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Scottish deerhound is best in show at Westminster
BEN WALKER, AP Sports Writer |
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
|
NEW YORK (AP) — Hickory just might like the big-city life.
A
Scottish deerhound that loves to chase deer and rabbits on a 50-acre
farm in Virginia did more than fine at Madison Square Garden this week,
winning best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club on Tuesday night and
the title of America's top dog.
"She's not used to lights, camera and noise," handler Angela Lloyd said.
Whatever,
Hickory will get a couple of Manhattan treats on Wednesday — steak at
famed Sardi's restaurant and a trip to the top of the Empire State
Building.
The 5-year-old Hickory became the first of her breed to capture the purple-and-gold ribbon and shiny silver bowl.
By
dog world standards, it was an upset. OK, maybe not quite as big as the
Hickory Huskers winning the Indiana high school state basketball
championship in the film "Hoosiers," but quite a surprise nonetheless.
"I think Hickory could feel my lead that I was excited and went with it," Lloyd said.
Judge
Paolo Dondina of Italy thanked every person and dog inside the arena,
then picked Hickory from a best-of-seven final show ring that truly
sounded international — along with a Scottish deerhound, there was a
Pekingese, Portuguese water dog, Chinese shar-pei, smooth fox terrier,
bearded collie and black cocker spaniel.
A couple of those
pooches on the green carpet ring with Hickory were among the country's
top-rated show dogs. The 85-pound Hickory wasn't on that list, though
she wagged her long tail the most at the end after beating out a total
of nearly 2,600 entries. No doubt, owners Sally Sweatt and Cecilia Dove
and Dr. Scott Dove were equally thrilled after her 16th best-in-show
overall.
"The quality of all of the dogs were outstanding," Dondina said. "This animal is like in the heavens. It's not of this world."
The
135th Westminster was considered a wide-open field from the start. A
smooth fox terrier that was the No. 1 show dog of 2010 recently retired
and an Australian shepherd that won the big AKC/Eukanuba event did not
enter.
Hickory won the hound group Monday night, then had to wait
around all day for her big chance. That was a lot to ask for a kind of
dog that feels most comfortable in the woods, but she clearly managed to
do just fine.
The 31-year-old Lloyd had won at Westminster
before — in 1998, she was honored for her handling in the junior
showmanship for youngsters who hope to work in the dog world.
"People who own, breed, show dogs dream of this day," she said.
Among
the owners who showed earlier in the day: Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, an
Army surgeon who was shot down from a helicopter during the Persian Gulf
War and briefly held as a prisoner of war. She was at the Garden
showing a Gordon setter.
Cornum was clear on which was more difficult, ascending in the show ring or in the military.
"No question, it is dogs," she said.
Sitting
high up in section 118, Linda Melvin kept her eyes fixed on those
Gordon setters competing on the floor. A seat away, her daughter fixated
on her cell phone.
Krista Piller was busy posting on Facebook: "Wants a big dog to win the WKC dog show this year."
"I'll being putting up more, too," Piller wrote.
From
the stands, to the rings to backstage, people were a-twitter — iPads,
Blackberries, Droids and then some at an event that started in 1877.
Signs of social media were everywhere at the Westminster Kennel Club
show.
Proving, in fact, that it is indeed possible to teach an old dog show new tech tricks.
"It is now uploaded!" exclaimed Lorraine Shore of Sequim, Wash.
In town with a pair of German pinschers, her peeps worldwide could see on YouTube how her favorite pooches fared.
"From
Germany to Australia to California, people are waiting for my
postings," she said. "People who have never been here, now they've
experienced Westminster."
Westminster had 49,000 friends on
Facebook by late Tuesday afternoon, said Susi Szeremy of the kennel
club's social media team, and the number quickly zoomed to more than
60,000. There are about 2,400 followers Tweeting along — litters of
twitters.
Ken Roux of Dixon, Ill., made it easy for anyone to
keep track of his Boston terrier at the 135th Westminster event. Hoss
won a best of breed award Monday.
Roux put a tag with a QR code, a
sophisticated set of small squares randomly appearing in a larger
square, on top of his dog's crate. The pattern is more than an inch
square, and anyone pointing a smartphone at the pattern is automatically
taken to Hoss' website.
Brook Berth, an assistant to Hoss'
handler, said she'd heard only one other dog at Westminster had the QR
tag, which stands for "quick response." The new technology allows people
to instantly access the dog's history and contacts.
"I noticed a
lot of people taking pictures," Berth said. "It's just so convenient.
You don't have to worry about people writing down information or passing
out cards. They have it all right away."
The fancy bar codes could become Westminster's trendy bark codes.
"This is the test area," Berth said. "So far, it seems to be a big hit."
reguards
yer at last we know what kind of dog Benson might be pal
bugg