Westminster dog show leaves NYC for ’21

The top pooch pageant is set to be be held outdoors owing to the pandemic

New York: The top pooch pageant will be held outdoors at an estate about 25 miles north of Manhattan on June 12-13 because of the pandemic, the Westminster Kennel Club said Wednesday. The shift to the Lyndhurst site along the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York, will mark the first time in more than 100 years that best in show at Westminster hasn’t been awarded at Madison Square Garden.

In 1920, the top prize was presented at Grand Central Palace in New York. Four different versions of the Garden have hosted Westminster since 1880 – the show began three years earlier. The show is typically held in February, around Valentine’s Day.

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“The wide-open outdoor space at this extraordinary venue allows us to hold a dog show safely while following current social distancing guidelines and public health regulations,” WKC President Charlton Reynders III said in a statement.

Breed and group judging will be held both days, and best in show will be chosen June 13 and televised by Fox. The 67-acre Lyndhurst site has hosted dog shows over the years.

There will be 207 breeds eligible at the next Westminster, including three newcomers: the Belgian Laekenois, the dogo Argentino and the barbet.Siba the standard poodle won best in show last February at the Garden.