The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Knowing Uno is about to go on, I stand back. Now is not the time for questions.

Meanwhile, outside, the Empire State Building glows in purple and gold, in honor of the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.

But once again, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's rewind to Monday morning.

I always love to attend this magnificent dog show--I've been here for the last five years or so and would hate to miss it. It's like other dog shows, but bigger, louder, and more dramatic, with more emotion and more crowd...and TV coverage in the evenings, of course.

But the day began long before the television crews rolled into Madison Square Garden. We got up early, grabbed our press credentials, and headed to the Garden, handing in our credentials for press badges. I was tired. Can you tell?

During the day, the show is set up differently than what you see on television in the evening. The main floor is divided into six smaller rings. On Monday, the first four groups--this year, that means herding, hound, terrier, and non-sporting--have their breed contests during the day, starting at about 8:00 a.m. and winding down by about 3:30 or 4 p.m. Each individual breed has a contest and that judge decides which is the best Cairn Terrier, for instance, or Irish Wolfhound, or Standard Poodle. Crowds mill around on the floor and crowd around the rings to watch their favorite breeds. Here are two examples of these daytime rings. One is, I believe, the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed ring, judging from the ridge on the back and the color--although I can't see his face. Ben doesn't remember--he took so many dog pictures! The other is the junior handler ring, where kids learning how to handle dogs compete against each other. In this contest, the handlers are judged, instead of their dogs.


We saw a lot of beautiful dogs, both in the ring, and in the very crowded benching area, where every dog showing that day has to wait, in or out of his crate, with his owners and handlers, for people to see. It gets really, really crowded in the benching area at the Garden--claustrophibically crowded. Some of the dogs that are real professionals, as well as those breeds that are more laid back--don't seem to mind at all. Others obviously don't like it. Here are a few highlights from the floor and from the benching area: A Saluki, an Irish Wolfhound, a Black-and-Tan Coonhound, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, a French Bulldog, a Colored Bull Terrier, a brace of Beagles, and a Basset Hound. Please note: If anyone is interested in purchasing the rights to publish any of these images, please contact Ben Minkler at t-rush@live.com.








This morning, we have a very important and specific job...again having to do with a very special Beagle. And as I've mentioned before, I can't give you any more details than that until the story is published in Dog Fancy, so keep an eye out for the June issue. It's a great story, if I do say so myself.

During a break in the press room, a cute little Parson Russell Terrier trotted in with his handler. Shortly after, Brazen's agent (yes, he has an agent) Susan Jaffe arrived and introduced the crowd to Brazen, show champion as well as the star of many print ads, including ads for Healthy Choice and the Avon catalogue. Brazen has also appeared on Law & Order Criminal Intent. This little terrier is brimming with personality, and Jaffe is in the process of training him to appear in movies. Brazen didn't win Best of Breed today...but she's got bigger fish to fry. We'll watch the big screen for you, Brazen!


After a tiring day at the Garden, including a break Ben and I took, ducking out to go clothes shopping at our favorite store for cheap and interesting clothing, Daffy's, we took a break to have a cocktail with the acquisitions editor at Barron's, Wayne Barr. Caroline has written quite a few very successful books for Barron's, and I'm just getting ready to start my first, for a new series they have planned. After enjoying a bourbon Manhattan in the unpleasantly crowded bar attached to the Hotel Pennsylvania (the hotel where most of the dogs in the show stay because they famously allow pets), we headed back towards the show, to catch up with a certain Beagle, to see how he would do in the Hound Group ring. Here he is, with handler Aaron Wilkerson, getting ready.




We also saw a lot of other dogs in the evening and got some great photos. A few of my favorites:



















At one point in the evening, dog expert and PR dynamo Charlotte Reed yanked my arm. "Do you want to see Carson?" she hissed. Thinking she meant some other dog, and just when I had to get post-ring quotes from a handler, I answered, "I have to work!" Then I turned around and saw who she meant. It was Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's Carson Kressley! Ben quickly snapped a picture, then handed me the camera so I could get a picture with both of them in it. That's Charlotte Reed, in between Ben and Carson.

