Great Barrington Man Among Judges at Westminster Dog Show
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Resident Thomas W. Coen is among the judges at the 147th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City on May 8-9.
The dog show is set to return to New York City at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows –Corona Park in Queens. In his third judging assignment at Westminster, Coen will judge the Herding Group live on FS1 during the evening competition on Monday, May 8. His Herding Group winner will advance to the Best in Show competition held Tuesday evening, May 9, live on FS1.
Coen became interested in the world of purebred dogs at the age of 12 and whelped his first Shetland sheepdog litter in 1964 while still in high school on Long Island, N.Y. Over the past five decades of breeding Shetland sheepdogs, under the Madega prefix, has bred or owned seven National Specialty Best of Breed winners, eight All-Breed Best in Show winners, and more than 20 Register of Merit producers, including the breed's All-Time Top Sire.
After graduating from college, Coen taught art on the junior high level outside of Woodstock, N.Y. He obtained his handler's license in 1970, and that was the beginning of an career that spanned 30 years. In 2000, he retired from handling and received his AKC judging license. He is approved to judge the Herding Group, Dachshunds, and Best in Show.
Coen has had the honor of judging Best of Breed at the Collie and Australian Shepherd National Specialties and twice at the Shetland Sheepdog National Specialty. His judging assignments and his "Quest For Quality" seminar have taken him to Canada, Japan, China, Denmark, Norway, and Brazil.
For 2023, Westminster Week returns to New York City kicking off with Canine Celebration Day on Saturday, May 6, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The day commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Masters Agility Championship and the 8th annual Masters Obedience Championship with new family events like dock diving, a breed showcase, and a demo ring for visitors to see herding, scent work and freestyle obedience.
The breed competitions will take place at the same location on Monday, May 8, (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding Breeds and Group judging) and Tuesday, May 9, (Sporting, Working, Terrier Breeds, Junior Showmanship Finals, and Group judging followed by Best in Show).
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