Boxers at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Image via WikipediaThis week saw the 135th annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show, a two-day event filled with pomp, circumstance, and the best dogs in the country. Westminster entries are limited to 2,500 dogs, and the top five dogs in each breed, from January 1 to October 31 of the previous year, receive invitations to the show. A win at Westminster is one of the highest achievements in the United States dog show world, and many dogs retire after the Westminster show.

Over the years, Boxers have fared quite well at Westminster. Four Boxers have won Best in Show, the most recent in 1970. In the Working Group, Boxers have dominated the other breeds, holding the record for the most Group Wins (23), most Group placements (46), most consecutive Group wins (5), and most consecutive Group placements (19).

 In 2011, the Boxer once again claimed a spot in the Working Group placements, placing second in the Group. Scarlett the Boxer, also known as GCH Winfall Brookwood Styled Dream, was Best of Breed and Group second for the third straight year. Scarlett was the #1 Boxer all systems for 2010, the 2009 and 2010 American Boxer Club National Specialty Best of Breed winner, the ABC 2010 Top Twenty Winner, and the 2010 AKC/Eukanuba Invitational Best of Breed winner. The 3.5 year old has had a fantastic year, finishing as the #1 dog in the Working Group and the #4 dog all-breeds.

Best of Opposite Sex went to the young male, CH MaSue's Virginia Gentleman of Aria. Whiskey is a young dog, just two years old, who finished his Championship in mid-2010. A BOS at Westminster is certainly a good way to kick off his year as a special in 2011!

Awards of Merit were given to two Boxers at the 2011 Westminster show. The first was presented to Macey, GCH Winfall's I Dream of Style. As the name might suggest, Macey is a littermate to Scarlett. Macey was the 2010 ABC Top Twenty People's Choice Award winner, a 2010 ABC National Specialty Award of Merit winner, and the #5 Boxer all systems for 2010.

The second Award of Merit was given to GCH R and G's Mystical Dancer, Danny. Danny also won an Award of Merit at the 2009 and 2010 ABC National Specialties, was the #2 Boxer all systems for 2010, and at the 2009 AKC/Eukanuba Invitational won Best Bred-By Exhibitor in Breed, Bred-By Exhibitor Group First, and an Award of Merit.

Congratulations to all the winners at the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club dog show, and to all the dogs who competed on the famous green carpet. Boxers have a long and strong history at Westminster, and all the dogs in attendance this year helped to continue the tradition.

Related articles

• Boxers from across the country head to New York City for the Westminster Kennel Club dog show (examiner.com)
• A history of Boxers at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show (examiner.com)
• Best of Breed Boxer at the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club dog show  (examiner.com)
• 2011 Westminster Working Group and Best in Show results (examiner.com)
• Dogs at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show - Washington Post (news.google.com)
• Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Diary, First Night (blogs.wsj.com)