- Marilyn Van Vleit will be a judge at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
- She was selected after a 40-year career as a dog trainer, breeder, and judge.
- She will judge six breeds in the Herding Group.
Marilyn Van Vleit received the prestigious invitation in late 2023 but had to keep it secret for more than six months, then wait another seven months before packing her bags for New York.
The Salem woman is about to step inside the ring as a judge at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
The assignment at the Super Bowl of dog shows is something Van Vleit never dared dream of in her 40-year career as first a trainer, then a breeder and a judge.
“I’ve watched it on television for all of my dog years,” she said. “It was the thing to rush home to and watch.”
More than 2,500 dogs representing 201 breeds, from miniature poodles to Irish wolfhounds, will compete at the Westminster Dog Show, the second-oldest continuously held sporting event in the United States to only the Kentucky Derby.
The show is part invitation-only with the top five-ranked dogs in each breed invited. The rest are selected through a lottery system. Only dogs who have racked up enough points in other competitions are eligible to enter.
The breeds are divided into seven groups — Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding — with the winner from each advancing to compete for the coveted Best of Show title.
Judges need not apply at Westminster
Since Westminster has the reputation of bringing in the best dogs and exhibitors, it follows that they would bring in the best judges.
Judges do not apply. They are selected. For most, it is considered the pinnacle of their career.
Van Vleit said she was not told why she was selected, and she has no clue how the selection process works.
She received an unexpected letter from the Westminster Kennel Club, dated Dec. 5, 2023, inviting her to be a breed judge in the Herding Group at the 2025 event.
Her assignment, if she chose to accept it, would be to judge six breeds: Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Collie Rough, Collie Smooth, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Pumik and Shetland Sheepdog.
Van Vleit signed the contract that same day and faxed it in.
By signing, she agreed to keep it a secret until the panel of judges was released to the news media, which didn’t happen until June 2024, and to not accept any similar AKC judging assignments leading up to the 2025 show.
Showing and breeding dogs leads to judging
Van Vleit is among a panel of 38 judges from 16 states and four countries, as published in the “Premium List” pamphlet she shared with the Statesman Journal.
All are established and experienced, with decades of participating in dog shows, breeding and raising multiple litters of dogs, producing champions, completing courses in canine anatomy, and passing written tests and oral interviews for each breed they judge.
“It’s like getting a doctorate,” Van Vleit said. “To be able to describe all the details of a breed, what the eye should look like, when the color is right, when it’s not right.”
Van Vleit’s passion for the sport began more than four decades ago with a German Shepherd she trained in obedience, which quickly expanded to conformation and handling. Conformation is the fancy term for dog shows, events where purebred dogs are judged on how well they compare or “conform” to the official breed standards.
She initially bred German Shepherds, but the Pembroke Welsh Corgi eventually captured her heart. Her dogs went on to produce numerous specialty, national and group winners. She also has produced several winning Cardigan Welsh Corgis.
Becoming a judge was a natural progression after having success breeding and showing dogs.
She has nearly 20 years of experience as a dog show judge. The first breed she was approved to judge was Pembroke Corgis. The first show she judged was in 2006 in California.
Since then, she has been approved to judge about 70 breeds, primarily in the Herding and Hound groups, and Best in Show. She has judged in nine countries, including Russia.
What exactly are dog show judges looking for?
A judge’s job is to evaluate how well a dog exemplifies the ideal specimen breed, including physical appearance, movement and temperament.
A standard, or written description, is approved by the American Kennel Club. Dog show judges use it to pick a winner.
“The better the dogs are, the more challenging the judging is because then you have to get down to really finite qualities,” Van Vleit said.
Judges have studied the standard for each breed, which details everything from height to length proportions and type of coat to how the ears should be set, and the eyes shaped. They examine each dog from teeth to tail.
Temperament is important, too, with judges assessing the dog’s gait and attitude.
“It looks as if you’re judging dog against dog, but you’re supposed to be finding the virtues and seeing the one that is most virtuous toward the breed,” Van Vleit said.
So, what makes a good judge?
“It’s like any other sport, art or music. You train to do it,” Van Vleit said. “But if you don’t have some natural talent, there isn’t any matter of training that’s going to get you there.
“If you have an eye for symmetry and understand what a structure should look like and how an animal should move, and remain fair and impartial, and are kind to the dogs and enjoy the exhibitors, making sure you’re smiling and enjoying the day, I think that’s what puts you at a level above.”
Dressing up for the Westminster experience
Judges at Westminster are paid a $400 honorarium and provided commercial air travel, three nights lodging in a New York City hotel and ground transportation.
Van Vleit and her husband, John Mayhall, spent that and more before leaving Salem. She has invitations to three black-tie events, including a dinner at the New York Yacht Club, so she needed a gown and him a tuxedo.
She also needed a new outfit to wear while judging in the ring. A business suit, or slacks and a blouse, would normally suffice, but she felt the Westminster assignment and experience demanded she step it up.
She plans to wear a tailored double-breasted red and black blazer with gold buttons and a black skirt with black stockings and heels.
“They just do everything a little more classy,” Van Vleit said. “Everything’s just a little bit better and a little bit more over the top.”
Her husband, who she met in 2018 at a dog show in California, has provided some insight into what to expect. He’s been to Westminster as a handler but never in the ring as a judge.
Opportunity gives her goosebumps
Van Vleit will step into the ring early Monday morning under the purple and gold glow of the Westminster tradition and the spotlight of TV cameras.
“I have been thrilled and very excited about it,” she said before leaving for New York. “Now I am just kind of nervous. I know what I’m doing when I get in the ring to judge the dogs. I feel confident in that, but it’s just a different setting, a different expectation.
“To have the opportunity to judge those fabulous dogs, all at one time, I just get goosebumps.”
Van Vleit will judge a total of 90 dogs on Monday. Her assigned breeds include a range of nine to 18 dogs in each.
She will select one dog from each of the breeds, and those six dogs advance to the group competition. Four other judges in the Herding Group do the same with their assigned breeds. Then, a group judge selects one dog from its breed winners to compete for Best of Show.
One of the perks of being a judge is ringside seats for the much-anticipated finale.
How to watch 2025 Westminster Dog Show
Coverage of the Westminster Dog Show will air Monday and Tuesday on FOX, FS1 and FS2. All telecasts will be available for subscribers of the FOX Sports app.
Streaming also is available on westminsterkennelclub.org, including breed judging, which is where locals might catch a glimpse of Van Vleit in action.
For the viewing schedule and the breed schedule, visit westminsterkennelclub.org
Capi Lynn is a senior reporter for the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips to her at clynn@statesmanjournal.com, and follow her work on X @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.
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