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A Doberman pinscher named Penny won best in show Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, capturing the U.S. dog show’s most coveted prize. Penny bested six other finalists at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Each dog is judged according to how closely it matches the ideal for its breed. The winner gets a trophy, ribbons, bragging rights and, this year, the distinction of winning the milestone 150th annual Westminster show.
Over the past two days, 2,500 dogs and more than 200 breeds competed. There are seven groups: hound, toy, non-sporting, herding, sporting, working and terrier. The winner from each groups goes on to compete for best in show.
Though only one dog ends up with the grand prize, many others scored meme-able moments or lit up the crowd, even if they didn’t make the finals.
Over two nights of semifinals, spectators cheered extra loud for a Xoloitzcuintli named Calaco, a hairless dog who went around the ring like he had nothing to prove.
A vizsla named Beamer charmed the crowd by hopping into a box set out for his handler’s tools, and then sitting there as if right at home.
Spectators cheered so loud for a golden retriever named Oliver that they drowned out the arena’s announcer.
And chants of “Lumpy! Lumpy!” resounded as Lumpy the Pekingese strolled before a judge.
One dog that made history in the semifinals is Millie, a Danish-Swedish farmdog. The small, spry breed just became eligible for the Westminster show this year, and Millie bested about 10 other farmdogs Tuesday afternoon to get to the evening round.
“It’s been a very exciting journey” to establish the breed in the U.S., said Brita Lemmon, who competed with her farmdog, named Coyote.
A plant nursery owner from Seal Beach, Calif., she got her first farmdog from a Danish breeder in 2000, after looking through an encyclopedia of breeds.
Westminster wins tend to go to pooches with professional handlers or owners with decades or even generations of experience. But just reaching the elite, champions-only show is a major accomplishment in dogdom.
