A New Experience: The Westminster Kennel Club Show

As a sports fan, it’s surreal to be standing on the floor of Madison Square Garden, perhaps one of the world’s most famous arenas. When you look up, you can see the jerseys of beloved New York Knicks and New York Rangers of past, but you’re not on hardwood or ice. At this time of year, you stand on the iconic green carpet of the 136th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show amid a flurry of contestants, regular showgoers and dog lovers.

As a first timer to the Westminster Kennel Club show, I’ll admit that I was, to say the least, overwhelmed.

In a quick phrase, the show could be described as organized chaos. While you watch one competition, the cheers from another are heard throughout the venue. Dogs display their magnificent features, hoping to prove to the show’s judges that they conform to their Breed Standard best.

On the sides of each ring, eager viewers mingle with owners and enthusiasts all across the board to cheer and applaud the utter beauty of these dogs. Despite your opinion of who will win and who won’t, what cannot be denied is that each dog entered in this show is remarkable in its own right, and downright gorgeous.

The people who attend this show year in and year out seem to already know this; even in the day time, the show drew a fairly sizable and always energetic crowd. It’s safe to say that, as we prepare to head towards the night session, the crowd will reach a fever pitch as they cheer on the beloved pups vying to win the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups.

While the dog show world that calls its crown jewel the Westminster Kennel Club show is new to me, it’s one that I’ve quickly come to respect. The energy from all parties involved, including the press covering it, the show’s participants (canine and human) and the show’s audience, is astounding. All of these factors have contributed to a wild first day at the Westminster Kennel Club show. And I can say that I certainly hope it won’t be the last.

Do you already watch the Westminster Kennel Club show year in and year out, or will you be tuning in for your first time tonight? Share with a comment!