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On a cold February day more than two decades ago, Ted Eubank, a dog breeder from Texas, entered the ring at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show for the first time. It was the first year that Cavalier King Charles spaniels – silky-eared, saucer-eyed dogs that are Mr. Eubank’s specialty – have been allowed to compete in the prestigious dog show, which was then held in Madison Square Garden. There were 10 people around the ring, he recalled recently.
“Speaking of adrenaline, oh my God,” he said.
In those years, Mr Eubank has become a seasoned Westminster competitor; His Cavaliers, including one indomitable champion named Rocky, have been named the best of their kind several times.
But on Monday, Mr Eubank will be a newbie again when he makes his debut as a Westminster judge. He expected to feel that familiar flutter as he entered the ring. “I’ll have butterflies,” he said.
More than 2,500 dogs – miniature pinschers, mastiffs and more – will compete in this year’s Westminster Dog Show, the second oldest sporting event in the United States. Westminster is a showcase for winners; only dogs that have racked up points in other competitions are eligible.
For dog show judges, accepting the invitation to judge the canine champion is your own gift. “I felt like I won the lottery when the letter came,” said Michael Faulkner, of Center Cross, Va., who first judged at Westminster in 2001. “I actually cried.”
When Sharon Redmer, of Whitmore Lake, Michigan, received her invitation, she was so excited that she “almost dropped the envelope,” she recalls. And Betty-Anne Stenmark, a judge in California, was not prepared when she was called to judge the Best in Show in 2018. “I’m sorry there’s no champagne in the fridge,” she said.
Choosing the best is both a science and an art, says a Westminster judge. The task requires applying strict, strict standards (sometimes seemingly arbitrary), but also, in the end, it often comes down to personal taste.
“We all see different things,” said Cindy Vogels, who will judge Westminster for the ninth time this year. “That’s the beauty of it. And that’s what keeps people coming back.
Pure preparation
Westminster is what is known as a conformation show, and the task of conformation judges is to assess how a purebred dog is an example: Is a dog covered in curls the Platonic of a poodle? Does a golden retriever look like it can fetch?
“You look for the dog and try to determine which dog is signaling that it can perform the original job description,” he said. Patricia Craige Trotter, who judges the Best in Show in 2021. “What we do is try to reach an almost perfect level to create a working animal.”
Conformation judges must be very familiar with the breed standard, which describes the ideal version of each breed in great detail, specifying everything including the desired pigmentation of the nose and the preferred facial expression.
In the United States, becoming an approved judge usually requires more than ten years to participate in dog shows, breed and raise many dogs, produce several champions, complete a dog anatomy course, pass at least two tests and interviews and attend a judging agency, among other things. other requirements.
“It’s harder to be a dog judge than a brain surgeon, to tell you the truth,” Mr. Faulkner said.
Some judges can only show a few years; others can be more than 40, traveling to Europe, Asia and Australia for assignments. To get a place in Westminster, which sends invitations up to two years in advance, judges must be established and experienced, said Donald Sturz, who judged the Best in Show in 2022 and is now president of the Westminster Kennel Club. A Best in Show assignment, in particular, is “the pinnacle for dog show judges,” he said.
Judges can wait months to prepare for Westminster. Mr. Eubank, who will judge eight breeds and types of toy dogs this year, has reviewed official breed standards, watched judging videos at past shows and reconnected with some of his mentors, who first helped him master the art of dog judging. .
Being a good judge also requires quick and clear analytical thinking, said Britt Jung, of Houston, who will serve as a judge in Westminster for the first time this year. Mrs. Jung, a former soccer player, feels a responsibility to be the best for the owners and handlers of the dogs who have spent so much effort to get to Westminster, so she prepares for the event like an athlete.
“How will I prepare for the big game?” she said. “I eat well. I made sure I slept. I’m sure I’ll stick to my routine.”
Canine prime time
When the day of judgment finally arrives, these events can be significant. The crowd at Westminster was not that big at the dog show. “You can just feel the electricity in the air when you go out on the carpet to judge,” said Mrs. Vogels, who judged Best in Show in 2012.
A television viewer raises the stakes. “You hope you don’t fall on your head or catch your heels on something and become famous for all the wrong reasons,” Mrs. Stenmark said.
But the judge said that the nerves calmed down and the buzz of the crowd disappeared as soon as they started doing what they had been trained for: sizing up the dog.
Because the dogs at Westminster have become champions, the title of Westminster can be small details: the condition of the coat, the precision of the haircut or the synchrony between the dog and the handler when they go around the ring. “Is it just pure poetry in motion?” Mr. Faulkner said.
Often, it’s the more elusive qualities that win out. “It’s a little extra sparkle,” Mrs. Stenmark said. When he judged the Best in Show in 2018, he chose Flynn’s bichon frisé, a real dog cloud, as the winner. “This dog is asking for it,” he said. “Every time I saw him, he came out behind the lead and wagged his tail at me and cocked his head and said, ‘That’ll be me, won’t it?'”
When Dr. Sturz judged Best in Show, he knew he’d found a winner when a bloodhound named Trumpet — who commanded the spotlight “in his own way, in a way that befits a bloodhound” — gave him goose bumps, he said.
On another night, another dog might go upstairs. “You know how a good athlete can have a night? Well, so can a big animal,” said Mrs. Trotter.
Although the breed standard provides a blueprint, judges have their own preferences and priorities. For some judges, Mr. Eubank said, he gave criticism to the Cavalier King Charles spaniel mainly to find a pretty face. (The breed standard calls for a “sweet, gentle, melting expression.”) But for Mr. Eubank, who grew up with uber-athletic dogs, a winning Cavalier must also move well around the ring.
Spectators, who can riot in Westminster, often have their own preferences. But if there is wisdom in the multitude, it cannot be trusted by the judge of conformation. Audience members “just glom on something, and they like it,” Mrs. Vogels said. “They don’t have the expertise to know what’s good or not.”
Judging dog shows has its drawbacks. Traveling can be fun. Dog bites are an occupational hazard. And where there are winners, there are also losers. “You’re brilliant if the dog wins, and you’re stupid if the dog doesn’t,” Mrs Stenmark said.
Still, the judge said they could not imagine giving up the pursuit, which they drew for various reasons. “I guess it’s my drug of choice,” said Mrs. Stenmark, who said she got a “thrill” when she saw a superlative new dog step into the ring.
For Mr. Faulkner, who is also an artist, judging dogs involves the creative part of the brain. “I like the parts-to-whole gestalt approach to evaluating breeding stock,” he says. “And I like balance and symmetry.”
And then, of course, there’s the dog. Although Mr. Eubank remains a Cavalier, he likes all the types that will be judged on Monday.
“I love pugs, I love pins,” he said, referring to the miniature pinscher. “I like Pekingese.”
Pomeranians? “He’s the cutest.”
Havanese? “Crazy about him,” he said. “I love everything.”
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