- The Westminster Kennel Club dog show crowned its 149th winner on Tuesday.
- This year’s winner was Monty, a giant schnauzer.
- In honor of Monty, we’ve found photos of some of the Best in Show winners throughout history.
The 149th annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show wrapped up in New York on February 11, crowning a new winner: Hearthmore’s Wintergreen Mountain, aka Monty.
Monty is the first giant schnauzer in Westminster’s history to win the Best in Show title.
Westminster is one of the oldest and most famous dog shows in the world, with days of competition and lots of moving parts behind the scenes.
While it only costs $100 to enter a dog in the show, caring for a show dog involves many other expenses. In 2018, CNBC reported it can cost up to $250,000 a year to get a dog to a big show like Westminster, with expenses like grooming, veterinary services, and promotion. Trainers alone can cost hundreds of dollars per day.
Additionally, adopting a giant schnauzer— the breed of this year’s winner — can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500.
Despite the high costs of preparing and ultimately winning the competition, the champion isn’t awarded a money prize. Instead, they take home a series of trophies and ribbons for their efforts.
If you’re more interested in dog shows from afar — and don’t want to spend thousands of dollars — you can take a look at 45 Best in Show winners here, dating back to 1913.
