The 148th Westminster Dog Show, the best-known and most prestigious dog show in the world, was held last night. While nearly 3,000 dogs competed in the event, only one could win the top prize of “Best in Show.”
That honor went to Sage, a beautiful black Miniature Poodle who won over judges with her perfectly coiffed fluffy fur.
Sage takes Best in Show
The 4-year-old Sage — full name GCHG Ch Surrey Sage — is handled by Kaz Hosaka, who is renowned for his expert poodle grooming, according to the New York Times.
Sage entered the competition as something of an underdog: she was ranked 39th of all show dogs, and 4th in the non-sporting dogs group. But in the end, she triumphed, taking the prestigious top honor.
According to CNN, Sage is the first female Best in Show winner since 2020, and the fourth Miniature Poodle to win the prize — one of which was Sage’s great-grandmother, Spice, who won Best in Show in 2002.
It’s also the 11th time a poodle of any size has won Best in Show, according to the Times.
The win was extra special for Hosaka, who is retiring from the Westminster competition after 45 years. Thanks to Sage, he’s going out on top.
“Today’s the day — my last show,” Hosaka said, per NBC News. “I’m proud of this dog.”
Mercedes, a German Shepherd, won Reserve Best in Show, the evening’s second-place honor. She was also the winner of the herding group.
Sage joins the ranks of other Best in Show winners, including last year’s winner Buddy Holly and 2022’s winner Trumpet, who made history as the show’s first ever bloodhound to win Best in Show.
Westminster Dog Show
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is the best-known dog show in the world and one of the longest-running sporting events in the United States, behind only the Kentucky Derby: the first even took place in 1877. It has been called the “Super Bowl” of the dog show world.
Competitors are split into seven groups: Hound, Toy, Terrier, Herding, Working, Sporting, and Non-Sporting. The dogs are evaluated by judges, essentially judging them on how well they represent the ideal standard of their breed, from specific physical characteristics to their agility and temperament.
The dogs deemed Best in Breed go on to compete in Best in Group, and the winners from each group then compete for Best in Show.
Many of the most popular dog breeds have surprisingly never taken home Best in Show — including the Labrador retriever, the golden retriever, the dachshund and the French Bulldog.
Conversely, terriers have done very well at the competition, with the Wire Fox Terrier winning a record 15 times and the Scottish Terrier right behind with 8 wins. Terriers also have the most wins by group.
Mixed-breed dog triumphs
While the Westminster only allows purebred, AKC-registered dogs to compete for the top prizes, mixed-breed dogs have been allowed to compete in the agility competition since 2014, where they are called “All-American” dogs.
And this year, one of those dogs made history.
A 6-year-old border collie-papillon mix named Nimble became the first mixed-breed dog to win the Westminster Kennel Club’s Masters Agility Championship, beating out 350 competitors and finishing the race in just 28.76 seconds.
You can watch Nimble’s amazing run below and see the stunned reaction from the crowd and commentators:
It was an inspiring and unexpected victory for a true “underdog.”
“I was surprised,” Nimble’s handler Cynthia Hornor told NPR. “But she proved that she’s the little engine that could.”
Westminster might be all about the purebreds, but Nimble sure showed that mixed-breeds are capable of incredible things. “Agility is the equalizer,” Hornor said. “Mixed-breed dogs can be just as fast as purebred dogs.”
Congratulations to Sage on winning Best in Show, and to all the beautiful dogs who competed in this year’s Westminster Dog Show!
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