This time, the giant schnauzer went the full Monty. After coming close in the last two years, Monty the giant schnauzer won the top prize at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show Tuesday night, leaving handler and co-owner Katie Bernardin almost too emotional to speak, the AP reports. "He always tries so hard, and we're just proud of him," she told the crowd at Madison Square Garden.
The spirited schnauzer bested six other finalists to become the first of his breed to take what is considered the most prestigious best in show trophy in the US dog show world. The spirited schnauzer won the huge American Kennel Club championship in December, and he'd been a Westminster finalist twice before. A standout 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 win, which will be his last. The 5-year-old is retiring from showing.
The runner-up 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's been a finalist before. Also in the mix were a German shepherd named Mercedes, who came in second last year, and an English springer spaniel called Freddie. Westminster also featured agility and obedience championships, held Saturday. The agility prize went to a border collie named Vanish, and an Australian shepherd called Willie triumphed in obedience.
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