A bloodhound named Trumpet won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Wednesday, the first time the breed has ever snared US dogdom’s most coveted best in show prize.
Rounding the finalists’ ring with a poised and powerful stride, Trumpet beat a French bulldog, a German shepherd, a Maltese, an English setter, a Samoyed and a Lakeland terrier to take the trophy.
“I was shocked,” said handler, cobreeder and co-owner Heather Helmer, who also goes by Heather Buehner.
Photo: Reuters
The competition was stiff, “and sometimes I feel the bloodhound is a bit of an underdog,” Helmer said.
After making dog show history, does Trumpet have a sense of how special he is?
“I think he does,” his Berlin Center, Ohio-based handler said.
After his victory, Trumpet posed patiently for countless photographs, eventually starting to do what bloodhounds do best — sniff around.
He examined some decorative flowers that had been set up for the pictures, not appearing to find anything of note.
Winston, a French bulldog co-owned by National Football League defensive lineman Morgan Fox, took second in the nation’s most prestigious dog show.
“I’m just so proud of him and the whole team,” Fox said by text afterward.
Fox, who was just signed by the Los Angeles Chargers, and has played for the Los Angeles Rams and the Carolina Panthers, got Winston from his grandmother Sandy Fox.
She has bred and shown Frenchies for years.
Morgan Fox grew up with one and said that as he watched Winston mature, he knew the dog was a winner in appearance and character.
He went into Westminster as the top-ranked dog in the country.
“He’s a joy to be around,” Morgan Fox said by telephone before Winston’s award. “He always walks around with as much of a smile on his face as a dog can have.”
The seven finalists also included Striker, a Samoyed that also made the finals last year; River, a big-winning German shepherd; MM the Lakeland terrier; Belle the English setter, and a Maltese that clearly was aiming for stardom: Her name is Hollywood.
After topping the canine rankings last year, Striker has lately been hitting a few dog shows “to keep his head in the game,” handler Laura King said.
What makes the snow-white Samoyed shine in competition?
“His heart,” said King, of Milan, Illinois.
“His charisma shows when he’s showing,” and he vocally complains when he’s not, she said.
While he was quiet in the ring, an Alaskan Malamute provided a yowling soundtrack for a semi-final round featuring the Samoyed and other breeds classified as working dogs.
The competition drew more than 3,000 purebred dogs, ranging from affenpinschers to Yorkshire terriers. The goal is to crown the dog that most represents the ideal for its breed.
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