TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — Trumpet, a magnificently be-wrinkled and be-jowled bloodhound from Illinois, won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Wednesday night, nosing out a tough crowd of competitors that included a fluffy Samoyed, a silky Maltese and an all-business German shepherd.
Posing before a massive silver cup and a slew of ribbons in the traditional champion’s post-victory glamour shoot, Trumpet had little to say. Trumpet looked like a champion. His lugubrious appearance and quizzical attitude were for no other reason than to enhance his dignity. He was the first bloodhound winner of Westminster.
“I was shocked,” Heather Buehner, Trumpet’s handler, said.
“There were seven beautiful dogs in that ring. You know, I feel like sometimes a bloodhound might be a little bit of an underdog. So I was absolutely thrilled.”
She said that Trumpet participated in his first show for dogs in January.
Winston the French bulldog was named Winston second, which is Best in Show Reserve.
Madison Square Garden is where the show was held, although it used to be in winter. The show moved to Lyndhurst because of pandemic-related reasons, which is a country estate in Lyndhurst. Preliminary rounds were conducted in the outdoor rings. The group and Best in Show rounds were held in a tent with only a few dog enthusiasts.
Although it was not the same year as the usual, the familiar sounds of Frank Sinatra’s singing were there. “New York, New York”The evening ended with a swarm of dogs filling the suburbs. In Midtown, 25 miles to the south, the Empire State Building was lit in purple as a tribute to the dog show.
Trumpet (4 years old) was noticed for his slouching gait and awkward manner. But, many people were drawn to the more lively dogs. Striker, the charismatic Samoyed with blindingly bright white eyes who won one of seven groups of winners, received the largest applause.
The finals of Striker’s competition last year were also reached by Wasabi, another tiny Pekingese.
Trumpet was a champion dog because he had something special. Trumpet is a winner of winning stock. Trigger, his great-grandfather held once the Guinness Book of World Records record for the most long ears in a dog. Trigger’s right ear was 13.75 inches long; his left was 13.5 inches long.
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