Best In Show Statistics

Best in Show was not awarded at Westminster until 1907. Prior to that year, the format for most dog shows held in the United States did not include provisions for awarding Best in Show. Best in Show was NOT awarded in 1923 at Westminster, nor at any other dog show in the United States that year, because the American Kennel Club put a moratorium on the judging of this prize until a uniform process and regulations could be adopted to insure that the Best in Show of each dog show was determined in the same fashion.

wBest in Show has been awarded 94 times at Westminster to the following Groups:

Terrier Group                                  42

Sporting Group                               15

Working Group                               14

Non-Sporting Group                        9

Toy Group (including 1999)           9

Hound Group                                     3

Herding Group                                  1

wThirty-eight different breeds have won Best in Show at Westminster. The top ten winning breeds have accounted for 52 of the 94 Best in Show awards so far:

Wire Fox Terrier                            13

Scottish Terrier                                7

Airedale Terrier                               4

Boxer                                                   4

Cocker Spaniel                                 4

Doberman Pinscher                         4

English Springer Spaniel               4

Sealyham Terrier                             4

Smooth Fox Terrier                         4

Standard Poodle                              4

wIt’s tough competition. In the last half century, only three dogs have won top honors twice:

Registered Name             Breed

Ch. Chinoe’s Adamant James        English Springer

Ch. Rancho Dobe’s Storm Doberman Pinscher

Ch. My Own Brucie             Cocker Spaniel

wThe only other dogs to win more than one BIS title at Westminster:

Registered Name             Breed

Ch. Pendley Calling of Blarney       Wire Fox Terrier

Ch. Conejo Wycollar Boy   Wire Fox Terrier

Ch. Matford Vic   Wire Fox Terrier

Ch. Warren Remedy           Smooth Fox Terrier *

* The ONLY three-time BIS champion at Westminster.

wThe largest dog to ever win BIS was Ch. Seward’s Blackbeard, a 155 pound Newfoundland that took top honors in 1984. The smallest dog to ever win BIS was Ch. Great Elms Prince Charming II, a 41/2  pound Pomeranian that was selected in 1988.

wIn the last 25 years, 7 of the BIS awards have been won by bitches:

Registered Name             Breed

Ch. Fairwood Frolic            Norwich Terrier

Ch. Gaelforce Post Script  Scottish Terrier

Ch. Registry’s Lonesome Love        Wire Fox Terrier

Ch. Royal Tudor’s Wild As The Wind            Doberman

Ch. Braeburn’s Close Encounter    Scottish Terrier

Ch. St. Aubrey Dragonora of Elson Pekingese

Ch. Dersade Bobby’s Girl Sealyham Terrier

wThe LAST time a Westminster BIS winner tried to repeat as champion was in 1993 when the 1992 BIS champion, Ch. Registry’s Lonesome Dove, a Wire Fox Terrier, returned but placed third in the Group.

wCurrently the HOUND Group has the longest span without winning BIS at Westminster; 21 years. The last BIS win by a dog from the Hound Group was in 1983 when Ch. Kabiks The Challenger, an Afghan Hound took top honors.

wThere are only FOUR owner/breeder/handlers in the history of the show who have won BIS:

Breeder/Owner/Handler               Registered Name

Chris Terrell        Ch. Kabik’s The Challenger “Pepsi”

Walter Goodman                Ch. Glamoor Good News

Sunny Shay          Ch. Shirkhan of Grandeur

Herman Mellenthin           Ch. My Own Brucie

wIt wasn’t until 1983 that the Herding Group became recognized as a separate group by the AKC and was shown as a separate group at Westminster. Prior to that the breeds of the Herding Group were included in what was then a very large Working Group. To facilitate judging and as a matter of simple logic, the Herding dogs were given a group of their own. With such a limited history the only dog that was listed as an entrant of the Herding Group to ever win Best in Show at Westminster was Ch. Covey Tucker Hill’s Manhattan in 1987, a German Shepherd owned by Shirlee Braunstein and Jane A. Firestone.

wThe breeds below are currently part of the Herding Group (created in 1983), but won Best in Show as members of the Working group.

