Pitting differing species against each other is like comparing apples and oranges. It seems to me that these ‘competitions’ should entail only in-species competitions.
The breeds compete against each other first in puppy 6-9 months, 10-18 months, open bitch and open dog. So, then it is narrowed down to the “Best of Breed”. Most breeder owner handlers(like my wife and I) are very happy getting this at your typical AKC dog show.
Then the best in breed competes against the other breeds in their respective groups: Sporting, Non Sporting, Hound(beagles group), Working, Toy, Herding and Terrier. This is where the professional handlers tend to win all the time. It is kind of college players trying to play football against all pro NFL players.
Lastly, the winners of each group compete for Best in Show. It is extremely rare when a professional handler does NOT win Best in Show at any dog show, much less Westminster.
FYI, there are bigger dog shows than Westminster. Crufts in Great Britain and The World Dog Show in Milan are considered tops in the world. Westminster is considered tops in the US/North America.
FYI, they never show the breed judging on TV. 2700 canines are entered at the Westminster Dog Show every year. The breeds compete against each other earlier in the day. All you see on TV are the winners of each breed. If you go on the Westminster Kennel Club website you can watch the judging of each individual breed streaming.
It is a little overwhelming. It has taken me years to figure it out.
www.honeypothounds.com