live blogging Westminster

8:06pm  Release the hounds!! I always hope Mr Lafave will say that to introduce the hounds but he never does. Someday when I am stewarding the groups I will do it. I have threatened before but have wimped out every time.

So far, I haven't spotted a scary outfit on any handlers. Only a matter of time.

8:11pm Mike Stone says the basset can pull a sled with his mals. Yeah. Okay.

8:13pm The big beagle is really cute. With my favorite Otterhound out of the competition, losing this morning in the breed ring, he's got a great shot at the group win.

8:15pm Pretty bloodhound bitch. And a borzoi groomed within an inch of its life. Makes for pretty tv though.

8:17pm Not exactly a Glamour don't but I am really tired of the bright blue jacket on Carlos. More pretty tv.

8:20pm Another repeat on the wardrobe. When's the last time we saw the American foxhound handler without a red riding jacket at the garden? Entirely appropriate to the breed though. Can't fault her on it.

I know I referred to the "big beagle" before. I suppose the foxhounds are really, really big beagles.

8:22pm Ugh, not more from Pedigree and their alleged support for homeless dogs. I'm going to be really tired of them by the end of tomorrow night.

8:24pm Commercial break means more champagne. I'm drowning my sorrows in the usual fashion.

8:27pm Very nice harrier, owned by folks who breed very nice boxers.  And hey, that's Kassie with the Ibizian hound! I know her! She shows Clumbers, among other breeds.

8:29pm Nice threads on Peter Kubacz with the Irish Wolfhound. He's always well-dressed, and I've seen him since he was a junior, though usually there's plaid.

8:30pm I'm going to have to watch the breed judging video for Otterhounds to see what happened to Louie. Very sad that he's not in the ring tonight.

8:35pm Just saw the first good slide on the Saluki. The carpet is very slick. It's amazing it doesn't happen more frequently, to dogs AND handlers.

8:37pm Love love love the whippet. The family this one comes from always has gorgeous whippets and Trent is no exception. He's my pick, but I have a feeling the judge has other ideas.

8:40pm Hey, he pulled the whippet! I think it's the big beagle or the harrier though.

8:43pm No surprises...the big beagle wins the group. Nice to see the harrier place, too.

8:47pm Eleanor started howling just before the judge made his cut. I was hoping she would stop by the time he finished the group. She did!

8:50pm Now they have to fill a bunch of time due to the incredibly stupid network change at 

8:53pm. They can't do the change in the middle of a group. Angels on a Leash is really cool though. I need to find out what it would take to bring the program to Pittsburgh. I should email David Frei.

8:54pm Where do I sign up to rub David Duchovny's belly?

9:00pm Terriers in the ring. I'm pulling for the Sealyham all the way. His owner-handler is one of the really good people in the dog show world.

9:03pm I love airedales. That's a terrier I might be able to live with.

9:06pm The blue jacket is back. Ugh.

9:09pm Nice white bull terrier, co-owned by a doctor from Pittsburgh. They mentioned a few surgeries on her, due to digestive indiscretions. We had one of those at our house tonight. Penguin snagged a sock from Eleanor. I made her give it back (along with her dinner). Ewwww.

9:15pm Irish terrier will probably go 2nd. But I am usually wrong after #1.

9:16pm I like the kerry blue. This is another breed I like, but know I could never live with.

9:19pm The go 'rounds are always a mess at Westminster because the dogs are arranged alphabetically, rather than by size and speed.

9:23pm Great outfit on the miniature schnauzer handler, though it makes her dog look slightly purple.

9:27pm Hard not to smile at that sealyham. 

9:29pm The wheaten handler also handles Clumbers, among other breeds.

9:32pm Very accurate descriptions of terrier attitude. It's their world, we're just visiting.

9:34pm My picks are sealyham and irish terrier. Beyond that it's anybody's guess.

9:35pm Nice to see the kerry blue make the cut. I think the scottie could also do well.

9:37pm Once again I picked number 1, but fell apart the rest of the way. Way to go, Margery and Charmin!

9:49pm May we have the non-functionals into the ring, please!

9:51pm The judge is one I have never heard of. This scares me. I have been away from showing too long. 

9:52pm Bitchin' Frizzy looks like a q-tip. On purpose.

9:54pm Listen carefully to what Mike Lafave says about each breed. You could learn something, especially tomorrow night when he introduces the Clumber spaniel.

9:56pm I always like the dalmation, probably because they look like they could do a day's work, unlike some others in this group.

9:58pm Scratch that. The frenchie is very cute, and probably gave his handler a coronary when he put on the brakes. As a handler, you have to laugh at that.

10:03pm Very nice mini poodle, daughter of a former BIS winner. She's not cooperating on the free stack though. Still gorgeous on the move.

10:05pm My annual rant about standard poodles.... They belong in the sporting group. I would gladly trade the american cockers to the non-sporting group for the standard poodle. Now THAT would spice things up a bit.

10:09pm Eleanor howling again.... Will wait and see if she's still screaming when the group is done.

10:11pm I really don't have a clue but a poodle is always a safe bet. Love the Chow Chow though. It's easier to guess when I know something about the judge.

10:13pm I am three for three in choosing group winners. It's one of my few skills. Too bad there's no OTB for this. And Eleanor went back to sleep.

10:24pm Herding now in the ring, the last group of the night. If you're thinking about a border collie, or any of these dogs, and you live in a city, where are you going to keep the sheep? These dogs need jobs and if you don't give them one, they will make stuff up. You won't what they come up with.

10:26pm The australian cattle dog handler used to show Chewy. He's finally bought a new tie. He's wearing the same tie in every show photo I have ever seen of him with Chewy.

Kind of like that australian shepherd, but I have never read the standard.

10:28pm I love beardies! Someday there could be a beardie bounce in my life. I have a good friend who is a breeder and would send me one in a heartbeat. Maybe when the kids are older. So many breeds, so little time.

10:39pm Nothing is grabbing me in this group. At least no one has pooped in the ring yet.

10:43pm Smokin', the old english sheepdog was pacing on the down part of the down and back. Yikes!

10:45pm I like the puli best, followed by the australian shepherd. The GSD will probably win though.

10:51pm Not surprisingly, the OES didn't make the cut. Nice dog, but not showing his best tonight.

10:53pm No guts, no glory. I should have gone out on a limb and called it for the aussie but I was trying to play it safe...always my downfall. I'll have to settle for three out of four.

Same time tomorrow....