Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Bryan Armen Graham at Madison Square Garden

CJ the German shorthaired pointer named Westminster's Best in Show – as it happened

CJ, a German shorthaired pointer, captured Best in Show honors at the Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday night.

Congrats to CJ and thanks as always for following along with us! Be sure to check back later for a full report of the show and a gallery of the best shots from behind the scenes.

CJ the German Shorthaired Pointer wins Best in Show!

And CJ the German Shorthaired Pointer, a 3-year-old male, wins Best in the Show at the 140th Westminster Kennel Club dog show! It’s the third time this breed has won after 1974 and 2005.

Updated

Reserve Best in Show winner: Lucy the Borzoi

First is the Reserve Best in Show winner ... and it goes to Lucy the Borzoi!

Updated

Meen walks the line, starting on the far end with Rumor and making his way down toward the Bulldog. He stopped briefly at Lucy the Borzoi, then one by one framing up their faces. Undisputed biggest cheers for the Bulldog now. He looks like he’s made his decision but he’s going to have one more look as they make a circuit, starting with the German Shepherd. He’s going to the officials. He’s made up his mind. The die is cast. Waiting on the announcement.

And finally rumbles in Annabelle the Bulldog, who (probably) generates the biggest crowd reaction.

Sixth out of seven is Panda the Shih Tzu, one of two California dogs in the last seven. The breed has won the Toy Group to make the final round five times since being introduced 46 years ago - 1983, 2000, 2001, 2010 and last year – but it’s never won the big prize.

Updated

Lucy the Borzoi makes the circuit followed by Charlie the Skye Terrier, who came so agonizingly close to winning Best in Show last year. Can he break through in 2016?

Bogie the Sammy, I’m told, has won 24 Best in Shows in his career, mostly running riot throughout the New Jersey circuit.

First under the microscope is the German Shepherd, followed by the German Shorthaired Pointer. Both beautifully presented, both with a warm reaction from the crowd.

Dr Richard Meen of Toronto will be judging in assistance with stewards Sean W McCarthy, Thomas H Bradley 3d and David A Helming. Meen walks the line and congratulates each owner ahead of time. Huge cheers from the crowd as the dogs make their circuit around the judge.

The lights go down and it’s time for Best in Show! Each of the seven group winners is announced, one by one: first Rumor the German Shepherd, followed by CJ the German Shorthaired Pointer, Bogie the Samoyed, Lucy the Borzoi, Charlie the Skye Terrier, Panda the Shih Tzu and Annabelle the Bulldog.

We know who friend of the blog Sam from Philly is backing.

Updated

The Best in Show field is finalized

Here are the seven dogs who will compete for the sport’s highest honor in just a few minutes:

  • Lucy the Borzoi, winner of the Hound Group
  • Panda the Shih Tzu, winner of the Toy Group
  • Annabelle the Bulldog, winner of the Non-Sporting Group
  • Rumor the German Shepherd, winner of the Herding Group
  • CJ the German Shorthaired Pointer, winner of the Sporting Group
  • Bogie the Samoyed, winner of the Working Group
  • Charlie the Skye Terrier, winner of the Terrier Group

Updated

Terrier Group winner: Charlie the Skye Terrier

And Charlie the Skye Terrier has made a return to the Best in Show circle! Charlie won the group last year, while capturing the hearts of the crowd, and was named Reserve Best in Show – a sort of runner-up honor that was only installed a few years ago.

Updated

Scottie looks strong.

And Flyckt-Pedersen calls out the Border, the Wire, the Mini Schnauzer, the Scottie, the Skye ... and more. Another tough Terrier group this year.

We’re winding down the Terrier Group and before long judge Geir Flyckt-Pedersen will emerge to choose the group winner, completing this year’s Best in Show field of seven.

The Sealyham Terrier, a breed once owned by Alfred Hitchcock, is up now. Followed by Charlie the Skye Terrier, who won Reserve Best in Show last year. A big fan favorite.

Updated

Six more to go before the Terrier Group winner is named. First the Sophie the Scottish Terrier, a 4-year-old from Florida. “They are not big listeners,” notes the commentator.