We're so silly.


Who won the Hound group? Uno, of course! Here I am, getting some quotable quotes.

Because of my particular assignment, we ended up getting mostly pictures of hounds tonight, even though the Herding, Terrier, and Non-sporting groups had their evening competitions as well. In case you didn't watch, the group winners on Monday night were:

* Best Hound: 15-inch Beagle Ch K-Run’s Park Me In First (Uno)
* Best Terrier: Sealyham Terrier Ch Efbe’s Hidalgo At Goodspice (Charmin)
* Best Non-Sporting: Standard Poodle Ch Brighton Minimoto (Remy)
* Best Herding: Australian Shepherd Ch Vinelake Collinswood Yablon, OA, OAJ (Deuce)

After the show ended, everyone was exhausted. Nikki and Caroline headed home in a cab. Ben and I took the subway, stopping in his favorite deli near the Milford for some much-needed dinner. This deli has a great salad bar so we filled our deli containers with our favorite salad ingredients, then trudged back to the hotel. You know we were tired because we forgot to take pictures of the food! Suffice it to say that the marinated artichoke heart and heart of palm salad was amazing. We fell asleep quickly, knowing tomorrow would be another, even bigger day.

The Academy Awards of Dog Writing

Did I win an award at the Academy Awards of Dog Writing, the annual Dog Writer's Association of America awards banquet?

Actually, I won two, but let's not start there. Let's begin at the beginning.

Sunday began early with a lavish, free hot breakfast sponsored by Hartz Mountain. I knew Nikki wouldn't be up for it, but Caroline met Ben and I at our hotel and we took full advantage. We also got to hear the head of the ASPCA's poison control program talk about preventing pet poisoning, as part of National Poison Prevention Week, which is the third full week in March. Did you know the number-one cause of pet poisoning is human medication? Keep your pills out of reach, people!


Next, I attended the Dog Writers Association of America Board meeting (as an observer) and the annual meeting (as a member). No pictures from these, as they were, well...meetings. Not exactly stellar photo ops.

Afterwards, I had to do some interviews for my assignment for Dog Fancy magazine. I can't say what this is about because it isn't published yet, but suffice it to say that I got to hang out with a certain special Beagle who I was *guessing* might just take top honors at the show. Am I psychic? No, Uno just *rocks.* As the judge said in the press conference after the show: "Just look at that face."

This is Uno and his handsome and gentlemanly handler, Aaron Wilkerson, on Sunday afternoon, before the Westminster Kennel Club dog show even started:

New York tends to generate an appetite, with all the walking around and activity, so for lunch, we headed to the Tick Tock Diner, close to Madison Square Gardens. We usually end up here at least a couple of times every year.



Caroline and I both ordered the fantastic grilled vegetable panini. Isn't it gorgeous? Ben had the chicken salad.


After lunch, I interviewed two other prestigious and well-known handlers: Laurie Jordan-Fenner, who would be showing the sagacious and beautiful Akita, Macey; and Kaz Hosaka, the legendary handler who was just named Handler of the Year, and who would be handling the spritely and charming Toy Poodle, Vikki. Sorry, but the details of those interviews are a secret...you'll just have to wait for your June issue of Dog Fancy magazine!


Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for the Dog Writer's Association of America awards banquet--the biggest event of the year for dog writers! I was up for three awards, and we knew Caroline would be receiving a special award with a sizeable cash prize: the coveted AKC Canine Health Foundation Research Communication Award. Congratulations, Caroline! We jumped in a cab and sped back to our hotel. The cab went on to drop off Caroline. On the way back, we passed the New York Times building, which I gazed upon with reverence.

