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The 150th edition of the Westminster Dog Show is underway.
The highly anticipated event has taken place at the Javits Center and will conclude at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. “Prove-It,” the Border Collie, handled by Amber McCune, won Westminster’s Masters Agility Championship on Saturday.
The conformation portion of the show began with best of breed judging from the Javits Center on Monday, and group judging continued Tuesday, on FS1, where Best in Show is awarded.
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FOX pit reporter Jamie Little smiles on pit road before the NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia on February 23, 2025. (David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The floor reporter for FS1’s primetime coverage, Jamie Little, spoke with Pakinomist Digital about what it’s like to cover the event.
“Such an honor to be here to cover the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. It’s the biggest dog show in the world. It’s the most prestigious. And then you add the fact that it’s the 150th. You have to let that sink in. This is the second longest running sporting event to the Kentucky Derby,” Little told Pakinomist Digital.
Little interviewed the first four winners on Monday and the 47-year-old said you can feel the intensity and emotion of those taking part.
“You meet these families that have come here generation after generation with show dogs. We have so many stories. And that’s what makes this year special. We tell those stories, the background of the breeds that were here in the first year of the show in 1877 is pretty neat,” Little said.
“It’s always intense backstage in the stage area with the dogs, you always feel the energy. But last night, you know, interviewing the first four winners that we saw on Monday night, we saw tears. I saw tears two or three times because it means so much more.”
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FOX Sports pit reporter Jamie Little during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link’s 500 race at Talladega Superspeedway in Eastaboga, Alabama on April 26, 2025. (David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Winning the Westminster Dog Show is always an honour, but there is something else about having the chance to win the 150th edition.
“I mean the fact that you have a chance to win the 150th, I mean, that’s just something for the record books, you’ll never forget,” Little said.
Little has covered the show for eight years and said it feels like the event has only gotten bigger and the dogs have gotten better. She said that even for those who don’t have a dog, the show is for everyone and it’s something that everyone loves.
Last year marked the first time in four years that the Westminster Dog Show returned to Madison Square Garden and returned for the first time since COVID-19. A little talk about the significance of the event being in the world’s most famous arena.
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A dog competes during the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show-Group Judging (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, Herding) and Westminster Legends Presentation at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on February 2, 2026. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club)
“My first year covering this show, we were in Madison Square Garden. It was like, ‘Oh my God.’ It’s like, ‘Best in Show’ that show or movie you see. It’s like the bright lights, the cameras, the energy. And then with COVID-19, we had to move out of town, and we’ve gone to a few other places,” Little said.
“Being back in Madison Square Garden, that’s what everybody wants. They want the big venue. I mean, the amount of events that this place does, and then they turn it into a dog ring — like a dog show — it’s amazing. But the energy and the lights, it’s just something special for the people watching, the sound of the crowd, the dogs feed off of it.”
Little’s favorite part of the show is getting the opportunity to interview the winners.
“I think my favorite part is just telling the stories of the dogs. I think these winners that come in and they’re emotional because they’ve been trying for 20 years, and then their parents before them, their grandparents before that. And they work so hard every single day to create these perfect specimens that they do. And to have them as a show winner, that means everything to them, whatever I think is a winner. And it’s even better, because then I have a dog that I get to pet during the interview.”
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Joey Logano (22 Team Penske AAA Insurance Ford, left) talks with FOX Sports reporter Jamie Little after winning the Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY in the NASCAR Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas on May 4, 2025. (Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
After covering the Westminster Dog Show, Little will switch gears and step down to cover the Daytona 500. She said the dog show is intense, but it’s different compared to the intensity that comes from NASCAR.
“I always joke with people that I cover four paws and then I’ll move it up and drive four wheels at Daytona. And it’s so different. I mean, you have the intensity of the dog show, but everybody’s happy. They’re having fun. The dogs love their jobs. These dogs are treated better than most people. I mean, they live a domestic life. They’re pet-like in things.” Little said.
“And then you move it up to Daytona, where people are happy, but it’s intense. I mean, we’re going to see crazy wrecks. It’s going to be intense. So different worlds. It’s so much fun. My hair will be back in a ponytail, headset on. For the dog show, I’ll be wearing a fancy evening dress, you know. It’s fun to get to do both.”
