2023 is the year of little dogs winning big awards. That’s certainly true of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the iconic annual conformation dog show that had many Australians tuning in. One thing’s for sure (spoiler alert), a Pekingese and Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen stole many hearts.
In this article, PD looks at highlights, dog breeds and winners for the 2023 Westminster Dog Show.
In this article
Who won Westminster Dog Show in 2023?
First up – winners! Buddy Holly is an auspiciously named Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen who won Best in Show. He won the top spot in the Hound group and then wiped out his competitors across the other seven dog groups.
This is the first time in Westminster history that a Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
– Westminster Kennel Club
has been awarded Best in Show
In case you’re not familiar with the seven dog groups, here they are:
- Herding (dogs like the like German Shepherd and Border Collie)
- Hound (like the Beagle, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen or Dachshund for example)
- Sporting (think go-getters like the Golden Retriever or Labrador)
- Terrier (little heroes like the Jack Russell Terrier or Scottish Terrier)
- Toy (think lounge and lapdogs, AKA Pug and Maltese)
- Working (the opposite of toys, like Huskies or Rottweilers)
- Non-sporting (spots and fluff, in other words, dogs like the Dalmatian and Poodles)
When it comes to dog conformation sports, it’s all about breed conformation down to the finest detail. Interestingly, that means a working pedigree dog and a conformation show dog of the same breed might differ slightly. They’re doing different jobs and need to look their best and fit for purpose.
Let’s take a look at the breeds that came in top at this year’s Westminster Dog Show:
2023 Westminster Dog Show winners
The Westminster Dog Show has a winner in each dog group. The absolute top dog (AKA Best in Show) is selected from these top seven. While Buddy Holly the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen came in first, second place – also known as Reserve Best in Show – was taken by Rummie the Pekingese.
Let’s look at the winners in each dog group from this Westminster Dog Show:
Hound group
Buddy Holly the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
Toy group
Rummie the Pekingese
Non-sporting group
Winston the French Bulldog
Herding group
Ribbon the Australian Shepherd
Sporting group
Cider the English Setter
Working group
Monty the Giant Schnauzer
Terrier group
Trouble the American Staffordshire Terrier
When and where is the Westminster Dog Show?
Although you might naturally think the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a very British dog show it actually isn’t. The annual dog show happens in none other than Queens, New York and is the second longest (continuously held) dog sporting event in the U.S. In fact, this year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is the 147th annual dog show. (Bow) wow!
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show runs over a full week each year and is made up of three main events:
- Conformation Dog Show (purebred dogs only)
- Masters Agility Championship (all dogs)
- Masters Obedience Championship (all dogs)
This week of canine champions is affectionately and officially called Westminster Week. Nearly 3000 canine competitors take part in this annual dog show. The dogs that participate aren’t just from the U.S., with many travelling internationally to compete.
Award winning insurance for your pup
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Lead image credit: Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club