The weird world of purebred dog shows
- Text by Miss Rosen
- Photography by Dolly Faibyshev
For more than 150 years, the Westminster Kennel Club has dedicated itself to the sport of purebred dogs. Today, it is a global phenomenon; a series of competitions that involve nearly 3,000 dogs at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
10 years ago, inspiration stuck photographer Dolly Faibyshev while seeing coverage of the competition on TV. “I wondered what it must be like to actually be there,” she says. “As someone who was just beginning as a photographer, it called out to me. It’s set up to allow ticketholders to meet all the breeds that are competing, so it was a perfect way to get up close to the fans as well as the dogs.”
Faibyshev began photographing Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and American Kennel Club National Championship, documenting the colourful, kitschy marvels of canine bliss. Her photographs of the celebrated creatures and all those who love them have just been published in the new book, Best in Show (Chronicle Chroma).
To say everyone is doing the most would be an understatement. “The dog owners aren’t actually showing the dog, they hire a handler that competes with the dog at the show,” Faibyshev explains. “The handlers really get into the competition and get very emotional. I’ve witnessed a lot of laughter and tears over the wins and losses.” 
These emotions are matched by the fans, who are deeply invested in seeing their faves win. “It reminds me of a rock show, where fans sometimes show up wearing the t-shirts of the band they’ve come to see,” she says. “You see a lot of people wearing outfits and jewellery sporting their favourite dog breed.”
Meanwhile, the dogs are dolled up with glorious bouffants, fresh line-ups and deeply conditioned locks. Faibyshev notes the care and detail to dog grooming to be extraordinary, with, “hours upon hours of washing, brushing, powdering, clipping, drying. The dogs don’t seem to mind.”
As a first-generation Russian-American, the spectacle of American fantasy made a strong impression at an early age. “As a kid, I saw American culture vicariously through the eyes of my immigrant parents – their enthusiasm for the wonders of America rubbed off on me in a big way,” she says. “I’ve always been attracted to Americana and what Greil Marcus referred to as ‘The Old Weird America.’ There’s something both familiar and alien in the details that I always find compelling.”
That quest for striking iconography has brought Faibyshev to over-the-top events like Dollypalooza, Wrestlemania, and New York Fashion Week. Despite the clear differences, Faibyshev sees a chord that runs through her subjects. “It’s the pageantry of it all,” she says. “The anticipation, the crowds, the emotions, colours and sounds – these things exist in abundance here.”
Best in Show by Dolly Faibyshev, published by Chronicle Chroma 2020.
Follow Miss Rosen on Twitter.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
The heady bliss of Glastonbury Festival after the music
Not Done Yet — While the weekend’s headliners and stacked line-ups usually draws the majority of the attention, much of its magic occurs after the music stops. Mischa Haller’s new photobook captures the euphoria and endless possibilities of Glasto’s “in between” moments.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Confronting America’s history of violence against student protest
Through A Mirror, Darkly — In May 1970, two separate massacres at American college campuses saw deaths at the hands of the state. Naeem Mohaiemen’s new three-channel film memorialises the brutality.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The cathartic roar of Vietnam’s hardcore punk scene
Going hardcore in Saigon — In a country that has gradually opened up in recent decades, a burgeoning youth movement is creating an outlet for youth frustration and anxiety. Frank L’Opez reports from the country’s biggest city’s underground.
Written by: Frank L’Opez
Defiant photos of New York’s ’80s & ’90s queer activists
Arresting Images — Dona Ann McAdams’ photographs document the AIDS crisis, lesbian organising and civil disobedience from one of the most fraught eras in American LGBTQ+ history. A sale of her archive takes place later this month.
Written by: Sydney Lobe
Joe Bloom’s View From a Bridge
More stories, more human — The artist and creator of the vertical video generation’s most loved storytelling platform explains the process behind creating the show, and the importance of bucking trends.
Written by: Isaac Muk
When David Wojnarowicz became Arthur Rimbaud
Arthur Rimbaud in New York — In 1978, the American artist and his friends donned masks to pay tribute to the French poet, who was born a century before him. Miss Rosen traces the differing yet parallel lives of the queer revolutionaries.
Written by: Miss Rosen
