An Ocala trainer and her dog, who previously came in fourth place at the world’s most prestigious dog show, will return this week to compete for the ultimate prize once again.
Trainer Bridget Kennedy and her Labrador Retriever, Nolan, will make the trip to New York City to compete in the 149th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this week.
The show takes place from Saturday, February 8, through Tuesday, February 11.
Nolan will participate in the 12th Annual Masters Agility Championship Preliminaries, which will be broadcast on FOX Sports on February 8 at 4:30 p.m. The Labrador is one of 350 dogs scheduled to compete in the preliminary competition.
Each dog will compete in two qualifying rounds consisting of a Standard Agility course and a Jumpers and Weavers course. The 10 dogs with the highest combined scores from each height class will move on to the “Championship Round,” which will consist of 50 dogs.
The winner will earn a $5,000 donation to the American Kennel Club training location of their choice or the AKC Humane Fund. A donation of $1,000 is made in the names of the Highest-Scoring All-American Dog, as well as the four other first-place dogs in their height classes, according to Westminster.
Nolan has been competing successfully for multiple years. He made his debut appearance at Westminster in 2023, where he was the youngest of 50 dogs who made the finals of the 24″ jumping class. The young Labrador Retriever came in fourth place in that event.
In 2023, Nolan competed in the AKC Agility Invitational in Orlando, where he had four clean runs and finished 3rd in the 24″ jumping finals.
Kennedy owns and operates Kennedy Performance Dogs. She offers private lessons and hosts various classes and workshops out of Little Brook Farms in Ocala.
Established in 1877, the Westminster Kennel Club is billed as America’s oldest non-profit organization dedicated to the sport showing of dogs. The iconic dog show is the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the United States.
“The Club’s mission is to enhance the lives of all dogs by celebrating the companionship of dogs and promoting responsible dog ownership and breed preservation,” reads a statement from the organization’s website.
To watch and support Nolan, visit the Westminster Kennel Club online. For more information on Kennedy or her training services, visit Kennedy Performance Dogs online.