston was tops among
the 21 dogs competing in the non-sporting group, a group that used to include terriers
but now is more focused on breeds like Chow Chows, Dalmatians, French bulldogs
and poodles. The group was judged by Fred O. Bassett.
 Toy: Comet, a 3-year-old Shih Tzu from Monclova, Ohio, beat out 24 other dogs to
win the toy group, a group that doesn’t do much work but fits well in an apartment,
traits exemplified by Pomeranians, Chihuahuas and Maltese. The group was judged
by Glen Lajewski.
 Hound: Louis, a 6-year-old Afghan hound from Roseville, Calif., was the top hound,
beating out 34 other competitors in a group that was part of the sporting category until
1930 and includes breeds like the beagle, the bloodhound and the Dachshund. The
group was judged by Christine Erickson.
May 14, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET
Benjamin Hoffman and Daniel Victor
Here’s the latest on the competition.
The dogs look magnificent, the handlers have treats in their pockets and the golden retriever
never wins. There is a consistency to Westminster that makes it like an annual visit to see a
beloved friend. The finest dogs in the nation have gathered, once again, at the Billie Jean
King National Tennis Center in New York to find out who will be best in show.
The finale of the canine-crowning event began Tuesday night with Micha, a cocker spaniel
with flowing black locks, being crowned the champion of the sporting group. Monty, a giant
schnauzer who was considered a favorite to win the top prize, won in the working group for
the second consecutive year.
Then Frankie, a colored bull terrier, won among the terriers, the historically dominant group
that has claimed 47 of 103 best in show awards.
Now comes the main highlight of the dog calendar: the best in show competition, the
pinnacle of canine achievement, the treat of all treats. It will come down to the seven group
champions: Micha, Monty and Frankie will join four group champions named on Monday
night — Mercedes the German shepherd, Sage the miniature poodle, Comet the Shih Tzu,
and Louis the Afghan hound.
Follow along with us as we chronicle the final moments of the competition with a decorated
group of journalists, each of whom has shown a passion for dogs, providing commentary and
analysis. You can watch the ending on FS1, or stream it on the Fox Sports app.
Show more
ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
May 14, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET
Callie Holtermann
Meet Westminster’s newest dog, the Lancashire heeler.
Image
You won’t see a Lancashire heeler competing for best in show on Tuesday, but the new breed
quickly became a fan favorite.Credit...Amir Hamja/The New York Times
Watch your backs, sheepdogs. The herding group had fresh competition this year from the
Lancashire heeler, a sprightly breed that competed at Westminster for the first time.
A Lancashire heeler stands about a foot tall, with a pert snout, dark coat and elongated frame.
Members of the breed may have descended either from corgis or Manchester Terriers,
according to the American Kennel Club, but they are “friendly little dogs” either way.
“Small yet powerful and built sturdily, the Lancashire heeler is alert and energetic, excelling
at herding cattle while also exhibiting terrier instincts for hunting rabbits and rats,” the
Westminster Kennel Club said in an introduction of the breed.
A single Lancashire heeler, named Mando, competed in the group stage show this year.
During the breed judging stage on Monday, he trotted into the ring with the confidence of a
veteran in front of stands that were packed with press and onlookers.
“History!” one spectator shouted from the crowd.
Unfortunately for Mando, he did not make it out of the group stage, with Mercedes, a
German shepherd, advancing to Tuesday’s best in show competition.
The United States Lancashire Heeler Club has been pushing for greater recognition of the
breed since its founding in 2007. “This breed is a power chewer,” the club’s website cautions,
and can be energetic to a point that overwhelms some owners. Shedding can be an issue, too.
“Brushing a couple of time a week, routine bathing when they get grimy or roll in something
really stinky is needed,” the club said.
At Westminster, the breed was trying to fend off collies and corgis and all the other stars of
the herding group. Judges were looking for erect ears, a fine undercoat and “small, firm and
well padded feet.”
Closely overlapping lower teeth were a boon, as were “amply boned” forequarters.
Show more
 Share full article


ADVERTISEMENT
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Site Index
Site Information Navigation
 © 2024 The New York Times Company
 NYTCo
 Contact Us
 Accessibility
 Work with us
 Advertise
 T Brand Studio
 Your Ad Choices
 Privacy Policy
 Terms of Service
 Terms of Sale
 Site Map
 Help
 Subscriptions
 Manage Privacy Preferences

5 Sage, A Miniature Poodle, Wins Best in Show at Westminster

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

5 Sage, A Miniature Poodle, Wins Best in Show at Westminster

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sage, a Miniature Poodle, Wins Best in Show

Sage, a miniature poodle, was named best in show.

Sarah Lyall and Callie Holtermann

May 14, 2024, 11:10 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 11:09 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 11:06 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:56 p.m. ET

And the winner is...Sage, the miniature poodle!

Sage is more than 75 percent hair.

May 14, 2024, 10:53 p.m. ET

And the No. 2 dog — Mercedes the German shepherd. (Sigh.)

May 14, 2024, 10:51 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:50 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:49 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:49 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:48 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:49 p.m. ET

Dogs can’t talk but they have mirrors.

May 14, 2024, 10:47 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:45 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:43 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:42 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:40 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:40 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:38 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:38 p.m. ET

Don’t let the Irish Setter hear you say that!

May 14, 2024, 10:37 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:37 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:37 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:34 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:32 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:32 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:26 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:25 p.m. ET

Terrier Group Winner

May 14, 2024, 10:16 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:17 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:09 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:09 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:10 p.m. ET

Callie, are you okay?

May 14, 2024, 10:10 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:07 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:06 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:04 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:02 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:04 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:00 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 10:00 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:57 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:59 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:56 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:56 p.m. ET

Five hours down, seven to go.

May 14, 2024, 9:47 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:47 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 9:45 p.m. ET

Gentle family pet = lies around the house all day.

May 14, 2024, 9:33 p.m. ET

May 14, 2024, 7:44 p.m. ET

As always, we have a decorated group of correspondents at Westminster.

May 14, 2024, 7:27 p.m. ET

Each and every one of them, though, is a very good dog.