May 9 (Reuters) – Buddy Holly’s young Griffon Fenden won Best in Show Tuesday at the 147th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, beating out more than 3,000 dogs of 210 different breeds and types to win the prestigious American prize.
A six-year-old from Palm Springs, California, Buddy Holly became the first of his breed to win. The dogs were bred to track hares in the Vendée department in western France.
Janice Hayes, the dog’s co-owner and handler, said after the show, “I never thought PBGV would do that.”
Each breed produces a winner, representing the best that artificial selection can create from the descendants of wolves.
The breed winners are separated into seven groups to determine the best finalists for the show: Hound, Game, Non-Sporting, Herding, Sport, Working and Terrier.
[1/11] Buddy Holly, a tiny Griffon Fenden, celebrates after winning Best of Show competition, May 9. Reuters/Eduardo Munoz
The Hounds group was won by Buddy Holly.
The award for best in show, or runner-up, went to the winner of the game group, a Pekingese named Romy, from breeder and owner David Fitzpatrick.
Judges examine the dogs up close, place their hands on the animal, and then watch handlers lead them around the grounds, grading them according to breed standards in terms of appearance, temperament, size, coat, and other characteristics.
The show, which dates back to 1877 and has become a staple annual television event, was held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the New York City borough of Queens, site of the US Open tennis tournament.
Traditionally held at Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan, the parade upstate has been moved to a smaller arena on the vast grounds of Lyndhurst Mansion over the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta). Editing by Clarence Fernandez
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