Monty the Giant Schnauzer wins Westminster Dog Show: NPR

New York – this time the gigantic Schnauzer went full Monty.

After getting close to the last two years, the gigantic Schnauzer won the top prize at Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Tuesday night, leaving the trades and co -owner Katie Bernardin almost too emotional to speak.

“He always tries so hard and we’re just proud of him,” she told the audience at Madison Square Garden.

The exciting Schnauzer passed six other finalists, the first of his race to be tapped as Westminster’s best in the show, the most prestigious award in the American dog show world. The exciting Schnauzer won the huge American Kennel Club Championship in December, and he had been a Westminster twice before.

A prominent because of “everything from his attitude to his structure”, Monty is bold, Cocky and Fun, according to co -owner Sandy Nordstrom.

“He’s just a really cool dog,” she said in an interview before his victory, which will be his last. The 5-year-old retires from showing.

The runner was for the third time a whippet known as bourbon. Other finalists included a Bichon Frisé called Neal, a Skye Terrier named Archer, and a Shih Tzu called Comet, who has been a finalist before.

Also in the mixture was a German shepherd named Mercedes, who came on the second last year, and an English jumps Spaniel called Freddie.

Each dog in Westminster is judged by how close it matches the ideal of its breed. The winners get a trophy, tape and boasting, but no cash prize.

In a break between semi -final rounds, the security staff surrounded someone along the ring. The group’s people for ethical treatment of animals that have protested for the dog show for years said X that a supporter was removed after holding a sign.

Westminster says it is celebrating all dogs. The showmaster competing is also pets, and some perform therapy works, search-and-rescue or other dog jobs.

“A good German Shepherd is an all-purpose dog,” said Mercedes’ co-breeding and co-owner Sheree Moses Combs from Wardensville, West Virginia. Some of her puppies have become service dogs for wounded veterans, she said.

“Dog show is fun, but that’s what our race is all about,” she said.

While Monty got this year’s trophy, other hopefuls also scored points with spectators.

Over the course of two nights of semi -final, spectators shouted races and names of dog competitors, as if they were playing for one of the Pro teams that call Garden Home, NBA’s New York Knicks and NHLS New York Rangers.

“Love you, lumpy!” Someone yelled at a Pekingese named Lumpy who made fun of his ambing gang.

The arena broke out with cheer for Penny Doberman Pinscher and for a Golden Retriever named Tuffy, a representative of a popular race that has never won. She also got some recognition from the judge, like another crowd favorite, Calaco the Xoloitzcuintli. His race (pronounced Shoh-Loh-Eets-Köre’-Tlees) are hairless dogs with deep roots in Mexico.

A trip to Westminster is a reminder of dogs black, even just among purebreds. While they were big, “working” dogs had their day in Westminster on Tuesday, Terrier did too.

First round competitor Brina, for example, is a 158 pounds (71.6 kg) Neapolitan mastiff. The sharp breed was developed to be an impressive watchdog, but Brina’s owner, Yves Belmont, PhD, said he is also impressed with its intelligence. He holds several of the dogs in his home in the Atlanta area.

“I’ve been hit by this race since I was 12 years old … They’re so unique,” Belmont said, when Brina escaped in her box, equipped with a two-gallon (7.5-liter) water bucket.

Meanwhile, Tyra The Miniature Bull Terrier also strolled her stuff in a first round ring. Formally called Gch Ch rnr’s top model, she is named after fashion model Tyra Banks.

The Hardy Terrier Race is “a big dog in a small package, but they always keep you smiling,” said the owner and co-breed Jessica Harrison of Austin, Texas. When asked where the 2-year-old Tyra falls on the mischief meter, Harrison smiled: “Like a nine, for sure.”

“You can’t be sorry for them because they are just so cute,” she said when Tyra rolled on his back to get a belly from a passer -by in the Javits Center, the conference venue that hosted the first round that convicted every race.

Westminster also contained agility and obedience championships held on Saturday. The Agility Prize went to a border collie named Vanish, and an Australian shepherd called Willie triumphed in obedience.