Best in Show

Bo Bengtson is regarded today as the foremost international authority on dog shows past and present, and his definitive volume Best in Show: The World of Show Dogs and Dog Shows has become an “instant classic," hailed by critics around the world as the most important book ever written about the sport of dogs. Richard G. Beauchamp, a revered judge and author, praises Best in Show: “At long last a factual and meticulously researched history of the purebred dog scene. It's an everything-you-ever-wanted-to know book about the fascinating world of show dogs..." Best in Show spans the history of dog shows from its beginnings in England to the present-day, highlighting the most important dogs, shows, judges, handlers, breeders, and more in 656 pages overflowing with over 700 full-color and historical black-and-white images.
Bengtson is at once a student of dog-show history, an accomplished scholar, a highly regarded international judge, a breeder of champions, and, as Kerrin Winter-Churchill surmises, “the greatest living dog writer of our times." His ultimate achievement, the award-winning Best in Show begins with a history of the dog sport, “How Dog Shows Began," a chapter that talks about the development of pure breeds, the beginnings of the dog fancy, and the first dog shows. To understand the essence of dog shows, it's critical to understand what show judges are looking for, a topic that Bengtson covers in the chapter “The Breed Standards." "Without breed standards, dog shows could not exist. It would be impossible to conduct any meaningful comparison of dogs without universally accepted descriptions of each breed.... At their best, the standards...give a vivid, colorful word picture of the image each breed represents, in motion and standing, when alert and at rest." With illustrations from early and modern breed standards, this chapter discusses the evolution of the standards and addresses the variations in certain breed standards from country to country.
The third chapter is devoted to dog shows and highlights the most important shows in Britain and the United States. A detailed discussion of England's most famous dog show, Crufts, begins with the origins of the show and traces its development through the 21st century. (A complete roster of the winners of Crufts is presented in the appendix of the book.) America's most highly regarded show, the Westminster Kennel Club is discussed, accompanied by many photographs of the show and its Best in Show winners. (Roster of WKC winners can also be found in the appendix.) Bengtson also discusses other premiere shows in the U.S. including Santa Barbara, Morris & Essex, AKC/Eukanuba as well as the Fédération Cynologique Internationale's annual event, the World Dog Show. The following chapter discusses specialty shows (shows for one breed or one group), addressing the importance and purpose of specialty shows as well as some of the anomalies of certain breed events. The chapter also highlights some top winners as well as America's most famous group specialty show, the Montgomery County Kennel Club's terrier classic.
Separate chapters are dedicated to the judges, breeders, and handlers who have made their mark on the sport of purebred dogs. International in scope, each chapter highlights the most accomplished individuals in the sport, summarizing their accomplishments and their special areas of expertise. The chapters also explain what's required to become a professional in the sport. The historical photographs in these chapters do a splendid job of spotlighting the careers of some of the pillars of the sport, including Anne Rogers Clark, Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, Anna H. Whitney, Alva...