John Strong Takes Over as the Voice of Westminster

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has a new voice in the arena.

John Strong will take over as in-venue show announcer — the live voice that guides the crowd through judging inside the venue — starting with the 151st show in New York City in early 2027. He succeeds Michael J. LaFave, who held the title of Voice of Westminster for 25 years, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Strong is best known to sports fans as Fox Sports' lead soccer play-by-play announcer, meaning the commentator who describes the action ball by ball. He has called the FIFA World Cup and Major League Soccer.

Dog show viewers will know him too. Strong has called play-by-play for the Masters Agility Championship for Fox and hosted the Best of Breed competition for the past seven years. He made his Westminster debut at the 144th show in 2020 and returned for later editions, including the agility competition at the 149th show alongside analyst Carrie DeYoung, according to Fox Sports.

The next show keeps its split across two venues. Daytime breed competitions, where dogs are judged against the standard for their breed, begin on Jan. 30 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Those rounds will stream live on the club's website and YouTube channel.

The prime-time rounds move uptown. Evening group judging and Best in Show will be held at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 1-2 and will stream live on Netflix. The 14th annual Masters Agility Championship, the timed obstacle course that has become a fan favourite, will be taped and streamed on Netflix at a later date.

Westminster is the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the United States, behind only the Kentucky Derby.

For fans in the building, this means a familiar face in a new role. Strong has spent years explaining quick, technical runs to a television audience. Now he will do it for the crowd in the room as more than 200 breeds move through the ring.