Do not get me started about Stump. Dubbed by my family as “the Winston Churchill of dogs,” we were universally in agreement that he was many things, but winner of Best in Show at Westminster he should not have been.
Westminster Dog Show
He could barely trot the circle around the ring for heaven’s sake, and he’s a member of the Sporting Group. Shameful. You may disregard my opinion if you like, but I feel particularly vehement about the outcome of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this year because I was actually there in person for both days. And I could name five dogs I saw off the top of my head that should have beat out Stump. So there.
Traveling for an event is sort of a treat. No real planning about what do to required, that’s already been decided. We’re going to Mardi Gras! The World Cup! The Inauguration! There’s sort of a nice simplicity in not having to think too much about the things to do on vacation, which given my job at Viator, I do all the time. I’m not saying I’d want every vacation involve a big event, but once every few years it is a nice change of pace.
#9 Pug at Westminster
My Mum turned 60 and wanted to go to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show for her birthday, the trickiest part is getting tickets and everything else is easy. On the tickets front, just mail in your form early (I think I mailed it in October), download it at the Westminster Kennel Club website.
Beautiful tickets will be mailed back to you (seriously they are really pretty tickets) and you are set for two days of non-stop dog show action at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
You think you’ve seen cute dogs, maybe you even own a cute dog, but you probably have not really experienced dog cuteness at a professional level. The adorableness almost painful. Scratch that, it is painful. After 24 perfect pugs trotted in the ring to be judged, a British girl next to me said, “so cute it hurts me.” Imagine the cutest dog you’ve ever seen, then imagine there’s like ten or twenty of them.
Macho the Pomeranian
It doesn’t stop at admiration from afar, Westminster is a bench show, which means the dogs have to hang around all day so you can pet them, chat with their owners, watch them primp and preen and affix bows. Photographing is encouraged. Fawning over your favorites and screaming or clapping for them when they compete is definitely encouraged. And it is competitive. Have you seen Best in Show? A very accurate depiction in my opinion. Owners who win cry, owners who lose cry. The drama becomes so engrossing you forget that you are in New York City.
The cheering and crying escalate to a frenzy when it is time for Best in Show. Spotlights flash around the Garden as the dogs trot out to the finale. There is also an air of seriousness as the Westminster Kennel Club has a 133-year tradition to uphold. The dog show is the second longest running sporting event in the United States, only the Kentucky Derby beats it out by one year.
Once the dog show is over you’ll remember that you’re in New York City. Museums! Broadway! Restaurants! Back to vacation planning!
Cat lover? Check out 125 things to do in New York that have nothing to do with dogs. If you need a place to stay, check out Hotels in New York City on Planetware.com.
Posted on February 25, 2009 by KellyG in Places to Go.