NEW YORK — At the pinnacle of their field, agility dogs are poised to soar and sprint in hopes of clinching the championship title this weekend. Surprisingly, it’s not about the NFL teams, but rather the canine athletes at the Westminster Kennel Club show, which commenced on Saturday with a showcase of various dog sports.
Known affectionately among dog enthusiasts as the “Super Bowl of dog shows,” Westminster’s comparison to the football championship feels especially poignant this year. Coinciding with the weekend of the Super Bowl featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, this unique overlap is a rarity brought about by recent scheduling changes for both major events.
Dog expert David Frei humorously noted that he wished for the Super Bowl to be dubbed “the Westminster of football.” It’s worth mentioning that Westminster predates the Super Bowl by a remarkable 90 years, thus making this comparison even more compelling. Additionally, some connections exist between the sports, such as Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Morgan Fox, who has a French bulldog that almost claimed victory at Westminster last year and was a finalist in 2022. Other NFL stars, including Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, are also known to be dog enthusiasts.
For Guster the rescue pug and his owner, Steve Martin, simply being at Westminster is an achievement. Martin, who had no prior experience in the sport, noticed Guster’s interest when he began wagging his tail and tilting his head at the agility contests showcased on television. “We never thought we’d be here. And now we’re here,” expressed Martin, who hails from Austin, Texas, as they prepared for their competition on Saturday.
Saturday’s event featured around 350 eager competitors who have already reached the championship level in agility, one of the most beloved dog sports. Agility was introduced to the Westminster show in 2014, marking the first time in over a century that mixed-breed dogs were permitted to participate. The prior year witnessed the first mixed-breed winner in agility, a border collie-papillon mix named Nimble, who is returning to compete again this year.
Nimble is a deliberate mix of breeds known for their agility prowess, but the competition is inclusive of rescue dogs too. One example is an Australian cattle dog mix called Sawyer, affectionately nicknamed Soy Sauce. His owner, Dr. Amy Ondeyka, who juggles her demanding roles as a New Jersey emergency room doctor and EMS medical director, discovered agility training as a perfect outlet for her high-energy dog who can easily create chaos when left bored. “He’s always exciting — he does ridiculous things,” she described, as Sawyer momentarily leaped into her arms during a break between runs. “We have fun, regardless of the outcome.”
While some dogs take to agility to let off steam, the sport serves as a platform for others to build confidence. Tully, a lanky, shaggy mix predominantly resembling a Labradoodle, was once “afraid of the world” but has grown to look forward to his agility classes and competitions, as shared by his owner, Carla Rash.
The array of canine competitors on Saturday ran the spectrum of sizes and breeds, from a majestic rough collie to a tiny seven-pound papillon. They navigated through a challenging obstacle course comprising jumps, tunnels, ramps, and more, responding to their handlers’ verbal and non-verbal cues to complete the course as quickly as possible without errors.
The winner of the agility contest will be determined after a thrilling final round on Saturday evening. Traditional breed-specific judging at Westminster is set for Monday and Tuesday, culminating in the coveted best in show title on Tuesday night, reserved exclusively for purebreds. However, mixed-breed contenders could also participate in the obedience competition added to Westminster in 2016.
Additionally, Saturday’s events showcased various demonstrations, including Westminster’s inaugural flyball competition, a fast-paced relay race for dogs. In this event, canines dash down a line of jumps to fetch a tennis ball and sprint back to the starting point, allowing a teammate to take off. “It’s a lot of organized chaos,” laughed Hillary Brown after competing with her Boston terrier, Paxil, alongside his teammates, which included a standard poodle, a border collie, and a whippet-border collie mix. Their team, named Clean Break, operates out of York, Pennsylvania. “It’s a blast. The dogs love it,” Brown added.
