Vancouver-based dog show judge Lee Whittier and her dog Oliver. Whittier judged toy breeds at the 2017 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last month for the first time in her career.
Vancouver-based dog show judge Lee Whittier examines a Chinese Crested dog at the 2017 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
A trip to New York City was a bit of a homecoming for Vancouver local Lee Whittier. Prior to moving to Clark County in 2008 she had lived in Vermont and had visited the Big Apple numerous times.
Now Whittier made a return for a fairly special occasion for anyone in the dog show world — the 2017 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. For what would have been a treat for anyone who loves dogs, she was there for a very important reason — judging several breeds in the toy group.
Whittier had been back for about a week when she spoke to The Reflector, though she wasn’t staying long as later that week she headed to Mississippi for more competitions. That said the experience was still in her mind.
“There’s an electricity in the air just of being in New York and at the shows,” Whittier said, commenting that being able to judge in the competition was “a thrill.”
As to how she got the gig, Whittier said it was generally a bit of a mystery to her and everyone she had talked to regarding the selection process. She reasoned it was likely to be a simple case of building a reputation in the dog judging circuit.
Whittier has been judging since 2000, taking a brief hiatus to serve as a field representative for the American Kennel Club which ended up bringing her to the West Coast. Though Whittier has done countless shows in her career this was the first time she was invited to judge at Westminster, “arguably the most prestigious show in the country” as she put it.
Whittier had first learned she was selected to judge Westminster in the summer of 2015, more than a year before the event. What made it interesting (and a bit unnerving) is that she had to keep her selection a secret until names were officially released after the previous year’s show.
“It’s one of the hardest secrets to keep because it’s so exciting, you want to tell all your friends,” Whittier said.
At Westminster Whittier judged Shih Tzu, Chinese Cresteds, toy Manchester Terriers, Silky Terriers and miniature Doberman Pinschers — all in the toy group. Apart from those breeds she can judge all toy, working and terrier group breeds as well as breeds in the non-sporting, hound and herding groups as well as best in show and junior showmanship.
Given the prestige of the competition, Whittier said she had to draw on her experience and skills of judging to pick the best of the best.
“The quality of dogs is so high, it’s not just a slam dunk that there’s one great dog there. There are many beautiful dogs,” Whittier said. “You really have to get down to the details and really see all the things that make that breed.”
“You feel honored, but you also feel really responsible, you want to do a really good job,” Whittier said.
She mentioned apart from accurate judging she felt that part of her work was to keep the fun in what can be a fairly high-pressure event.
“In the end, that’s what it’s about, that every person there felt that they had the best experience that they could have,” Whittier said.
Even with all the pomp and circumstance, Whittier’s favorite part was simple: “getting (her) hands on all those beautiful dogs.”
“You just don’t get that opportunity all that often,” Whittier said.
