Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Moves To Lyndhurst

TARRYTOWN, NY — The 145th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held at Lyndhurst, a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in Tarrytown in June.

The organization made the decision to leave Madison Square Garden after a century in order to hold the dog show in an outdoor venue.

"Due to the ever-changing government restrictions during the pandemic, a move to a springtime, outdoor dog show was necessary to uphold Westminster's strong commitment to the health and safety of everyone who attends our show," the organization said in a news release.

Westminster Weekend will begin with the Masters Agility Championship Friday, June 11, followed by the Masters Obedience Championship Saturday, June 12.

Junior Showmanship, Breed, Group and Best in Show judging will be June 12-13. For the first time, the Best in Show competition will be televised live on FOX.

Westminster Kennel Club President Charlton Reynders III said it was exciting to hold the show at Lyndhurst, which is a unique icon of American culture with a park-like landscape and majestic castle overlooking the Hudson River.

"The wide-open outdoor space at this extraordinary venue allows us to hold a dog show safely while following current social distancing guidelines and public health regulations," he said, in a prepared statement.

Lyndhurst is located on Route 9 in Tarrytown. Its 67-acres were donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1961.

The Westminster organization said that three newly AKC-recognized breeds will be joining the 208 eligible breeds in 2021. They are the Barbet, the Belgian Laekenois and Dogo Argentino.