'The Golden Retriever Was Robbed': Ligonier Golden Retriever Wins Sporting Group But Not Best In Show
NEW YORK (AP/KDKA) — Primped and poised, Siba the standard poodle owned the ring.
Even with the crowd at Madison Square Garden chanting for a popular golden retriever, the statuesque Siba strutted off with best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club on Tuesday night.
The golden retriever -- and who some argue should be the real winner -- Jack Daniels is from Ligonier. Daniel is also the uncle of Zane, Pittsburgh Police's comfort dog.
Congratulations to Daniel the golden retriever on winning the sporting group at the 2020 Westminster Dog Show. ???????????? Fun...
Posted by Pittsburgh Bureau of Police on Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Outrage spread as #DanielWasRobbed trended across Twitter.
I've never seen so many comments about how a golden retriever named DANIEL, was robbed of best in show. https://t.co/qTcIobxumB
— Juliana Taylor (@julianaktaylor) February 12, 2020
The golden retriever was robbed for sure (and the entirety of MSG was chanting his name!!!). Fortunately he can parlay the Mr. Congeniality thing into Purina ads and also goldies are not hurting for popularity in this world
— rachel syme (@rachsyme) February 12, 2020
Adorned with black puffs and pompoms, the 3-year-old Siba was the absolute picture of what many see as the epitome of a show dog.
Not everyone shared that view. As judge Bob Slay studied Siba in the best-of-seven final ring, a fan shouted out: "No way, Slay, no way!"
Slay stuck by what he saw.
"She's beautiful and has that something," handler Chrystal Murray-Clas said.
Bourbon the whippet finished second. Daniel the golden retriever was clearly the crowd favorite — a golden has never won at Westminster — and fans chanted his name as Slay deliberated.
Bono the Havanese, Wilma the boxer, Conrad the Shetland sheepdog, and Vinny the wire fox terrier also made the final grouping.
(TM and © Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)