Buddy Holly the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Wins Best in Show at the 2023 Westminster Dog Show
Buddy Holly is the first Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen to win Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show
There's a new top dog at the Westminster Dog Show.
Buddy Holly the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen, also known as the PBGV, won Best in Show at the 147th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Presented by Purina Pro Plan. The prestigious canine competition — the second-longest continuous sporting event in the U.S. — took place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, for the first time.
In 2022 and 2021, the dog show was held at the Lyndhurst Estate, a property along the Hudson River, about 25 miles north of Manhattan, in Tarrytown, New York, due to the pandemic. Before 2021, the Westminster Dog Show occurred at New York City's Madison Square Garden for decades.
On Tuesday night, Buddy Holly —show name CH Soletrader Buddy Holly — triumphed over 2,500 dogs from more than 200 different breeds to win the title. The PBGV won the 2023 Westminster Dog Show alongside his owner and handler, Janice Hayes. Beth Sweigart judged the Best in Show round.
"I want to thank the dogs themselves, who give so much to our lives," Sweigart told the Westminster Dog Show crowd before announcing the Best in Show winner.
After winning the Hound Group earlier in the dog show, the 6-year-old PBGV from Palm Springs, California, moved on to Westminster's Best in Show round with Winston the French Bulldog of the Non-Sporting Group, Rummie the Pekingnese from the Toy Group, Ribbon the Australian Shepherd from the Herding Group, Cider the English Setter from the Sporting Group, Monty the Giant Schnauzer the Working Group, and Trouble the American Staffordshire Terrier from the Terrier Group.
Related:Top Dog! 17 Years of Best in Show Winners from the Westminster Dog Show
Rummie the Pekingese won Reserve Best in Show, the Westminster Dog Show's runner-up title. The young dog was handled by David Fitzpatrick, who led Pekingese dogs Wasabi and Malachy to Westminster victory. Buddy Holly takes the Best in Show throne from Trumpet the Bloodhound, who won the 2022 Westminster Dog Show. Trumpet was the first Bloodhound to win the canine competition.
Related:The 5 Dogs Breeds with the Most Best in Show Wins at the Westminster Dog Show
Other winners from Westminster weekend, which ran from May 6-9 this year, include Baker the Golden Retriever, who won the show's Masters Obedience Championship, and Truant the Border Collie, who took home the Masters Agility Champion title.
Hayes, Buddy Holly's handler, said the dog made her dreams come true with his Westminster win.
"I never thought a PBGV would do this; I've been dreaming about this since I was 9 years old," Hayes told FS1 after her win with Buddy Holly.
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Winners of Best in Show for the Westminster Dog Show traditionally follow up their big night with a morning visit to the Empire State Building, which illuminated purple and gold on Tuesday evening to celebrate the New York dog show. Buddy Holly will also enjoy a champion's lunch on Wednesday at Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
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