Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show live straming

 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show 

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is an all-breed conformation show that has been held in New York City annually since 1877. Currently, the breed and Junior Showmanship competitions are held at Piers 92 and 94, while the group and Best in Show competitions are held at Madison Square Garden. The number of entries is so large at nearly 3,000 that two days are required for all dogs to be judged.

watch live here 

watch live here 

watch live here 

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is one of a handful of benched shows in the United States. Dogs are required to be on display in an assigned location (bench) during the entirety of the show except when being shown in the ring, groomed for showing, or taken outside to eliminate, so that spectators and breeders alike have an opportunity to see all the entered dogs. (In the more common unbenched shows, dogs are required to be present only at assigned ring times.)

History

The Westminster show was first held on May 8, 1877, making it the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the United States behind only the Kentucky Derby, which was first held in 1875. (Both events were held even during the World Waryears.) The show originated as a show for gun dogs, primarily Setters and Pointers, initiated by a group of hunters who met regularly at the Westminster Hotel at Irving Place and Sixteenth Street in Manhattan. They decided to create a kennel club called the Westminster Kennel Club specifically for the purpose of holding a dog show. The prizes for these first shows included such items as pearl handled pistols, of use to the hunters and terriermen who worked these dogs in the field.

Controversy

Animal-rights advocates such as PETA have routinely protested the show, arguing that the propagation and celebration of purebreds ultimately adds to the millions of dogs who end up at and die in shelters.[2][3] The AKC considers dogs to be property[4] and has lobbied against mandatory spay-and-neuter programs, referring to such legislation as "anti-dog".[5]

Announcers

Show announcers

For many years, Roger A. Caras was known as "The Voice of Westminster" for providing the narration for the breed descriptions during the show.[6][7]

In 2001, Michael J. LaFave was named show announcer at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.[8] He was replaced by Jim Fagan in 2010, but returned in 2011.[9]