On a cold February afternoon more than two decades ago, Ted Eubank, a Texas dog breeder, stepped into the ring for the first time at a Westminster Kennel Club dog show. This was the first year that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels—the silky-eared, saucer-eyed dogs that were Mr. Eubank’s specialty—were allowed to compete in the prestigious dog show then held at Madison Square Garden. The crowd around the ring numbered 10 people, he recently recalled.

“Speak of adrenaline, oh my god,” he said.

From then on, Mr. Eubank became a seasoned rival for Westminster; his cavaliers, including one indomitable champion named Rocky, were recognized several times as the best of their breed.

But on Monday, Eubank will be a rookie again when he makes his Westminster referee debut. He expects to feel the familiar flutter when he enters the ring. “I will have butterflies,” he said.

More than 2,500 dogs – miniature pinschers, mastiffs and more – will take part in this year’s Westminster Dog Show, the second oldest regularly held sporting event in the United States. Westminster is a show for winners; only dogs that have scored points in other competitions are allowed.

For a judge at a dog show, the invitation to judge these champion dogs is a prize in itself. “I felt like I won the lottery when the letter arrived” said Michael Faulkner of Center Cross, Virginia, who first judged at Westminster in 2001. “I really cried.”

When Sharon Redmer of Whitmore Lake, Michigan, received her invitation, she was so excited that she “almost dropped the envelope,” she recalls. And Betty-Ann Stenmark, a judge from California, wasn’t ready when she was called to judge Best in Show in 2018. “I wished there was champagne in the fridge,” she said.

The Westminster judges said that choosing the best of the best is both a science and an art. The challenge requires the application of strict, rigorous (sometimes seemingly arbitrary) standards, but also, in the end, often comes down to personal taste.

“We all see things differently,” said Cindy Vogels, who will referee Westminster for the ninth time this year. “That’s the beauty of it. And that’s what keeps people coming back.”

Purebred preparations

Westminster is what is known as the conformation show, and it is the job of the conformation judge to judge how well a purebred dog represents its breed: is this curled-up dog the Platonic ideal of a poodle? Does this golden retriever look like it can hunt?

“You look at the dogs and try to identify which dog is signaling to you that it could fulfill its original job description,” he said. Patricia Craige Trotter, 2021 Best in Show winner: “We’re trying to reach a level of near-perfection in creating a working animal.”

Conformation judges must be well versed in the breed standards, which formulate in great detail the ideal version of each breed, specifying everything including desired nose pigmentation and preferred facial expression.

In the United States, becoming an approved judge typically requires over a decade of participation in dog shows, breeding and raising multiple dog litters, producing multiple champions, taking canine anatomy courses, passing at least two tests and an interview, and attending a dog show. judging institution, among other requirements.

“To tell you the truth, becoming a dog judge is harder than being a neurosurgeon,” Mr. Faulkner said.

Some judges only work for a few shows a year; others employ over 40 people traveling across Europe, Asia and Australia on assignment. To earn a seat at Westminster, which sends out invites two years in advance, the judge must be reputable and experienced, said Donald Sturz, who judged Best in Show in 2022 and is now president of the Westminster Kennel Club. According to him, the Best in Show nomination, in particular, is “the pinnacle for a dog show judge.”

Referees can spend months preparing for Westminster. Mr. Eubank, who will be judging eight breeds and varieties of miniature dogs this year, is reviewing official breed standards, watching past show judging videos and reconnecting with some of his mentors who first helped him learn the art of dog judging. .

Being a good referee also requires quick and clear analytical thinking, said Houston’s Britt Jung, who will referee for the first time at Westminster this year. Ms Jung, a former soccer player, feels the responsibility of being in top shape to the dog owners and trainers who put in so much effort to get to Westminster, so she’s gearing up like an athlete for the event.

“How do I prepare for the big game?” She said. “I eat well. I make sure I sleep well. I make sure to stick to the routine.”

Doggy Prime Time

When the day of judgment finally arrives, the event may seem important. Crowds in Westminster outshine people at many dog ​​shows. “You could just feel the electricity in the air as you stepped onto the mat to judge,” said Ms Vogels, who judged Best in Show in 2012.

The TV audience is upping the ante. “You hope you don’t fall on your head, get caught on your heel, and become famous for all the wrong reasons,” Mrs. Stenmark said.

But the judges said their nerves had calmed down, and the buzz of the crowd died down as soon as they began to do what they were trained to do: judge the dogs.

Since the dogs in Westminster are already seasoned champions, the Westminster title can depend on small details: the condition of the coat, the neatness of the cut, or the timing between the dog and its handler as they move around the ring. “Was it just pure poetry in motion?” Mr Faulkner said.

Often it is the inexpressible qualities that win. “It’s an extra shine,” Mrs. Stenmark said. When she judged Best in Show in 2018, she chose Flynn’s Bichon Frize, real dog cloud, as her winner. “This dog asked for it,” she said. “Every time I looked at him, he would come out on the tip of a leash, wag his tail at me, tilt his head and say:“ It will be me, right?

When dr. Fall judged Best in Show, he knew he’d found a winner when a bloodhound named Trumpet, who ruled the spotlight “in her own way, as befits a bloodhound,” gave him goosebumps, he said.

On another night, another dog might have climbed to the top. “Do you know how great athletes can relax? Well, great animals can too,” said Mrs. Trotter.

Although the breed standards provide for drawings, judges have their own preferences and priorities. For some judges, according to Mr. Eubank, scoring a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is primarily about looking for a pretty face. ( default breed requires a “sweet, gentle, melting expression.”) But for Mr. Eubank, who grew up with supersport dogs, a winning Cavalier also needs to move beautifully around the ring.

The public, which can be noisy in Westminster, often has its own preferences. But if there is wisdom in the crowd, the exterior judge cannot trust it. Audiences “just cling to something and they love it,” Mrs Vogels said. “They don’t have the experience to know if it’s great or not.”

Judging at dog shows has its drawbacks. Travel can be exhausting. Dog bites are an occupational hazard. And where there are winners, there are sometimes losers. “You’re a good man if the dog wins, and an idiot if he doesn’t,” said Mrs. Stenmark.

However, the judges stated that they could not refuse the chase, which they are drawn to for a variety of reasons. “I think it’s my favorite drug,” said Mrs. Stenmark, who said she was “in awe” when she saw the superb new dog entering the ring.

For Mr. Faulkner, who is also an artist, judging dogs engages the creative parts of his brain. “I like the part-to-whole Gestalt approach when evaluating breeding stock,” he said. “And I love balance and symmetry.”

And then, of course, dogs. Although Mr. Eubank remains a Cavalier, he loves all the breeds he will be judging on Monday.

“I love pugs, I love mini pins,” he said, referring to miniature pinschers. “I love Pekingese.”

Pomeranians? “They are the cutest.”

Havana? “Crazy about them,” he said. “I love you all.”