Quantcast

Wasabi the Pekingese wins Westminster Dog Show in New York

The 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York
Wasabi, a Pekingese of East Berlin, Pennsylvania is posed after winning the Best in Show at the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., June 13, 2021.
REUTERS/Mike Segar

Wasabi, a fuzzy Pekingese with a black and brown face and soulful eyes, won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Sunday in Tarrytown, New York.

A whippet named Bourbon came in second, winning the Reserve prize at the 145-year-old competition. This year marked the first time the show was not held in Manhattan.

Wasabi, a Pekingese of East Berlin, Pennsylvania is posed after winning the Best in Show at the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., June 13, 2021. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
Wasabi, a Pekingese of East Berlin, Pennsylvania is posed after winning the Best in Show at the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., June 13, 2021. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers moved the show from its usual Madison Square Garden digs to the 19th-century Lyndhurst Mansion by the Hudson River in Tarrytown, and delayed it from February so it could be held outside.

Mathew, a French bulldog, and Connor, an old English sheepdog, were also in the finals on Sunday, along with a West Highland white terrier named Boy, a German shorthaired pointer called Jade and a Samoyed named Striker.

Held annually since 1877, the show is one of the oldest and most popular sporting events in the United States. Dogs from more than 200 different purebred breeds can compete, with judges determining which contenders best conform to their breed’s standards.

Wasabi and Bourbon beat out thousands of other dogs to win Best in Show at the American Kennel Club National Championship in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Wasabi, a Pekingese of East Berlin, Pennsylvania is posed with his owner and handler David Fitzpatrick after winning the Best in Show at the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., June 13, 2021. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
Wasabi, a Pekingese of East Berlin, Pennsylvania is presented by his owner and handler David Fitzpatrick before winning the Best in Show at the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., June 13, 2021. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
Jackie Carswell of Blackshear, Georgia, presents her Irish Wolfhound dog Nazar, the Best of Breed winner during breed judging at the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., June 12, 2021. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
Attison, winner of Best in Breed for Komondorok dogs, stands with his handler after breed judging at the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., June 13, 2021. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
FILE PHOTO: A handler presents an Afghan Hound dog during breed judging at the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., June 12, 2021. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
A handler runs along with a German Shepherd dog during breed judging at the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., June 12, 2021. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
German Shepherd dogs are gathered in the ring during breed judging at the 145th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., June 12, 2021. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)