Toodles the Parson Russell Terrier, all of 15 months young, gets a good pop from the crowd. Only in the competition since 2001, these dogs have never finished top four in the group. Could tonight be the night?

We’re into the latter half of the Terrier Group, which means Best in Show is probably no more than a half hour away. Here’s the Mexico the Miniature Schnauzer who is from – you guessed it! – Mexico City.

Updated

We’re in the midst of a Terrier run and Ned the Glen of Imaal Terrier prompted cheers from the audience, followed quickly by the Kerry Blue, Lakeland, Standard Manchester and Miniature Bull Terriers.

And here’s the Wire Fox Terrier. These dogs have won Best in Show a total of 14 times since 1877, mostly in the 1920s and 30s but most recently in 2014.

The Colored Bull Terrier, a Best in Show winner as recently as 2006, was a hit with the crowd. Same for the Cairn Terrier and Cesky Terrier (who was born back in 2004!) and Dandie Dinmont Terrier.

Updated

The Border Terrier’s registered name is CH Meadowlake Dark Side of the Moon. Heady.

Onto the final group of the competition, the Terriers, where 32 breeds or varieties will compete. First out of the gate: the Airedale Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Australian Terrier, the wonderfully named Bacon.

Updated

A note from Gloria Greppi, via email:

Come on! The Samoyed winning is not an upset.

Chelsea winning today?That would have been an upset.

Ice cold service, GG. And history would argue differently on the Samoyed!

Never has the Samoyed won the Working Group in the 110 years they’ve been entered in the competition. Until tonight. Only once, back in 1978, has the Samoyed even finished second in the group. Now Bogie is on the verge of winning Best in Show.

Updated

Working Group winner: Bogie the Samoyed

And the Samoyed wins the group in what feels like an upset. The Boxer, Rottweiler and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog placed second, third and fourth, respectively.

Updated

Kenney points for a handful of dogs for closer inspection, among them the Boxer, the Bull Mastiff, the Giant Schnauzer.

While the national TV audience was away for a commercial break, a year’s supply of Purina dog food was just awarded to a lucky fan in Section 115.

Here’s Mr P, the 3-year-old Standard Schnauzer who goes by Mr P ... not to be confused with last year’s Best in Show winner Miss P. And last of the Working Group is the Tibetan Mastiff. Now after a brief pause, judge Norman B Kenney will decide the sixth of the seventh dogs that will advance to the Best in Show competition later tonight.

After the Siberian Husky comes Peyton, a St Bernard named after Peyton Manning, who is from Hopewell, New Jersey.

Next up is the Portuguese Water Dog, winner of the Sporting Group in four of the past five years. Followed by the Rottweiler, which the commentator refers to as “the middle linebacker of dogs”. If that helps you.

And here comes the mop-looking Komondor, a massive crowd favorite.

Next: the Kuvasz and the Leonberger, who can’t stop nibbling at his handler’s coattail, presumably taking aim the treats, as the crowd roars in delight.

Updated

And here comes Thor, the black Giant Schnauzer. Twice these dogs have won the group and come within one step of Best in Show, in 1990 and 2009, both times falling short of the top prize.

A big crowd reaction for the Dogue de Bordeaux, an ancient French breed that’s only been in the competition since 2009.

Updated

And here’s the Boerboel, one of seven new breeds in this year’s competition along with the Berger Picard, the Cirneco Dell Etna, the Lagotto Romagnolo, the Miniature American Shepherd and the Spanish Water Dog. A warm reception for the rookie upstart.

And here comes the Working Group. First five into the ring are the Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Bernese Mountain Dog and Black Russian Terrier. None of these five have previously won Best in Show, though the Akita has come closest in recent years, winning the group in 1995, 2007 and 2008.

So here’s where things stand. Five of the seven dogs who will compete for Best in Show have been determined.

