The Show Basics

If you've only ever watched a dog show on TV, you're only seeing a fraction of what really goes on there. During the day the arena was divided into six different rings. Breed judging was going on all day in each of the six rings. You could sit or stand right beside a ring to see a particular favorite breed, or you could go up higher into the stands and watch multiple rings at once.
There were different numbers of dogs in each breed competition. The numbers ranged from 2 in a breed competition (Harriers) to 51 (Labrador Retrievers). (Actually, there was only 1 Dandie Dinmont Terrier entered and apparently she didn't show up.) After fierce competition the field would be narrowed to the one best in breed that would get to move on to the group competition.
Here, for example, are some of the mastiffs in their breed judging. Aren't they something?
The AKC groups dogs into seven groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, Herding. Above are some of the competitors in the Hound Group. At the top you can see Hunter, the Borzoi (third from the left); Uno, the ultimate winner of it all, is right behind him. Fourth from the left on the bottom is Amanda Alexander with Ch. Black Monday--the Plott entry. Plotts were recognized for the first time this year. Hopefully, next year our friends will have one or more of their Plotts at the Garden!

Monday's competition was of the Hounds, the Terriers, the Non-Sporting and the Herding groups. The group judging was at night (this is the part they show on TV) and led to the Beagle, the Sealyham Terrier, the Standard Poodle and the Australian Shepherd moving on to the Best-in-Show competition.

Tuesday we saw the Weimaraner, the Toy Poodle and the Akita win the Sporting, Toy and Working groups respectively to move on to the Best-in-Show...which, you know, the Beagle won.

Go hounds!