2018 Westminster Kennel Club Cup

In 2017, The Westminster Kennel Club dedicated the Westminster Kennel Club Cup, a perpetual trophy to commemorate the win of the AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship. The trophy is an antique Sterling Silver, horn- handled trophy cup, retained by the Westminster Kennel Club and displayed at the AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship. At its inception, Westminster was a sportsmen’s association, with members largely interested in working their sporting dogs in the field. Westminster’s logo is a Pointer named Sensation, a dog that was imported by one of its members in the 1870’s to strengthen American breeding stock.

The AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship is the largest championship field event open to all pointing breeds in the country. The 2018 Champion was “Rudy” a four-year-old male German Shorthaired Pointer, officially known as FC/AFC Riden High Rudy, bred by and owned by Ray Nelson. Rudy was handled to the win by Dan DiMambro at the Mingo Sportsman Club near Bloomingdale, Ohio.