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A 'PBGV' Wins Westminster Dog Show, A First For The Breed
NEW YORK — This Buddy Holly no longer has to sigh, "That'll be the day."
A petit basset griffon Vendéen named for the late rock 'n' roll legend won won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show Tuesday night, a first for the rabbit-hunting breed.
Buddy Holly bested six other finalists to garner the most prestigious dog show award in the United States. PBGVs, as they're known for short, are the 154th most prevalent purebreds in the country, according to recent American Kennel Club rankings.
"I never thought a PBGV would do this," handler and co-owner Janice Hayes said. "Buddy Holly is the epitome of a show dog. Nothing bothers him."
Indeed, his white-tipped tail didn't stop wagging while he competed in stadium where the U.S. Open tennis tournament's top matches are played. Not even while he posed for countless pictures after a win that Hayes called "so surreal."
"We're so proud of him," she said.
His competitors included Rummie, a Pekingese that came in second after aiming to bring home the third trophy in 11 years for his small-but-regal breed — and for handler, owner and breeder David Fitzpatrick. He guided Pekes Malachy and Wasabi to Westminster wins in 2012 and 2021, respectively.
Rummie is "true to Pekingese type, lots of carriage, presence — everything in one, here," he said Monday.
Winston the French bulldog was gunning for the title after coming oh-so-close last year. An Australian shepherd named Ribbon, an English setter called Cider, a giant schnauzer named Monty and an American Staffordshire terrier called Trouble also were in the pack of contenders.
If Buddy Holly was feeling the pressure, he wasn't letting it show ahead of the finals. Instead, he seemed more concerned late Tuesday afternoon with playing with his people and rejecting the notion of a nap in his crate.
"He just screams PBGV," Hayes said. "They're just very independent but very charming and just silly. Their goal is to make you laugh every day."
Originally from France, the small hounds were traditionally rabbit-hunters. (Their name means "low-lying, wire-haired dog from the Vendée region" and is pronounced peh-TEE' bah-SAY' grihf-FAHN' vahn-DAY'-ahn.)
Buddy Holly — so named because "he's a buddy," breeder Gavin Robertson explained — has also lived and competed in his native United Kingdom and in Ireland and Australia.
About 2,500 dogs of 210 breeds and varieties vied for the trophy. Among the breeds up for semifinal group judging Tuesday night was the newly eligible bracco Italiano, won by a dog co-owned by country music star Tim McGraw.
Besides the chosen finalists, there were other fan favorites, too.
There was the bloodhound that bowed deeply before a judge, the golden retriever cheered by the breed's many fans, and the spunky German shorthaired pointer that did a few leaps before its lap around the ring. Spectators applauded 10-year-old handler Audra Maes and her shiba inu and breeder/owner/handler Alexandria Mitchell and her Ibizan hound. They made the judge's first cut, an accomplishment at a show where many exhibitors handle other people's dogs as a career.
The Westminster show, held this year at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, also includes obedience and agility competitions that are open to mixed-breed dogs.
And what was next for Buddy Holly? A good night's sleep, "upside down, rolling in pillows," Hayes said.
"He just gets to go back to being a dog."
Westminster Dog Show 2023: Photos From Behind The Scenes
Our reporter caught up with Striker the Samoyed, a blindingly white confection of fluff and enthusiasm who stole last year's show with his goofy joie de vivre. He fell just short of the top spot at Westminster in consecutive years, but the now-retired champion is busy playing, romping, posing and shedding.
Westminster Dog Show: Top Dogs Compete For Best In Show
Watch: The moment Sage the miniature poodle wins Westminster dog show
There will be a new top dog on Tuesday night when the Best in Show trophy is awarded at the 2024 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Over 2,500 dogs from all 50 US states competed this year to take the prestigious title.
Tuesday's judging follows the selection of seven semi-finalists from different breed groups.
The ultimate winner will be announced on Tuesday night in Flushing, New York, outside Manhattan.
The Westminster Kennel Club is America's oldest organisation dedicated to showing dogs. The show is the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the US after the Kentucky Derby.
This year marks the 148th annual show. It has been broadcast on television since 1948, and this year airs on FOX, FS1 and FS2, and can be streamed at FOXSports.Com or the FOX Sports app.
The breeds with the largest number of entries this year are chihuahuas, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, vizslas, dachshunds, French bulldogs, Australian shepherds and Rhodesian ridgebacks.
Dogs entered the competition from all across the United States, with the most entries coming from Florida, New York, California, Pennsylvania and Texas.
In the preliminary rounds, dogs compete against others of the same breed before moving on to the next round where they are judged in seven groups.
In the final round, which ends with the crowning of Best in Show, the winner from each of the seven groups goes head-to-head in the ring.
Ham, a toy poodle from Pennsylvania, competes in the Toy Group during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Judges determine winners using a written description of the ideal breed, according to the Westminster Kennel Club. Winners are selected based on how well a dog fits the standard as well as how they perform that day.
Two dogs who were semi-finalists last year are competing again in the 2024 contest. Trouble, an American Staffordshire terrier, won first place in the terrier group and Monty, a giant schnauzer, won in the Working Group last year.
There are no cash prizes, but the winner does receive bragging rights and a trophy. For certain categories, like in agility and obedience, winners can direct a $5,000 Westminster donation to a training club of their choosing or to the American Kennel Club Humane Fund.
Here are this year's winners so far, vying for Best in Show Tuesday night. The remaining groups - Sporting, Working and Terrier - will be judged during the day on Tuesday:
Sven, an old English sheepdog from Colorado, prepares to compete during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
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