Baldwin’s Bitzy to compete at Westminster this month

A Baldwin resident will be competing in the first Masters Agility Championship at Westminster in New York City on Saturday, Feb. 8, as part of the famed Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show week.

Yolando Russell and her Maltese, Bitzy, will be a part of the club’s agility trial that takes place on the Saturday before the 138th Annual Westminster Kennel Club All Breed Dog Show. Yolando and Bitzy recently completed their one-year agility anniversary during which they progressed from novice to masters. The trial is limited to dogs competing at excellent or master level, which includes both purebred and mixed breed dogs. The mixed breed category is especially significant, bringing non-purebred dogs to a Westminster event for the first time since the very earliest days of its show.

The finals of the agility trial will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 on Feb. 8, from 7 to 9 p.m., live from Pier 94.

The Westminster Kennel Club’s first-ever agility trial precedes Westminster’s 138th Annual All Breed Show, which will be held in the same location (and also in the evenings at Madison Square Garden) on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 10 and 11. The finals of the All Breed Show will be televised live both nights from 8-11 p.m. on CNBC (Monday) and USA Network (Tuesday).