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A Doberman Pinscher named Penny has claimed the top prize at the 150th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, marking a historic win for the breed at the prestigious canine competition.
The four-year-old Doberman, officially known as GCHP CH Connquest Best Of Both Worlds, was crowned Best in Show on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Penny was handled by Andy Linton, who previously guided another Doberman to Westminster victory in 1989, making this an emotional return to the winner's circle 37 years later.
"You can't attribute it to one thing, but she is as great a Doberman as I've seen," Linton said after Penny's win. When asked about his health issues, the handler became emotional, adding, "I had some goals, and this was one of them."
This victory marks the fifth time a Doberman has won Best in Show in Westminster's 150-year history, and the first since 1989 when Linton handled "Indy" Ch. Royal Tudor's Wild As The Wind to victory.
Cota the Chesapeake Bay Retriever was named Reserve Best in Show (first runner-up), making history as the first of his breed to achieve this honor at Westminster. The five-year-old sporting dog is owned by Melissa Schumann, Dana Bleifer DVM, Dr. Katherine Scribnet, Adam Levy, and Dr. Trevor Gerardi-Miller.
The competition was fierce, with more than 2,500 dogs representing over 200 breeds competing over two days. Penny emerged victorious from a final group of seven that included Graham the Old English Sheepdog (Herding Group), JJ the Lhasa Apso (Non-Sporting Group), Cookie the Maltese (Toy Group), Zaida the Afghan Hound (Hound Group), and Wager the Smooth Fox Terrier (Terrier Group).
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, second only to the Kentucky Derby as America's longest continuously-held sporting event, returned to Madison Square Garden for the second year since the pandemic. The show has been held since 1877, with this year marking its 150th anniversary.
Best in Show judge Mr. David Fitzpatrick of East Berlin, PA, who has himself won Best in Show at Westminster twice, called judging the 150th anniversary show "a full circle moment."
"I know what the Best in Show winner is going to feel, and it's going to change their life," Fitzpatrick said before making his selection.
While Penny took the spotlight, many other dogs captured the audience's hearts during the competition. Spectators cheered loudly for a golden retriever named Oliver, a hairless Xoloitzcuintli named Calaco, and chanted "Lumpy! Lumpy!" for a Pekingese. A vizsla named Beamer charmed the crowd by hopping into a box set out for his handler's tools.
The show also made history with Millie, a Danish-Swedish farmdog, competing as part of a breed that only became eligible for Westminster this year.
Penny's owners, Francis Sparagna, Diana Sparagna, Theresa Connors-Chan, and Gregory Chan of Reseda, California, now join the exclusive club of Westminster Best in Show winners, continuing the legacy of excellence for the Doberman Pinscher breed on the world's most famous canine stage.
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