America's oldest surviving annual dog show, the Westminster, was conceived at the Westminster Hotel in New York City by a group of sporting dog enthusiasts in 1876. Held the following year — May 8th through 10th, 1877 — at Gilmore's Gardens on Madison Avenue, the first Westminster show was the second dog show ever held in the United States. Called the "First Annual New York Bench Show of Dogs," it was initially open to sporting dogs only, primarily pointers and setters. Today the Westminster remains the oldest, continuous sporting event in America, with the exception of the Kentucky Derby which began two years earlier.

The world's largest dog show, Crufts, began in 1886 when dog biscuit manufacturer Charles Cruft held the "First Great Terrier Show" in England. The terrier show, which started with 600 entries, became so successful that in 1891 Charles Cruft held his first all-breed show at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington. It was called "Cruft's Greatest Dog Show," and around 2,000 dogs entered. By the time of Charles' death in 1938, his annual dog show had over 10,000 entries, a number that continues to grow to this day.

"History of Dog Shows" Continued »