(CNN) – A Pekingese dog named Wasabi won Best Show award on the 145th The annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Sunday.
Reserve status, or runner-up, went to bourbon, the whip.
The Westminster Dog Show is the second oldest ongoing sporting event in the United States, after the Kentucky Derby. It has survived world wars, epidemics, and economic depression. Last year, amid the covid-19 pandemic, the event was moved to June.
The competition was held at Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York. This was the first time the competition had been held outside of New York’s Madison Square Garden, where it has been held every year since 1877. Its venue has been changed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wasabi and Pekingese
Veteran judge and coach Patricia Craig Trotter announced the winner just before 11 p.m. EST on Sunday.
“Without a doubt, the entire dog sport is grateful to the members of the Westminster Kennel Club and their staff for persevering through difficult times for bringing us to such a beautiful place and creating such a spectacle for all ages. Thank you all for all you have done,” Trotter said.
Trotter thanked the dogs, trainers, breeders and organizers for bringing the show to fruition in difficult times.
As dog lovers, we love all dogs. Mixed and purebred breeds. They are all pets. Now, not all pets may be show dogs, but rest assured that every show dog is a pet.
The judge noted that she was delighted to see dogs this year, some of which are descendants of dogs that have competed before.
“I have seen the ancestors of many of these dogs over the years. So for breeders, owners, breeders, trainers, and conditioners, you guys are on top. You all are.”
Wasabi will celebrate his victory
Wasabi breeder David Fitzpatrick told Fox correspondent Sarah Walsh that he will be partying with a 3-year-old Pekingese overnight.
“He’ll have filet mignon and I’ll have champagne,” said Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick, whose other dog, Angel, won Best in Show in 2012, attributed Wasabi’s victory to his individuality.
“He’s just a great dog and he’s been done right. He’s got a knack for showing off,” said Fitzpatrick. “It meets the breed standard. It has that little bit of extra detail, that little bit of shine that defines a dog.”
When asked if he would carry wasabi after Sunday’s win, Fitzpatrick replied: “As much as I need. He deserves his own float.
Group winners
Before a dog can be selected to be the best in the show, it must win the Best of Breed category and then the group category.
The winners in each group on Sunday are:
Hound group: Bourbon the whippet, who won reserve, or runner-up
Grupo: Pekingese Wasabi Award Winner for Best Show
Non-Sporting Group: Matthew the French Bulldog
Herding group: Connor Old English Sheepdog
Athletic group: Jade German short-haired pointer, whose mother CJ was crowned Best in Show 2016
Task Force: Samoyed Striker
Dog group: Chico, West Highland white terrier