MAY 8

On this date in 1877, the very first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was held.  I would never have guessed that it went back that far.  I also assumed that the Westminster Kennel Club originated in Great Britain but not so.  Westminster was a hotel in the Manhattan area of New York City at which the dog enthusiasts met.  This Westminster Kennel Club was organized before the American Kennel Club (AKC) came into being.  The dog show followed by two years the first Kentucky Derby.

The original show was held in Gilmore's Garden which is a predecessor of Madison Square Garden where today's shows are held.  The show drew 1200 dogs and lasted four days.  Today, they limit the entries to 2,800 mutts.  Dogs have won 'best in show' 68 times and bitches only 35 times.

It was 140 years ago today that the first dogs pranced around like sissies, had their teeth and private parts inspected by a stranger and dropped their doodoo in Mid-town Manhattan.
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