Registered Name             Breed

Old English Sheepdog       Ch. Slumber

Collie     Ch. Laund Loyalty of Bellhaven

Old English Sheepdog       Ch. Sir Lancelot of Barvan

wA dog from the TERRIER GROUP has won Best in Show at Westminster 42 times previously. This group has by far the most BIS wins at Westminster of any of the seven groups. The breakdown by breed within the Terrier Group is as follows:

Wire Fox Terrier                            13

Scottish Terrier                                7

Airedale Terrier                               4

Sealyham Terrier                             4

Smooth Fox Terrier                         4

Lakeland Terrier                              2

Norwich Terrier                                2

West Highland White                     2

Bedlington Terrier                           1

Bull Terrier                                       1

Skye Terrier                                      1

Welsh Terrier                                    1

 

NOTE: The Silky Terrier, the Manchester Terrier and the Yorkshire Terrier (which won Best in Show in 1978) are part of the TOY GROUP not the Terrier Group while the Boston Terrier and the Tibetan Terrier are part of the NON-SPORTING GROUP.

wThe last breed from the Terrier Group to win Best-in-Show is a NORWICH TERRIER (1998). This was the second time in five years that a Norwich Terrier has won Best In Show at Westminster (1994 Ch. Willum The Conqueror).

wThe 1998 winner, Ch. Fairewood Frolic, was the half-sister of the 1994 BIS champion, Ch. Willium The Conqueror, both being sired by Ch. Royal Rock Don Chidley.

wFour of the last eight Best in Show winners have been from the Terrier Group:

 

Registered Name             Type

Ch. Fairewood Frolic          Norwich Terrier

Ch. Gaelforce Post Script  Scottish Terrier

Ch. Willum The Conqueror              Norwich Terrier

Ch. Registry’s Lonesome Dove        Wire Fox Terrier

wA breed from the Non-Sporting Group has won Best in Show at Westminster nine times previously:

Standard Poodle 1991, 1973, 1958, 1935

Bulldog  1955, 1913

Miniature Poodle                1959, 1943

Bichons Frises     2001

wThe last time that a breed from the Non-Sporting Group won Best in Show at Westminster was in 2001 when Ch Special Times Just Right, a Bichon Frises owned by Cecelia Ruggles, and E. McDonald and F. Werneck won.

wA dog from the WORKING GROUP has won Best in Show at Westminster 14 times in the past:

Doberman Pinscher                         4

Boxer                                                  4

Old English Sheepdog                    2

Standard Schnauzer                       1

Siberian Husky                                1

Newfoundland                                  1

Collie                                                  1

NOTE: Collies (1929) and Old English Sheepdogs (1914, 1975) are now part of the Herding Group. However, when they won BIS at Westminster in the years indicated, these breeds were part of the Working Group.

wThe last time a dog from the WORKING GROUP won Best in Show at Westminster was 1997 when the Standard Schnauzer, Ch. Carsifal di Casa Netzer, owned by Rita Holloway and Gabrio del Torre and handled by Douglas R. Holloway won.

 

wA dog from the Sporting Group has won Best in Show at Westminster 15 times since 1907. The breakdown by breed is as follows:

Cocker Spaniel                                 4

English Springer Spaniel              4

Pointer                                               2

Clumber Spaniel                             1

English Setter                                  1

German Shorthaired Pointer        1

Irish Water Spaniel                        1

wTwo of the last seven BIS winners were from the Sporting Group – the Clumber Spaniel Ch. Clussexx Country Sunrise, owned by Richard and Hudith Zaleski in 1996, and the English Springer Spaniel Ch. Salilyn’s Condor, owned by Dr and Mrs. Roger Herzig and Julia Gasow in 1993.

wA dog from the HOUND GROUP has won Best in Show at Westminster three times since 1907:

Breed    Registered Name

Afghan Hound     Ch. Kabiks The Challenger

Whippet                Ch. Courtenay Fleetfoot of Pennyworth

Afghan Hound     Ch. Ch. Shirkhan of Grandeur

 

NOTE: Currently the HOUND Group has the longest span without winning BIS at Westminster; 21 years.

wA dog from the Toy Group has won Best in Show at Westminster 9 times since 1907, including 1999. The breakdown by breed is:

Pekingese                                           3

Toy Poodle                                          2

Papillon                                              1

Pomeranian                                       1

Pug                                                       1

Yorkshire Terrier                              1

 

NOTE: The Yorkshire Terrier is a member of the TOY Group, and is therefore, NOT one of the 42 BIS wins by a dog from the TERRIER Group.

wThe last time a dog from the Toy Group won Best in Show at Westminster was in 1999 when Ch. Loteki Supernatural Being, owned by John Oulton, won.