After coming close in the last two years, Monty the giant schnauzer won the top prize at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show Tuesday night, leaving handler and co-owner Katie Bernardin almost too emotional to speak.
"He always tries so hard, and we’re just proud of him," she told the crowd at Madison Square Garden.
The spirited schnauzer bested six other finalists to become the first of his breed to take what is considered the most prestigious best in show trophy in the US dog show world. The spirited schnauzer won the huge American Kennel Club championship in December, and he’d been a Westminster finalist twice before.
A standout because of "everything from his attitude to his structure," Monty is bold, cocky and fun, according to co-owner Sandy Nordstrom.
"He’s just a really cool dog," she said in an interview before his win, which will be his last. The 5-year-old is retiring from showing.
The runner-up was, for the third time, a whippet known as Bourbon. Other finalists included a bichon frisé called Neal, a Skye terrier named Archer, and a shih tzu called Comet who’s been a finalist before.
Also in the mix were a German shepherd named Mercedes, who came in second last year, and an English springer spaniel called Freddie.
Each dog at Westminster is judged according to how closely it matches the ideal for its breed. Winners get a trophy, ribbons and bragging rights, but no cash prize....
Every dog at Westminster is a titled champion, but they also are household pets. Some also do therapy work, search-and-rescue or other canine jobs.
"A good German shepherd is an all-purpose dog," said co-breeder and co-owner Sheree Moses Combs of Wardensville, West Virginia. Some of her pups have become service dogs for wounded veterans, she said.
"Dog shows are fun, but that is what our breed is all about," she said.
Big dogs had their day at Westminster on Tuesday, when "working" breeds had their turns in the ring. First-round competitor Brina, for instance, is a 158-pound (71.6 kilogram) Neapolitan mastiff.
"I've been struck by this breed since I was 12. ... They're so unique," owner Yves Belmont, Ph.D., said as Brina napped in her crate, equipped with a two-gallon (7.5-liter) water bucket.
With their size, jowly heads and guard-dog history, the breed was developed to be imposing. But Belmont, who currently has several of them at his family's Atlanta-area home, said he also is impressed by their intelligence.
A trip to Westminster is a reminder of dogs' variety, even just among purebreds. The same day Brina competed, Tyra the miniature bull terrier also strutted her stuff. Formally called GCH CH Rnr’s Top Model, she's named after fashion model Tyra Banks.
The hardy terrier breed is "a big dog in a small package, but they always keep you smiling," said owner and co-breeder Jessica Harrison of Austin, Texas. Asked where the 2-year-old Tyra falls on the mischief meter, Harrison smiled, "like a nine, for sure."
"You can't be upset with them because they're just so cute," she said as Tyra rolled on her back to get a belly rub from a passerby at the Javits Center, the convention venue that hosted the first-round judging of each breed.
Regardless which dog gets the trophy at Westminster, others also have scored points with the crowd.
During two nights of semifinals, spectators shouted out breeds and names of canine competitors as if they played for one of the pro teams that call the Garden home, the NBA’s New York Knicks and NHL’s New York Rangers.
"Love you, Lumpy!" someone yelled to a Pekingese named Lumpy, who earned laughs for his ambling gait.
The arena erupted with cheers for a golden retriever named Tuffy, a representative of a popular breed that has never won. Calaco, a Xoloitzcuintli, got huge applause for a confident performance that also earned him some recognition from the judge. Xoloitzcuintlis (pronounced shoh-loh-eets-KWEEN’-tlees), are hairless dogs with deep roots in Mexico.
A Doberman pinscher called Penny got whoops of approval from spectators, too. Despite her dignified, focused appearance, Penny can be "a mush," breeder and co-owner Theresa Connors-Chan of Ontario, Canada, said earlier in the day.
Westminster also featured agility and obedience championships, held Saturday. The agility prize went to a border collie named Vanish, and an Australian shepherd called Willie triumphed in obedience.
