The first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show took place in 1877. It opened on May 8 at Gilmore’s Garden in New York City, a venue that preceded the modern Madison Square Garden, and was officially called the First Annual New York Bench Show of Dogs.
The event attracted 1,201 dogs, an impressive entry for the era. Many were sporting dogs, especially Setters and Pointers, reflecting the interests of the hunters who founded the Westminster Kennel Club. The club itself was established by men who wanted a place to train and compare their hunting dogs.
Westminster was not the first dog show in the United States, but it became one of the country’s most enduring sporting traditions. A common mix-up is assuming the inaugural show was held in today’s Madison Square Garden; the show first reached that venue in 1880. Westminster introduced its overall Best in Show award much later, in 1907.