Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

The second oldest continually held sporting event in the United States, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was immortalized in the 2000 mockumentary, Best in Show, a fairly true-to-form vehicle by the man who brought us Spinal Tap and other classics, Christopher Guest.

All kidding aside, the event, held annually to showcase the best in the pure bred dog world, regularly sells out New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

Closely evaluated by judges from the American Kennel Club (AKC), more than 2,500 dogs of 150 different breeds come from around the world to New York to compete in what is regarded as America’s finest dog show.

The Westminster Kennel Club was created for the express purpose of holding a dog show – though the original intent was to evaluate hunting dogs, mostly setters and pointers, and the original prizes were items like pearl-handle pistols and other hunting paraphernalia.

Not so these days, the dogs are pampered to the hilt and trained rigorously for the action at this two-day event.