She's Top Dog
A brown-and-white English springer spaniel, a sentimental favorite from a long line of champion show dogs, won top prize at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the United States' oldest and most prestigious dog show.
Salilyn 'N Erin's Shameless, a 5-1/2-year-old female, took the Best in Show award on Tuesday night, beating six other finalists, including a heavily favored poodle, who is the nation's top-ranked dog, and a basset hound named Astro, who drew the loudest cheers from the audience.
The spaniel, commonly known as Samantha, followed her father Salilyn Condor, who won Westminster's Best in Show in 1993.
"It's not often that a dog that wins Westminster produces a dog that wins Westminster. It's like winning the Kentucky Derby - it's a competition like no other," Samantha's handler Kellie Fitzgerald said after the two-day event in which 2,500 dogs of 156 breeds competed.
Samantha, who takes home a purple-and-gold ribbon and a large silver cup, was the fifth English springer spaniel to win Best in Show in Westminster's 124-year history.
"She's perfection as far as the standards of the breed are concerned. You saw her move, you saw her energy, and that was it," said Westminster Kennel Club president and Best in Show judge Chester Collier.
Fitzgerald said Samantha's victory served as a tribute to her breeder and co-owner, Julia Gasow, who died last year after a 60-year career of breeding champion dogs.
"Julia's here at this moment. She was the grand dame, and she lives on through Samantha," Fitzgerald told reporters through tears as Samantha pranced at her feet.
Samantha will now retire from the show circuit to breed and possibly give rise to future champions.
For a satirical look at the show, go to It's Dog-Eat-Dog At Westminster.
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