Dog Show

Do you like dogs? Every year, thousands of them strut their stuff in a big contest. It is the Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) Dog Show.

The contest takes place in New York City. The top prize is Best in Show. A judge decides which dog best represents its breed. This year’s winner was a miniature poodle. Her name is Sage.

WKC president Donald Sturz (left) poses with this year’s winner and her handler at New York’s Empire State Building.

In May, Sage beat six other finalists. Rosalind Kramer was the judge. All the dogs were “excellent, glorious,” she says.

Handler Kaz Hosaka shows off miniature poodle Sage to the judges on May 14, 2024.

More than 200 dog breeds competed. The show also has a category for young handlers. It is called Junior Showmanship. It is for handlers ages 9 to 18.

Kids Compete

In the juniors category, the focus is not on the animal. It is “purely about the child’s handling ability,” Donald Sturz told TIME for Kids. He is the WKC president. “How well does the child present the dog? What is the connection between the dog and the junior handler?”

This year, Octavia Stensen won Best Junior Handler. She was up against 103 other juniors. Her dog is a Norwegian buhund named Pineapple.

Taylor Johnson, 17, won third place. Her pup’s name is Spencer. Spencer is an Old English sheepdog. “It is everyone’s dream” to be at Westminster, Taylor told TFK. “We work all year for this.”

Spencer and his junior handler, Taylor Johnson, wait backstage before the competition.