See the adorable photos from this year’s Westminster Kennel Club dog show

Sage the miniature poodle won the title for best in show

Published: May 15, 2024, 8:32 p.m. MDT

Sage, a miniature poodle, competes with handler Kaz Hosaka in the best in show competition during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

Sarah Gambles is Deseret News' audience and express editor, and she covers breaking news, pop culture and Taylor Swift news.

A miniature poodle named Sage won the Westminster Kennel Club dog show’s best in show this year. She beat out 2,500 dogs coming from across all 50 U.S. states in order to snag the title.

Sage is the first female dog to claim best in show since 2020, according to CNN. She and her handler traveled from Houston, Texas, to compete in Flushing, a neighborhood in New York City, for the show.

Kaz Hosaka, Sage’s handler, told BBC he thought Sage provided “a great performance.”

Louis, an Afghan hound, is brushed during the best in show competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. | Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

A handler wears an Alaskan malamute hair pin during the sporting group competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. | AP

Monty, a giant schnauzer, takes part in the best in show competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. | Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

Frankie, a colored bull terrier, waks during the terrier group competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. | Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

Comet, a Shih Tzu, takes part in the best in show competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. | Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

A handler wears a dog hair pin at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. | Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

A handler shows his dog a treat during the sporting group competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. | Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

Dogs take part in the sporting group competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. | Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

Dogs and their handlers line up before the terrier group competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. | Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

A Bracco Italiano jumps during the sporting group competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. | Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

A pointer jumps during the sporting group competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. | AP

An Alaskan malamute during the sporting group competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. | Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

A dog licks its handler during the terrier group competition at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. | Julia Nikhinson, Associated Press

Mercedes the German shepherd placed second with the reserve best in show title, and he also won the top prize of the herding group.

Winners don’t receive cash prizes, but they do get “bragging rights and a trophy,” according to BBC. In some categories, such as agility and obedience, the “winners can direct a $5,000 Westminster donation to a training club of their choosing or to the American Kennel Club Humane Fund.”

How are winners decided in the Westminster Kennel Club dog show?

Dogs face several levels of competition to win best in show. Each breed has a standard version, or “the image of perfection that judges are looking for in a specific breed,” the Deseret News reported.

The standard includes “the desired general appearance, movement, temperament, and specific physical traits,” according to the Westminster Kennel Club.

During the different levels of competition over three days, one judge chooses the best dog that meets the agreed upon standards, and within each round of competition, the number of competitors whittles down until there’s a final seven who compete in the final round.

View Comments

Judges select best in show from that pool and decide the second place winner as the reserve best in show.

How many times has a poodle won the Westminster Kennel Club dog show?

Sage is the 11th poodle to win best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. The most recent poodle winner before Sage was also a miniature black poodle, named Spice — who happened to also have the same handler as Sage, according to PBS. Spice won best in show in 2002.

Other notable dog wins from the Westminster Kennel Club dog show

This year marked the first-ever mixed-breed to claim the No. 1 title in the agility competition, The Associated Press reported. Nimble, a border collie-papillion mix, “outran and outmaneuvered 50 other finalists to seize the trophy and plant a flag for blended-breed dogs everywhere.”

“She just tries hard, and she’s a wonderful dog,” Nimble’s handler, Cynthia Hornor, told AP.

Looking for comments?

Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.