Page 76 - Chow LIfe - 2019 Summer

to be my right hand. Along with being excellent judging on Monday and Tuesday afternoons (not the
unpaid kennel help, she’s especially good at finding Chows, though, sadly) on the NatGeoWild channel.
great places to eat! Much of the breed judging was professionally
live streamed. Videos of breed and group judging
Chows showed quite late in the day, 3:15pm, can be found on the WKC website: http://
westminsterkennelclub.org where they will likely
which did provide plenty of time for grooming remain posted until next year’s show. The evening
although that was challenging to accomplish with group coverage is televised on FS1/Fox Sports
the hundreds of spectators coming through, asking and still leaves a little to be desired compared to
questions, taking pictures, and when allowed, petting the former operators, NBC. The beginning of the
the dogs. It also allowed for vendor browsing; Hound group was nipped by commercials and there
they were set up in Pier 94. Twenty seven booths did seem to be longer than usual commercial and
featuring beautiful jewelry, handbags, artwork, interview breaks. Fox commentators were right
grooming and show supplies, the annual WKC in the faces of the first place winners immediately
poster, clothing, fancy and exotic collars and after each group; these interviews continued as they
harnesses, health supplies, and magazines. WKC has traveled back to the benching area with cameramen,
its own sales area offering logo merchandise which lighting people, and microphone wielding reporters
gets so much business there are staffers organizing several layers deep.
shoppers in queue just to enter the area and 8-10
checkout stations that get shoppers back out quickly.
I always stop at the Take The Lead booth where they
usually have something for me to buy and support
the organization. This year it was a Westminster-
themed silk scarf, edition of only 100, that I was
lucky enough to get one of the last ones. Cosequin
and Purina Pro Plan, as sponsors of the show, had
large presences with heavy booth traffic. Cosequin’s
booth featured past WKC BIS winner CJ and his
breeder/owner/handler Valerie Nunez-Atkinson. You
could have your picture taken with them. Cosequin
also provided generously sized bags of their canine
joint supplements in the hospitality bags that were at
each entry’s bench. The Media Loves Chows
This is the only dog show I’ve been to so far where
Media, TV, newspapers, and web bloggers, are you have to pass through a security check. There
everywhere. Between them and spectators with cell were metal detectors at the entrance of the Piers
phones, there isn’t any privacy at WKC. The Chow for both exhibitors and spectators. Exhibitors are
benches are always popular; if you do some googling, required to wear a wrist band for entry to the ring.
you’ll find press pictures of them all over the Handlers of the Best of Breed winners must wear
internet. Dan & Tom’s Uma & Gretchen appeared a superintendent-issued badge for entry to the
in the Feb. 12 issue of the Wall Street Journal, along Garden’s benching area, as well as one designated
with Kurt Williams and Jack on the ramp during the assistant per dog. After riding the shuttle bus to the
breed judging. As mentioned earlier, the Fontanas’ Garden, exhibitors must pass another security check
Davy was a media star in the papers and online as to get into the building. Ushers hold your dog for
well as Matthew Fan’s Danny. you while you go through metal detection and sniffer
Media local to the exhibitors gets a lot of mileage dogs examine your grooming equipment (which I
from Westminster, too. Before the show, Kim and suspect may be more interesting for them than usual
Judy McEwen’s “Jack” and his half sister “Penny” since we all have tasty bait with us!). The walk from
were featured on CNYCentral TV’s Weekend Today that back entrance to the benching area is long and
show along with handler Amy Young. Both dogs uphill and I’ve learned that I’m not nearly as young
were bred and co-owned by Cindy Stone and Kurt as I used to be.
Williams. The News-Enterprise in Kentucky ran
a piece on area breeder Cathy Clapp’s BOB winner MSG has many more food vendors inside now
“Neo”, GCHB Flamingstar The Lion King. than there used to be, all is expensive of course, but
thankfully there’s more to choose from than nachos
Fox Sports has the broadcast rights to the and greasy hot dogs. There’s a food court attached
show now and televised some of the breed to MSG that also has good variety and I highly
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