Westminster Barks Out Winners
Sandra Bethea brought her Mardi Gras beads and lucky buttons from the Gulf Coast, eager to see how her prize Bedlington terrier would do at Westminster.
What she didn't want to watch was the tribute America's most prestigious dog show paid to the lost pets of Hurricane Katrina.
"I can't, it would be too emotional," she said backstage Monday night. "All in my own time. My husband will tape it."
Hours earlier, the program started at Madison Square Garden a day after the biggest snowstorm in city history blanketed New York. A total of 2,622 dogs in 165 breeds and varieties were entered; some didn't make it because of the bad weather, though there was no exact count.
A colored bull terrier named Rufus, the top-winning pug ever, a Rottweiler led by a former Florida State linebacker and a Dalmatian called Boomer were the early winners.
Best in Show was to be chosen right before 11 p.m. Tuesday night.
In a show featuring lots of underdogs, Rufus beat a favored Norfolk terrier named Coco and a Dandie Dinmont terrier co-owned by Bill Cosby to win the terrier group.
"I guess we're going shopping," winning handler Kathy Kirk said.
Shaka became the first Rottweiler to win the working group at Westminster. Owner-breeder-handler Keith Carter pumped his fist when his dog was picked.
"I don't know if I can articulate what this win means," he said.
Dermot the pug won the toy group and will aim for his 66th overall Best in Show title. Boomer took the nonsporting group and will try to become the first of his kind to win Best in Show in 130 years of Westminster.
"He was enjoying the crowd," handler Michael Scott said.
The hound, herding and sporting groups were to be judged Tuesday night, then the top dog would be picked.
While some paint this as the Miss America of dog shows, in fact, Miss America 1990, Debbye Turner, is hosting the USA Network telecast this year, Westminster is known for reaching out into the canine community.
There was hardly a dry eye in the building in 2002 when 20 German shepherds and retrievers came onto the Garden's green carpet to honor search and rescue dogs for their tireless work at the World Trade Center and Pentagon after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Katrina tribute, featuring dogs and those that saved them, brought a standing ovation.
A video montage on the scoreboard showed images of injured and abandoned dogs, accompanied by a song from Jackson Browne. Moments later, a half-dozen dogs with Gulf Coast connections were introduced, including one that recovered from burns and an amputated toe.
Bethea came from Gulfport, Miss., and her Talyn won best of breed. She recalled how her dog stayed calm when Katrina hit in late August.
"We were all waiting and looking," she said.
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are not prime areas for purebred champions, producing a total of only 30 entries at Westminster this year. Yet veterinarians and volunteers poured into the area after the storm blew in, joining those already in place to offer time, services and donations.
Lisa Myers came from Covington, La., with her Chinese Shar-pei called Lashes.
"I thought about not coming this year, but this continuity, it's a rite of passage," she said. "If I didn't do this, I've given in to the adversity."
There were plenty of emotional stories at Westminster.
Pam Estes was the only deaf handler at this year's show. She showed a Glen of Imaal terrier that she works with as a therapy dog at the Ohio School for the Deaf in Columbus.
Estes visited the show last year, just to get a sense of surroundings. This time, she was in the ring with Shaughnessee and won a ribbon.
"She was very nervous and excited," interpreter Jody Daulton said.
J.C. Ragley never made it to the Garden. It was her biggest goal, and she had already put out her clothes for the trip from New Ulm, Texas.
Three weeks ago, she died after a stroke. So her daughter, Suzanne Keane, came to support Swinger, the Doberman pinscher her mom co-owned.
"The best thing my mom ever did was to get me involved with dogs," Keane said. "It was a noble cause."