I did not sleep very well and woke up at 5AM. I was concerned about getting to the piers because last year the traffic was terrible and it took an hour to get there. It was also a little disorganized and no one seemed to know where to go. So I wanted to leave plenty of time, we rallied and off we went at 6:30AM. This year it was a breeze and we were inside and at our bench at 7AM. Traffic was light and we went in the correct entrance, it was easy and painless, a good way to start.
It was still quiet, if you were on later you did not need to get there before 11AM. We had to be benched until 6pm. It would be a long day for us. It was so special to have my family with me. This was the first time in years we were all able to be there together. I was benched next to DeDe, GCH Arywen’s Star Kissed Delight. She was back again after having puppies. DeDe had won breed in 2011 at Westminster. Interestingly not all the top Chihuahuas were entered. Some people just don’t want to come to New York. it is extremely expensive to show a dog here. The entry fee alone was $100.00.
The piers was a nice enough venue but it’s not the garden and I do miss being there. That was special. At least we had some room, the benching in the garden was extremely tight. I took Rocky outside to potty, it was so cold the Hudson River had chunks of ice floating in it. We were as ready as we could be so off we went to ring 3 to be judged by Mrs. Judy Webb. There were 27 dogs entered but at least three were no shows. I was very proud of the way Rocky showed he was perfect. And the judge did take a good look at him I really though she would pull him. But it was not meant to be. It took an hour to get through all the dogs, but in the end the judge put up a dog that was not even a grand champion. Ch Sonnus Filho (Sanchez) won breed with DeDe as Best of Opposite. It didn’t make a lot of sense to me. But he was a nice enough dog. That was it. I was done for the day. We stayed and watched the Chinese Cresteds and then wandered around a bit.
The spectators were starting to pour in. The media came through the aisles and conducted interviews. We passed by Patty Hearst Shaw, who’s top ranked French Bulldog would win Best of Opposite later in the day. We ate and chatted with some friends. We watched the Pomeranians, (I actually have a friend who has a lovely show quality Pom pup I am considering buying.) People came by to pet Rocky. I always try to be nice to the spectators, I remember being one. The day did get long. Finally at 5:00 we were released and allowed to leave. I remember the first time I showed Rocky in Madison Square Garden in 2011, I was so sad when the day ended. Today I was happy to be done. Who knows what I will do next year. Maybe I’ll be showing a Pomeranian. We went back to the hotel. Rocky was ready for a good nap.
We went to the show at Madison Square Garden to see the groups compete. The Empire State Building was dressed up in purple and gold lights to honor the 138th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. We sat in our box seats, the same seats we have had for 15 years. The garden is so gorgeous since it has been renovated, it is brighter and the facilities are so much nicer. There was a large crowd in attendance. We sat above David Frei and I noticed Mary Carillo was not commentating (because she is at the Olympics.) I always wondered why she was there in the first place, what does she know about dogs?
The professional handlers dominated, Ernesto Lara who took “Banana Joe” to Best in Show last year was there. He had 16 dogs to handle for all of the shows. Of course he had an entourage of helpers but he made a ton of money for his efforts. In the end the group winners were the Bloodhound, the Standard Poodle, the Miniature Pinscher and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. From the nearly 3000 dogs entered, they would soon be narrowed down to only seven.