Attending the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City was one of my favorite annual traditions – in fact, flying to NYC for the weekend was the last time I was on a plane. This year, 2022, marks the second year I won’t be oohing and ahhing ringside as beautiful purebred dogs strut their stuff in the dog show ring.
It’s also the second year the Westminster Dog Show won’t be at Madison Square Gardens. From June 18 to 22, 2022, Lyndhurst Mansion will host the 146th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in Terrytown, New York – near NYC but not there. Lyndhurst is open to the public; you can buy tickets to the breed judging, but not the group judging nor best in show – which is the highlight.
Whatever you feel about dog shows, pure bred dogs, and all the pomp that surrounds it, there’s something magical about Westminster or at least validating – so many dog lovers, dog enthusiasts, and unapologetic dog fanatics in one place that’s pure fun. If all the people there had tails, they’d be a wagging for three days.
Well, there’s always TV. The 146th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will air on FOX Sports in the U.S. and on Sportsnet in Canada.
Time to make your own Westminster fun … here’s some trivia along with a word search focusing on the breeds that have earned entry on the American Kennel Clubs official breed list. What’s the new breeds added this year? The Hungarian Muni and (the unfortunately timed) Russian Toy.
Westminster Dog Show Trivia
What year was The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show first held?
1877
Westminster is America’s second-longest continuously held sporting event; what’s the first?
The Kentucky Derby
Was Westminster cancelled during the Great Depression?
No, Westminster has survived power outages, snowstorms, a national depression, two World Wars, a tugboat strike in NYC (for real), and … a pandemic.
What NYC iconic building lights up in purple and gold colours during Westminster since 2004?
The Empire State Building
What breed of dog won the title of ‘Best in Show’ two years in a row in 1971 and 1972?
An English Springer Spaniel named DJ.
Now take a moment to relax and find the AKC dog breeds …
Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America, and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria.
