2023 Westminster Dog Show: Top moments, winners from Monday

The 2023 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is in full swing!

Westminster, also known as “America’s Dog Show,” is the second-longest running sporting event in American history behind the Kentucky Derby, and this year’s event, which returns for the 147th time, spans across four days.

Monday’s competition focused on the judging for the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups, with the top dog in each respective group being selected to advance to the Best in Show judging. Tuesday’s competition will shift to judging for the Sporting, Working and Terrier Groups to complete the field for the Best in Show judging later that evening.

Hosted by the American Kennel Club, the beloved spectacle brings together thousands of distinguished dogs, which are separated into seven categories for judging, competing for the highly coveted title of Best in Show. 

The Westminster Kennel Club welcomes the Bracco Italiano to this year’s show. It is an ancient pointing breed native to northern Italy that has recently become AKC-recognized, making it eligible to compete at Westminster. History will be made on Tuesday when the Best of Breed winner will appear on the green carpet in the Sporting Group competition. 

There are over 3,000 dogs from 210 different breeds hailing from 49 states and 13 countries competing this year. 

It’s all going down in Queens, New York at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which is hosting the event for the first time, and FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft and Jamie Little are onsite to take you behind the scenes amidst all the action. 

You can watch full coverage from 7-11 p.m. ET on FS1 and on both the FOX NOW and the FOX Sports apps, and you can get in on the action by playing FOX’s Super 6 Dog Show Contest for your chance to win $1,000 absolutely for free!

Here are the top moments from Monday’s competition!

Hound Group (Winner: Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen)

Hounds, which share the common ancestral trait of being used for hunting, were up first at Westminster. The competition was stiff, but it was Buddy Holly the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen, or PBGV, that secured the first group win of the night. 

The Afghan Hound was the runner-up in this group, followed by the Borzoi in third and the English Foxhound in fourth.

Toy Group (Winner: Pekingese)

Toy dogs, which are affectionate, sociable and adaptable to a wide range of lifestyles, were up next at Westminster. 

After another round of tough competition, Rummie the Pekingese won the second group title of the evening. It’s another huge victory for the unmistakable toy breed, as a fellow Pekingese named Wasabi won Best in Show in 2021.

The Shih Tzu was the runner-up in this group, followed by the English Toy Spaniel in third and the Japanese Chin in fourth.

Non-Sporting Group (Winner: French Bulldog)

Non-sporting dogs, a diverse group of breeds with varying sizes, coats, personalities and overall appearance, were the third group to show Monday.

Fan-favorite Winston the French Bulldog, the Best in Show reserve (or runner-up) at Westminster in 2022, swept the group once again this year.

The Standard Poodle came in a close second, followed by the Bulldog and Bichon Frisé in third and fourth, respectively.

Herding Group (Winner: Australian Shepherd)

Herding dogs — which are incredibly intelligent and share an instinctual ability to control the movement of other animals, as they were developed to gather, herd and protect livestock — were the last group to be judged Monday.

Ribbon the Australian Shepherd came out on top, beating out 32 other breeds for the top honor. The Bouviers des Flandres was the runner-up in this group, followed by the Shetland Sheepdog in third and the German Shepherd in fourth.

Here’s what the sports world has to say about the 2023 WKC Dog Show!

Top WKC stories from FOX Sports:

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