America’s favorite Dog Show–the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show–takes place tonight, Monday Feb 15th and Tuesday Feb 16th. A local French Bulldog will compete, hoping to snag the coveted Best in Show award, reports WKRN.
Her formal name is Grand Champion Jafrak Persuade-Me-Not but she goes by Hazel, her owner Ann Egan told WKRN. Egan added that Hazel is ready and confident for the show, which airs Monday night on CNBC and Tuesday night on USA from 7p-10p. You can watch for Egan and Hazel Monday night. Best in Show is announced Tuesday night.
The history of the Westminster Dog Show:
“Westminster gets its name from a long gone hotel in Manhattan. There, sporting gentlemen used to meet in the bar to drink and lie about their shooting accomplishments. Eventually they formed a club and bought a training area and kennel. They kept their dogs there and hired a trainer.
“They couldn’t agree on the name for their new club. But finally someone suggested that they name it after their favorite bar. The idea was unanimously selected, we imagine, with the hoisting of a dozen drinking arms.”
— Maxwell Riddle, from a newspaper story quoted in
“The Dog Show, 125 Years of Westminster” by William Stifel
The First Annual New York Bench Show of Dogs, given under the auspices of the Westminster Kennel Club, was staged in 1877 at Gilmore’s Garden (the forerunner of Madison Square Garden) in New York City, drawing an entry of 1,201 dogs.
Now, in its 140th year, the Westminster Kennel Club showcases over 3,000 dogs, representing all 50 states and 12 foreign countries.
