Trumpet the bloodhound made history on Wednesday. He was crowned the first-ever bloodhound to win the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
“I was shocked,” said handler, co-breeder and co-owner Heather Helmer, who also goes by Heather Buehner told AP News. “... sometimes I feel the bloodhound is a bit of an underdog.”
The show has been held annually for 146 years, making it the second-oldest annual sporting event, after the Kentucky Derby, per CNN.
A French bulldog named Winston placed second in the event. Winston is co-owned by NFL defensive lineman Morgan Fox, who just signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, per AP News.
Trumpet also comes from a place of prestige and renown. His great-grandfather, Tigger, holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the dog with the longest ears, according to The New York Times.
Which breed of dog has won the most Westminster Kennel Club Dog Shows?
The breed that has taken home the blue ribbon the most from the show is the Wire Fox Terrier, with 15 total wins, according to Wikipedia.
Terriers have won the most of any dog breed group, per SportingNews.com, so they really do “tear it up, terrier style.”
The last five winners include:
- 2021: Wasabi the Pekingese
- 2020: Stone Run Afternoon Tea the Standard Poodle
- 2019: King Arthur Van Foliny Home the Wire Fox Terrier
- 2018: Belle Creek’s All I Care About Is Love the Bichon Frise
- 2017: Lockenhaus’ Rumor Has It V Kenlyn the German Shepherd
How does the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show work?
Dogs face several levels of competition to make it to the big show in the first place. Thousands of dogs enter, but only one comes out victorious.
Each dog breed has a standard, which is the image of perfection that judges are looking for in a specific breed. The standard includes “the desired general appearance, movement, temperament, and specific physical traits,” according to the Westminster Kennel Club.
One judge chooses the best dog on that day based on their own interpretation of the agreed upon standards. With each round of competition, the competition whittles down to the final seven for the final round.
From there, the judge selects the Best in Show and the second place winner as the Reserve Best in Show.
Trumpet was the winner this year, we can likely all agree that they are all very good dogs.