  • Lucy the borzoi, winner of the Hound Group
  • Panda the Shih Tzu, winner of the Toy Group
  • Annabelle the Bulldog, winner of the Non-Sporting Group
  • Rumor the German Shepherd, winner of the Herding Group
  • CJ the German Shorthaired Pointer

All that remains to fill out that field are the winners of the Working Group and the Terrier Group.

Sporting Group winner: CJ the German Shorthaired Pointer

And the Sporting Group winner is CJ, who now can become the third German Shorthaired Porter to be named Best in Show. Dogs of that breed previously brought home top honors in 1974 and 2005.

Updated

We’re finishing up the Sporting group here with the Spinoli Italiani, the Vizsla, the Weimaraner, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and the Wirehaired Vizsla. Ms Bonnie P Threlfall due to make her choice any minute.

Now the Spaniel run: Boykin, Clumber, Black Cocker, Ascob Cocker, Parti-Color Cocker, English Cocker, English Springer, Field, Irish Water, Sussex and Water Springer.

Spaniels have historically enjoyed great success at Westminster ever since a Parti-Color called Ch Midkiff Miracle Man won the group in the first year it was held in 1924. A total of 19 Sussex Spaniels have won Best in Show – most recently 10-year-old Stump in 2009 – while English Springer Spaniels have won the group 15 times (including last year).

Now the American Water Spaniel, one of the few original American breeds. That brings us to the halfway point of the Sporting Group and a commercial break. Still to come: the Spinoni Italiani, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and more Spaniels than you can shake a stick at – and that’s just in this group!

Now the Setters: English, Gordon, Irish and Irish Red & White, all of whom get warm receptions. The Irish Setter, which has been called the most beautiful of dogs, holds the competition record for most group placements (54) and most consecutive group placements (12, from 1933-44). Interestingly, however, an Irish Setter has never won Best in Show in 139 previous years.

And here’s the Golden Retriever, always a crowd favorite and no exception tonight. Even bigger pop for the Labrador Retriever, who ambles up and down the ring casually but with pace. Worth mentioning the crowd size tonight, which seems larger than in previous years. A fine atmosphere for these champion dogs.

Next a trio of retrievers: the Chesapeake Bay, the Curly-Coated and the Flat-Coated. None of the three have ever been named Best in Show despite having been entered in the competition since 1877, 1926 and 1926, respectively (though a Flat-Coated Retriever did make the Best in Show finals once in 2001).

Pointers and Setters located upland game afield for the hunter by “pointing” the nose toward the scent or “setting” – assuming a rigid stance.

The first five to show are the Brittany, Lagotti Romagnoli, Pointer and German Shorthaired Pointer and German Wirehaired Pointer.

The German Shorthaired pointer has been entered in the competition since 1935, twice winning Best in Show (in 1974 and 2005).

We are live at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show! The sporting group is just out into the ring, where 32 breeds will be judged against one another for the title of Best in Group.

Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s a look at scenes from yesterday’s night one of the 140th Westminster Kennel Club dog show.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
New Spider-Man: Brand New Day Rumor Suggests One Villain Will Be Important For The Web-Slinger’s Future Films
Still. No. Trailer.
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Reality check: America’s Next Top Model docuseries never apologises for abuse of contestants
If you’ve spent much time on the internet, you probably know how to yell “I was rooting for you!” The clip from “Cycle 4” (iykyk) of America’s Next Top Model which aired in 2005 went uncontrollably viral.
The Conversation
The Conversation
Manhattan’s haunted museum brought in a ghost hunter, but the eerie recordings he made defy all logic
He spent 100 nights inside.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Winona Ryder reunites with Tim Burton and Jenna Ortega for new Wednesday series
The Hollywood actress is among the names to join the cast of the horror, mystery show.
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
'No Revealing Clothes': Kanye West and Bianca Censori Told to Dress Appropriately for LA Trial
A Los Angeles judge has ordered Kanye West and Bianca Censori to follow strict courtroom dress rules before their civil trial over a dispute involving West's former Malibu property.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Is It a Red Flag If Your Partner Won’t Post You on Social Media?
What does it mean if your partner doesn't post photos of you?
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play