Dog named Buddy Holly is first of its breed to win Westminster show

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.

“I never thought PBGV would do that,” Janice Hayes, the dog’s co-owner and handler, said after the show. “Buddy Holly is the epitome of a dog show.”

Each breed produces a winner, representing the best that artificial selection can create from the descendants of wolves.

A red and white Irish Setter dog competes with the Sporting Group during the 147th Dog Show at Westminster Kennel Club in New York, US (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)

The breed winners are divided into seven groups to determine the best finalists: Hounds, Toy, Non-Sporting, Herding, Sporting, Working and Terrier.

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 Bikini Bottom 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.

Chance, a Black Cocker Spaniel, awaits her presentation during the 147th Dog Show at the Westminster Kennel Club. (Reuters/Gena Moon)

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 Palace over the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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