Beneath the bright lights and buzzing of anxiety and excitement of the Albany County Fairgrounds, hundreds of dogs padded across the turf this weekend, each step a reflection of years of breeding, training, and unwavering devotion. The annual Laramie Dog Show, a fixture in Wyoming’s dog-lover community, brought together owners, handlers, judges, and enthusiasts from across the nation for three days of competition, camaraderie, and celebration.
While visitors snapped photos of Afghan Hounds and admired the elegance of Rottweilers mid-obedience trial, longtime show organizer Margaret Plumb commented, “I think we’ve been in business for about 50 years. Whether the shows have been uninterrupted, I’m not sure, but we have quite the tradition here in Laramie.”
The show, sanctioned by the American Kennel Club (AKC), is a sprawling enterprise that takes a full year, or more, to coordinate. “It’s actually astonishing, all of the arms that go out to work on various aspects,” Plumb said. “We have to secure the show site, kitchen area, parking, equipment. And then there’s hiring the judges, which is a huge part of it.”
That judge selection process, she noted, is competitive and far-reaching. “We have judges from the East Coast, West Coast, and neighboring states. Occasionally, there’s even one from overseas. Some judges are booked out years in advance.”
Dr. Steven Keating is one of those judges, and a particularly accomplished one. A veteran of the AKC judging circuit, Keating began judging in 1992 and has since worked his way to becoming an all-breed judge, licensed to evaluate all 200-plus recognized breeds.
“It took me longer to go through the AKC process than it did to earn my PhD,” Keating said with a laugh. “And it was much more expensive.”
Raised on a farm in Iowa, Keating’s roots with dogs run deep. His family raised Coonhounds, Brittanys, and German Shorthaired Pointers. “We showed the Coonhounds in field trials and the others in AKC events. That’s where my passion started,” he said. His first foray into dog shows began during his military service in Washington, D.C. “I went to my first AKC show in 1971, just a few days after enlisting.”
His career in judging reflects decades of commitment. “Judging for the AKC is strictly a privilege, it’s not an entitlement,” Keating said. “Some people think that after years of breeding or handling, they deserve to judge. But it’s a rigorous, evolving process. I submitted 22 different applications over 24 years.”
Keating’s analogy? The AKC’s judge training is like a college education. “The first few breeds are undergrad. The next set is grad school. And the final group, that’s your PhD.”
Outside the ring, Keating works with the Department of Veterans Affairs as a clinical psychologist, helping reconnect veterans with care services. “Right now, I’m assigned to Washington, D.C., working to get veterans reconnected to the VA or alternate care systems,” he said. “It’s a pilot program. I’ve been doing it for 20 years.”
Back in Laramie, the show featured not only traditional conformation judging, but also obedience trials, rally competitions, and Fast CAT (a fast-running sport). Plumb emphasized the effort that goes into each event. As a ring steward, she’s responsible for helping everything run smoothly: getting dogs into the ring, ensuring order is followed, and supporting the judges.
“I’ve got to know everything, whether the dog goes on a table, a ramp, or the floor,” she said. “And sometimes we get new breeds. This year, for example, we had the Mudi, a herding dog from Hungary. I’ve got to bone up on that before I sort the groups.”
Though the show centers on purebred dogs and AKC breed standards, both Plumb and Keating pushed back on criticisms that dog shows are outdated or exclusionary. “We don’t see ourselves that way,” Plumb said. “Yes, we celebrate purebred dogs, but we also have obedience and rally events that include mixed breeds and rescue dogs. You can get an AKC number even for an ‘All-American’ dog.”
Agility, while not included in this year’s show due to space constraints, is another area where mixed breeds shine. “I’ve watched agility at Westminster,” said Plumb. “Nothing’s more fun than watching dogs go over the A-frame, through the tunnel, weaving the poles. It’s open to everyone.”
Keating echoed that sentiment: “AKC is always evolving. You’ll see that now by bringing in new breeds or bringing in updated standards. It’s a constant evolving operation, and it is what it is, and we deal with it.”
Plumb agreed. “We’re not snobbish enough to want to exclude anyone. I think the fact that we’ve had to adapt, include new events, and welcome new breeds says a lot. There’s a place for everyone who loves dogs.”
As the show wrapped up Monday afternoon and participants packed their crates and ribbons for the journey home, the spirit of the event lingered in the air. For all its rules, routines, and breed standards, the Laramie Dog Show is, at its core, a celebration of shared passion, both for dogs and the joy they bring to human lives.
And, as Dr. Keating reminded, “If your passion is dogs, you can get through anything.”
