It’s the Super Bowl of dog shows. And 11 Snohomish County purebreds are going to strut their stuff on the green carpet at the 139th annual Westminster Kennel Club All Breed Dog Show in New York.
The canines are competing for the top purple-and-gold ribbon at the prestigious event, scheduled for Feb. 16 and 17.
The top five dogs in each breed are invited to compete, but other dogs can be entered. Lynn Mathers, of Arlington, received one of the 600 invitations sent this year. Her dog, Mercedes, is the No. 1 Kerry Blue Terrier in the nation.
“Mercedes has a spark to her,” Mathers said. “You want a dog that goes into the ring and says, ‘I own the ring, the handler’s just here to hold my leash.’”
Mathers has been invited to Westminster several times and went to the show once four years ago, but this is the first time she’s had a top dog. The 4-year-old terrier also is trained as a service dog. Mathers was injured while serving in the U.S. Air Force and started relying on a wheelchair in 1998. The Kerry Blue Terriers she breeds are trained to pull her wheelchair. She also plans to get Mercedes certified as a therapy dog to offer emotional support after disasters.
“All of the local dogs that are heading to Westminster, they are the cream of the crop,” Mathers said.
Lura Dunn and David Kerschner, of Bothell, are going to Westminster for the first time. Their dog, Ronin, was invited as the No. 2 flat-coated retriever in the country.
“In the dog show world, saying you got an invite to Westminster is impressive,” Dunn said. “It’s bragging rights.”
Dunn, a manager at a Shoreline home for disabled people, said her 6-year-old dog has traveled more than she has. He racked up points at about 100 shows across the country in 2014.
Some purebreds grow tired of showing, but not Ronin, Dunn said.
“He loves it,” she said. “He knows people are watching so he really turns it on.”
There is preliminary breed judging during each day of Westminster. The canines are required to be out by their crates so the public can see them when they’re not in the ring. Only purebreds that rise to the top move on to Madison Square Garden for group and best-in-show contests.
Westminster dogs typically have professional handlers who know how to bring out an animal’s best qualities and hide its flaws.
When Ronin’s handler is showing him, Dunn said, she often has to hide in the audience so the retriever doesn’t see her. She wants to watch at Westminster.
“If I’m going all that way, I want to see him,” she said.
Mathers also said she has to stay far enough away that Mercedes can’t smell her and get distracted. In the ring, the dogs are expected to stop at certain marks for television.
Mercedes doesn’t need prompting. However, Ronin’s handler often baits him with his favorite food, chicken, to get him to cooperate.
“But he’ll take anything,” Dunn said.
America’s Dog Show will feature live television coverage of Westminster on CNBC and USA Network, as well as video streaming via the Westminster website and smartphone app. A television schedule is available online.
This year’s show boasts 2,711 dogs from 48 states and 14 countries. There are entries in 192 breeds.
The Westminster dog show has been an American tradition since 1877. It is the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the nation, behind only the Kentucky Derby.
Westminster, like most dog shows, is a fancy affair. Women wear sequins and sparkles and men don suits and ties.
Molly Speckhardt, of Everett, is a professional groomer who will be preparing Portuguese water dogs at Westminster. She said it takes more than an hour to get the purebreds primped for the ring. The process includes bathing, blow drying, trimming, spraying, styling, fluffing and puffing.
“It’s a grand affair,” said Speckhardt, who wrote a book on grooming. “Westminster is our biggest show of the year. It’s our version of the Oscars.”
Sheri Berndt-Smith and Darrell Smith of Snohomish make sure their 2-year-old beagle, JJ, is primped and pampered for the show. He was invited as the country’s top 15-inch male beagle in his first year of shows.
His coat gets cut every other day and his favorite snack is filet mignon. He occasionally gets massages, accupuncture and chiropractic treatments from a Monroe veterinarian.
JJ likes the limelight. He perks up his ears and puffs out his chest at the sound of any applause, even if it’s not for him, Berndt-Smith said.
“He’s like Snoopy: comical and goofy,” she said. “He has a personality people are just drawn to, and it shows in the ring.”
JJ walks on a treadmill every day to keep his doggish figure. The exercise helps him work on his rear muscles and gait to compete with the top dogs in the country.
Tension is high as judges make their decision. Dog showing is a “cutthroat” world, and Westminster is the premier contest, Dunn said.
There are 33 judges from 14 states, Canada and Finland this year. The American Kennel Club did not release the names of the other Snohomish County dogs that qualified to compete in Westminster because it did not have permission from the owners.
For Dunn, winning at Westminster would mean Ronin is the breed standard for flat-coated retrievers.
“This is one of those things you get to cross off the bucket list,” she said.
Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports.
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