Sacramento’s Adrian Woodfork to judge the Westminster Kennel Dog Show
A LOT OF US LOVE WATCHING DOG SHOWS. THE PRANCING, THE PERFECT POSTURE, THE TROPHIES. BUT WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES ONE DOG STAND OUT OVER ANOTHER? WELL, WE’RE GOING TO FIND OUT BECAUSE WE HAVE A REAL JUDGE JOINING US, ADRIAN WOODFORK WITH THE WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW. JOINING US RIGHT NOW. AND THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR FIRST YEAR JUDGING THE WESTMINSTER, ALTHOUGH YOU’VE BEEN A JUDGE FOR OTHER DOG SHOWS FOR DECADES. THAT’S RIGHT. YES. THIS IS QUITE AN HONOR TO JUDGE THE WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW FOR ANY JUDGE. AND I AM I’M JUST VERY HAPPY TO BE THERE. THE WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW IS AN ICONIC EVENT FOR MANY REASONS, MAINLY BECAUSE IT’S THE SECOND OLDEST SPORTING EVENT IN THE COUNTRY. THIS WILL BE THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW. WOW! THE PRESTIGE AND THE HONOR TO EVEN BE PICKED BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE PICKED. YOU CAN’T ASK TO BE A JUDGE. YOU HAVE TO BE PICKED LIKE YOU WERE. AND THIS LOVE OF DOG SHOWS STARTED FOR YOU WHEN YOU STARTED SHOWING YOUR DOGS WHEN YOU WERE JUST A KID, RIGHT? YES. I WAS 12 YEARS OLD. I WENT TO MY FIRST DOG SHOW WITH MY LITTLE PET DACHSHUND, AND I DECIDED SACRAMENTO OR WAS IT? WELL, IT WAS AT TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, BUT ONE OF MY FIRST SHOWS WAS HERE IN SACRAMENTO, AND I DECIDED AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW WHAT? I REALLY LOVE THIS HOBBY. AND SO I CONTINUED TO SHOW. AND THEN I BECAME A BREEDER OF DOBERMAN PINSCHER, WELL, DACHSHUNDS AND DOBERMAN PINSCHERS. AND THEN I DECIDED, YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK I’D LIKE TO BE A JUDGE. AND SO YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH ORAL TESTS, WRITTEN TESTS, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROBATION PERIOD AND, AND I’VE BEEN DOING IT NOW FOR 27 YEARS. THAT’S AMAZING. AND DO YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHEN THOSE TESTS. YOU HAVE TO KNOW ALL THE DIFFERENT BREEDS AND WHAT ALL THE DIFFERENT SPECIFICATIONS FOR EACH BREED. SO LET’S SAY LET’S SAY FOR GERMAN SHEPHERD, BOTH EARS HAVE TO BE STANDING UP, RIGHT? YEAH. MY DOG IS OUT PLUMAS OUT. SO THAT’S JUST ONE OF THE QUALIFICATIONS. BUT WELL, I’LL JUST SAY THIS I JUDGE THE WORKING GROUP AND THAT’S ABOUT 28 BREEDS. AND I MY SPECIALTY, OF COURSE, IS THE DOGS THAT I BREED, WHICH ARE DOBERMANS. AND YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE AKC PUTS OUT A STANDARD FOR EACH BREED, AND YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE THE DOG THAT COMES THE CLOSEST TO THAT STANDARD. WOW. YOU KNOW, LIKE THE NECK HAS TO FIT INTO THE SHOULDERS, RIGHT? THE TAIL SET HAS TO BE SO AND SO. MY PROCESS OF JUDGING THESE DOGS IS THE DOG THAT COMES THE CLOSEST TO THE STANDARD, PLUS AND MINUSES IS WHAT I HAVE IN MY HEAD. THE DOG THAT HAS THE MOST PLUSES THAT’S THE DOG WHO’S GOING TO WIN. I DON’T FAULT JUDGE, WHICH IS TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT DOG IS HIS COAT IS ALL WRINKLED UP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. NO, I, I GO WITH THE PLUSES. YOU LOOK FOR THE POSITIVES FIRST. ALWAYS. RIGHT? YES. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DOG TO JUDGE? IS IT THE DOBERMANS OR. WELL IT IS. IT’S ALL WORKING BREEDS. I’M QUALIFIED AND CERTIFIED TO DO THE WORKING GROUP. YEAH. AND I WILL BE JUDGING SEVEN BREEDS AT THE WESTMINSTER SHOW REALLY QUICK. WHAT ARE THE SEVEN? THE SEVEN ARE THE ALASKAN MALAMUTE BAUBLES. THE CARNEGIE CASTLES, DOBERMAN PINSCHERS, THE GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOGS AND A COUPLE MORE. A COUPLE OTHER ONES. BUT HE’S GOING TO BE VERY BUSY. HE’S GOT TO GET ON A PLANE. HE’S GOT TO GET TO THE WESTMINSTER KENNEL DOG SHOW. IT WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE JAVITS CENTER IN NEW YORK CITY. THEY START DOING THE JUDGING JANUARY 31ST, BUT THE REAL SHOWS FEBRUARY 2ND AND FEBRUARY 3RD. ADRIAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. WHAT AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU HERE. YOU ARE GOING TO BE ONE OF THE JUDGES, SO MAKE SURE YOU WATCH IT WHE
Sacramento’s Adrian Woodfork to judge the Westminster Kennel Dog Show
Updated: 4:49 PM PST Jan 27, 2026
The 150th Westminster Kennel Dog Show is scheduled to take place at the Javits Center in New York City on Jan. 31, Feb. 2, and Feb. 3.Adrian Woodfork, the former KCRA 3 reporter and host, is a show dog breeder and has judged competitions for 27 years. This year, he’ll be a judge for the Westminster Kennel Dog Show for the first time. He called it “quite an honor” because the show is the second-oldest sporting event in the country. Woodfork said he went to his first dog show at Travis Air Force Base at age 12 and went on to become a breeder of Dachshunds and Dobermann Pinchers. He became a dog show judge after passing oral and written tests and after a probation period, he said. Woodfork said he judges the working group of dogs, which features 28 breeds. He’ll be judging seven breeds at Westminster, he said. See more in the video above.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
The 150th Westminster Kennel Dog Show is scheduled to take place at the Javits Center in New York City on Jan. 31, Feb. 2, and Feb. 3.
Adrian Woodfork, the former KCRA 3 reporter and host, is a show dog breeder and has judged competitions for 27 years.
This year, he’ll be a judge for the Westminster Kennel Dog Show for the first time. He called it “quite an honor” because the show is the second-oldest sporting event in the country.
Woodfork said he went to his first dog show at Travis Air Force Base at age 12 and went on to become a breeder of Dachshunds and Dobermann Pinchers.
He became a dog show judge after passing oral and written tests and after a probation period, he said.
Woodfork said he judges the working group of dogs, which features 28 breeds. He’ll be judging seven breeds at Westminster, he said.
See more in the video above.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel