Donald Sturz has been part of the dog show world since he was a boy growing up on Long Island. Now he’s the current president of Westminster Kennel Club, and even judged for the prestigious Best In Show award in 2022 at the club’s iconic dog show.

“You do have to take a deep breath and get down to the job at hand, and at an event like this, with the quality of dogs who are competing, you really can’t go wrong. It really just comes down to a great dog having a great night,” Sturz, who called the opportunity “once in a lifetime,” said.

What You Need To Know

  • The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show returns to Madison Square Garden this year for the first time since before the pandemic 

  • The show is the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the U.S., next to the Kentucky Derby, dating back to 1877

  • It returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time in five years on Feb. 10 and 11
  • The show includes 2,500 champions competing in Best of Breed, the group stage and, of course, Best in Show

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the U.S., next to the Kentucky Derby, dating back to 1877. It returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time in five years on Feb. 10 and 11.

Sturz says it’s a big deal for him. The Long Island native and now Brooklyn resident first showed at MSG when he was just 10 years old, with his family’s golden retriever named Clyde.

“The best thing about the pairing is we are in the world’s most famous arena and this is the world’s most iconic dog show,” Sturz said.

There will also be events at the Javits Center. The show includes 2,500 champions competing in Best of Breed, the group stage and, of course, Best in Show.

Rebecca Flood has been showing her smooth collie, named Poe, for years. Now retired, his daughter Zena will compete, handled by Rebecca’s mom, Mara Flood. Both were prize-winners last year.

“I’ve been coming since I was 12 years old. Poe was a year-and-a-half during his first Westminster, so it’s been great. My whole family has come at some point,” said Flood, who grew up in Orange County north of the city, but now lives in Manhattan.

Flood says there is nothing like competing at the Garden, which she knows well from both dog shows and her beloved New York Rangers.

“It’s very cool, how can you not think about it? To be out with the greats in the field and you’ve got one of the greats in the dog world,” Flood said.

For ticket and other information, visit the Garden box office or click here.