Trumpet, a 4-year-old bloodhound, won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Wednesday night. He is the first bloodhound to win the prestigious competition.
Trumpet competed against a French bulldog, a German shepherd, a Maltese, an English setter, a Samoyed, and a Lakeland terrier for the trophy, the New York Post reported.
“I am so excited for Trumpet,” said handler Heather Helmer, who co-owns and bred the 4-year-old.
NFL defensive lineman Morgan Fox’s French bulldog, named Winston, won second place in the nation’s most prestigious dog show.
More than 3,000 purebred dogs, such as Affenpinschers and Yorkshire terriers, came to the competition.
The competition used to be held at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in winter. However, it moved to the suburban Lyndhurst estate last year and this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Westminster is known as the Super Bowl of U.S. dog shows, so Winston’s win was a huge accomplishment for his owner, Fox, who was just signed by the Los Angeles Chargers. The defensive lineman has played for the Los Angeles Rams and the Carolina Panthers.
Fox said he was “ecstatic” when Winston made it to the finals.
“He’s basically a superstar,” Fox said by phone Wednesday.
Winston came from Fox’s grandmother, Sandy Fox, a seasoned breeder who has shown Frenchies for years. Morgan watched the French bulldog mature and said he knew the dog was a winner in both appearance and character.
“He’s a joy to be around. He always walks around with as much of a smile on his face as a dog can have,” Fox said.
Striker, a Samoyed, also made it to the finals last year. River, a German shepherd won many awards; MM, a Lakeland terrier; Belle, an English setter; and a Maltese named Hollywood – who was clearly trying to become famous, are among the seven finalists.
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