We dressed in our best, then headed back in a cab to the Affinia, where we found, to our dismay, that the usual cocktail hour wasn't happening and the banquet had already started! My friend, former publisher, freelance writer, and winemaker Dominique DeVito called me to ask where I was. "In line, waiting to get in!" I exclaimed. I couldn't believe we were missing it. We rushed in and sat with Dominique, and exchanged hurried hellos--we haven't seen each other since last year, and it's always great to see her. She's a lot of fun at a party. She even brought party poppers--that opened up into hats filled with party favors!

And then...I heard them announce Caroline's big award...and she wasn't there yet!

Now, let me just explain. This award was the whole reason Caroline finally came back to New York. It was all about this one moment. I called her frantically: "Where are you? They just announced your award?" This is me, calling her:

I'd never heard her sound more crestfallen. She was on a bus with Nikki, trying to get there, stuck in traffic.

The awards rushed on without fanfare, the room packed, people still piling in wondering why they were missing the beginning. Caroline and Nikki finally arrived, and Caroline couldn't locate her award. I asked if they could take just a minute to announce it again at the end, but they said no. Boo! Finally, photographer Mary Bloom located Caroline's award, but after that, Caroline wasn't having so much fun anymore. But she made the best of it, and chatted with other dog writers, editors, and friends she'd corresponded with but never seen.

I ended up winning two Maxwell medallions, for a French Bulldog history article I wrote, and for a humor piece on housetraining mishaps. Nikki finally won her first-ever Maxwell medallion, for a wonderful poem she wrote about Pomeranians.

I got to see lots of old friends, like my Wiley editor, Stacy Kennedy, shown here flanked by contest chair Sue Jeffries and DWAA Hall of Famer Mordecai Siegal:

and my friend Denise Flaim, who writes for Newsday (she's got triplets!):

Then the food arrived: The veggie plate consisted of roasted vegetables surrounding a small pilaf of quinoa. It was o.k. but under-seasoned. Ben and Caroline got the filet, which looked pretty darned rare. Dominique got the chicken--a fried breast with a few vegetables.


The cheesecake for dessert was mediocre, but the event was really about friends--like extraordinary dog photographer Mary Bloom:

and beautiful Bowtie editor and Dog Channel blogger Annamaria DiGiorgio, who gave me both the assignments that won me awards this year (don't ask me why I'm standing in that position because I really don't know):



Finally, all the hoopla over, we went out for an intimate drink at the Film Center Cafe with Bowtie editors Susan Chaney and Annamaria, as well as Caroline and Nikki. Around midnight, we all wandered back to our hotels to catch some sleep before the first day of the dog show.

Thai Food and Pink Cake in Hell's Kitchen

By about 6, we were all getting hungry, so Nikki took us to a little Thai restaurant where she eats several times per week. Small and crowded, it smelled fantastic. We began with drinks--Nikki recommended the Thai Iced tea, which she and I both ordered. Powdered black tea with spices (probably anise, maybe tamarind?) and mixed with sugar, this tea is served over ice, with a topping of cream or condensed milk--I think it was cream. Before drinking, we stirred the cream into the tea, and the way the swirling cream mixed into the amber tea was really quite beautiful.



For an entree, Nikki recommended the Pad See Eil. I got the veggie version, and so did Caroline. Nikki got the Chicken version. Ben ordered the Panang Curry with chicken. Each entree was under $5--and people say New York is expensive.


You can read the New York Times review or look at the menu.

Next, we needed something sweet, so we went to Nikki's favorite bakery: Amy's Bread. This little blue-fronted bakery on 9th Avenue between 46th and 47th has the most amazing pastries in its glass case, but Nikki insisted we have the pink cake. She and Caroline shared a slab (and I mean slab), and Ben and I shared another.



We all had coffee and sat, chatting, until Ben could barely keep his eyes open. Because it had been a lovely and fulfilling day, we felt just fine about turning in early. Tomorrow will be busy--meetings and banquets and awards ceremonies--and we all needed to get some sleep. We sent Caroline off with Nikki, and we headed back to the Milford. Once in our rooms, we quickly fell asleep.