Who will win Best in Show? Schedule, TV, streaming info for 2024 Westminster Dog Show
May is all about long-running sports traditions.
The 148th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the USA's second-oldest continuously held sporting event − behind only the Kentucky Derby − will take place May 13-14 in New York.
The preliminaries on May 11 include the annual obedience and agility championships, along with dock diving, herding and scent work demonstrations.
The main event brings together nearly 2,500 dogs of more than 200 different breeds for the two-day competition, with winners crowned in seven different categories and the awarding of the coveted overall title of Best in Show.
Here's what you need to know about this year's event:
When is the 2024 Westminster dog show?
The 2024 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will take place Monday, May 13 and Tuesday, May 14.
The weekend kicks off with the ninth annual Masters Obedience Championship and the 11th annual Masters Agility Championship on Saturday, before the official competition starts on Monday.
Where is the 2024 Westminster dog show being held?
For the second consecutive year, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is being held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York. The Best in Show winner will be crowned on the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Westminster was previously held at New York City’s Madison Square Garden until 2020, but moved to the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York in 2021 and 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
How to watch the 2024 Westminster dog show
Monday's and Tuesday's broadcasts will air on FS2 (Fox Sports 2) from 1-4 p.m. ET and shift over to FS1 (Fox Sports 1) from 7-11 p.m. ET, with streaming available on Westminsterkennelclub.org, FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app.
Best in Show honors will be announced on Tuesday at the conclusion of the broadcast.
How does judging work?
There are seven different breed groups at Westminster: Herding, Hound, Non-sporting, Sporting, Terrier, Toy and Working. Breeds are evaluated based on the standard set by their parent club, meaning competing dogs aren't compared to other competitors but to the ideal proportions, weight and size, head shape, gait and other qualities of the breed.
Once a dog wins its breed, it is judged within its group that purebred dogs are divided into. Group winners then move on to the Best in Show category.
Who won the Westminster dog show last year?
Buddy Holly the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen won the Best in Show honors at the 147th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last May, beating out over 3,000 other dogs for the ultimate prize.
Buddy Holly became the first PBGV to ever win Best in Show in Westminster's 147-year history. His victory marked the second consecutive year in which a dog from the hound group won the gold-and-purple ribbon. Trumpet the Bloodhound became the first Bloodhood to win Best in Show in 2022.
Contributing: Cydney Henderson
