We were so pleased when we found out that it was a relatively short walk from our hotel to Madison Square Garden. Our plan for Monday morning was to get up really early and be at the Garden (we frequent travelers to the Big Apple call it "the Garden") by 7:00 so we could get 3 of the very limited chairs that are set up along ringside. You can sit up in the grandstands, but we wanted to really be able to see the dogs. The Malinois were at 8:00, and the Aussies were in the same ring at 1:00. We figured we'd stick like glue to those chairs for that period of time. There were some serious problems with the planning and execution of the show by someone and when we got to the Garden, we were not allowed in until 7:30 - then we had to stand in a stupid line for 15 minutes. THEN they moved the line through some doors and to some other doors - so hundreds of people running to get to the other doors. What a mess. We barely made it to the ring on time.
If you have ever watched Westminster on TV you know there is a green carpet they show the dogs on. That green carpet is a holy place to dog show people. To actually be ON the carpet at the Garden is very exciting to us. What you see on the TV at night is nothing like it is during the day. There are about 6 rings during the day, and thousands of people. Literally a sea of people watching the various rings. You hear cheers and shouts all day long as someone's special dog wins or looses. Quite fun.
So we watched the Malinois. I slid down a few rings then to watch the Corgi's. We watched some other breeds and then had to go across to another ring to watch the German Shepherd of a friend of Sue's so we lost our prime chairs. After the Shepherd and grabbing a hotdog, we mosied back over to the first ring to watch the Aussies. Had the distinct pleasure of getting to see Beyonce who has won just about everything in the Aussie world, both AKC and ASCA and is the daughter of Riley who my good friends Rhonda and Carol bred. Quite a feather in their cap. Beyonce won the breed and I quickly texted Rhonda to let her know Beyonce would be in the Group ring that night.
We'd decided to go to the Italian Restaurant from Saturday for dinner on Monday night. We'd called and made a reservation for 5. At about 3:30 we were done watching the dogs we wanted to see most and decided to hop a taxi and if we couldn't get into dinner until 5.... we'd just drink! As it turned out, they gave us a table right away. (But we drank anyway). Another great dinner and only $157 this time (only???). We had tickets to go back to the Garden for the groups that night at 8 but is was only around 6 when we finished dinner and we decided we were tired, had full tummies and really just wanted to go back to the room, put our jammies on and watch groups on TV. So we did.
Tuesday was a more relaxed day as our breeds were not showing, so we stopped at our new favorite little bodega on the corner of 32nd and Broadway, for some breakfast stuff to take with us. We watched a few breeds, did some half serious shopping at the vendors and then decided to go to 'our' bodega for lunch. After lunch, Barb and Sue wanted to go back to the room and nap and I decided to go back to the show and watch a couple of breeds. After that I walked around the city a little, then back to the room. We'd had such a good dinner at the Brewery that we decided to taxi back there for dinner monday night. It was yummy again and then it was back to the room to pack and watch groups again and Best in Show. Right after the show it was lights out because we (Barb and Sue) had a 4:30 wake up call to get ready to leave by 5:30. I had showered so I told them to wake me at 5, but I was up by 4:45 anyway. Nice ride to the JFK and essentially uneventful flights home except that when we got to Sacramento, our luggage was not on board. Oh well, better that direction than going! It was all delivered the next day.
Great trip. Great fun... but awfully expensive. Not something you can do often.
P.S. The travel purse and satin dreamy (sleep sack) that I'd bought for Europe and used in NYC to practice, both worked wonderfully.
Becky
+.8
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