It's a happy homecoming for the United States' most prestigious canine event, which moved to venues outside Manhattan in recent years because of the coronavirus pandemic and then other considerations. But organizers longed to return to the self-described World's Most Famous Arena. For fans who can't be there in person, Fox Sports is showing the event's various components on FS1 and FS2 and streaming some on the network's website and app; Westminster is streaming some others.
The competition spans Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, with best in show awarded around 11 p. Tuesday on the East Coast.
Might Mercedes, the German shepherd who was Westminster's runner-up last year, become top dog this time? Or could this be the year for Monty the giant schnauzer, who was a Westminster finalist the last two years, won the American Kennel Club's big show in December and is currently the sport's top-ranked dog? Will the prize go to another high-ranking dog β or a dark horse? It begins Saturday morning at the Javits Center convention hall with agility and obedience championships and some demonstration events, including Westminster's first experiment with flyball.
That's essentially a canine relay race that involves running a course of jumps and retrieving a ball. The traditional, breed-by-breed judging β what show folk call ''conformation'' β unfolds Monday and Tuesday. First-round competition, where dogs are judged against others of their breed, happens during the daytime at the Javits Center.
Then, in what are essentially semifinals, each breed winner is judged against others within its ''group'' of dozens of breeds at Madison Square Garden in the evenings.
