Bridgewater Welcomes Four-Day Marathon Of Dog Shows

Dogs will be show-offs beginning Thursday, when Bridgewater hosts four consecutive days of canine competitions at North Branch Park. 

Somerset Hills Kennel Club will mark its 76th Annual All Breed Dog Show with its turn to show off its animals on Saturday. The other three days of shows feature the Tuxedo Park Kennel Club, the Westchester Kennel Club and three specialty groups.

The competition kicks off Thursday with three group shows, featuring the Central New Jersey Hound Association, Big Apple Sporting Society and the Non-Sporting Group Club of the Garden State.

According to Somerset Hills Kennel Club show chair Lisa Warren, throughout the weekend, a total of seven specialty groups—herding, hounds, toys, terriers, working, sporting and non-sporting—will be eligible to compete in all shows being held Friday through Sunday when they participate in obedience and rally trials. Only the non-sporting, hound and sporting groups are competing in Thursday's shows.

With each competition, the dogs win points toward the championship title of Best in Show on each day, Warren said.

This year's four-day show will mark the first year that all participants will be at North Branch Park's show grounds—referred to as the "North Branch Cluster"—for the four-day competition.

In the past, Somerset Hills Kennel Club president Lee Walker said, the Tuxedo Park Kennel Club and the Westchester Kennel Club held their shows at the Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown, New York.

"People would go to a dog show on Friday in New York, pack up and leave for New Jersey for the Saturday shows, then return to New York for the last round on Sunday," Walker said.

Ease and cost were the driving forces for a shared location this year.

"People are more conscious about their gas spending and it just makes it a lot easier to have everything in one location," Walker said.

The Tuxedo Park Kennel Club was the first to propose sharing show grounds.

"Three years ago, the Tuxedo Park Kennel Club asked the Somerset Hills Kennel Club, if it could come down and use our show grounds," Walker said. "But this is the first year that the Westchester Kennel Club has asked us the same question."

There will be 1,000 dogs competing on Thursday in the group specialty shows, 1,400 on Friday for the Tuxedo Park Kennel Club shows, 2,000 on Saturday represented by the Somerset Hills Kennel Club and 1,600 on Sunday from the Westchester Kennel Club.

Warren said Saturday's show will be dedicated to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, as well as the search and rescue dogs that were deployed.

"More than 350 search and rescue dogs were deployed, and a lot of them lost their lives due to the stress, and from being exposed to chemicals and toxins," Warren said.  "The rescue mission was marked as the largest deployment of search and rescue dogs in U.S. history." 

"No other species can do what they do," Warren added. "Dogs have incredible sensory capabilities in their noses, which act as their eyes and ears."

A ceremony to commemorate the victims will begin at 7:45 a.m. Saturday.

Walker said that what is believed to be the last surviving search and rescue dog from that day will be at the ceremony as well.

Warren said they are hoping for beautiful weather, and are encouraging people to come see the dogs. She said guests will be asked to refrain from approaching the animals without their exhibitors' permission.

"Grooming is done specifically for the shows, and we would like people to be mindful of this." she said. "Also, some dogs may not be great with children.  Others, such as guard dogs, are trained to protect their owners and can be unpredictable."

Show times on Thursday last from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is free and the event is open to the public. Vendors will be selling dog-related items.

For more information about the event, contact Warren at 610-349-7586.