Uno is Top Dog at Westminster
The Beagle takes Best in Show for the First Time at Biggest Dog Show
K-Run's Park Me in First is top dog this year at Westminster, marking the first Westminster Best in Show win for the All American favorite.
Who could resist the big sad eyes, floppy ears and tri-colored wonder that is the Beagle? Well, until this year Westminster Kennel Club, that’s who, but that has all changed and it’s been 100 years in the making.
The Nation’s biggest Canine competition was televised into living rooms across the country and instead of seeing poodles, Yorkshire terriers and other such favorites the American public found Uno, a baying beagle prancing around the stage.
Uno, who is officially known as K-Run's Park Me in First, is the first beagle to ever take top honors at the Westminster Kennel Club competition. The 2008 show brought in 167 recognized breeds and well over 2000 contestants. When the final stage was taken America was introduced to seven breeds that had plowed through their own breed competition and their group competition to find themselves at the best in show judging.
Four of the seven had never captured the crown before. An Akita, an Australian Shepherd and a Weimaraner all had eluded the crown for some 100 years along with Uno, the Beagle. The reigning queen of dog shows, the Standard Poodle and the Toy Poodle were both in center ring but their breed has captured the big crown 4 times and 2 times respectively. The Sealyham Terrier, a rather obscure breed to the American public but a prince in the dog show circuit, rounded out the final contestants also with 4 crown wins.
Dr. J. Donald Jones, the judge for best in show, was apparently unaware that his decision was history in the making. He was quoted as saying “he is the most perfect beagle I have ever seen” according to the New York Times.
While dog shows are usually serious business Uno injected his own personality into the show, baying loudly as he sized up his competition and later jumping on the legs of judges and his handler.
While the win means big things for Uno and his breed some fear that the publicity could cause problems for the beagle population. Previous breed publicity has shown to be detrimental to the overall health and wellness of the breed at large.
In 1996 the release of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians spurred an increase in Dalmatian breeding and sales, only to find the pups in pounds shortly after because of irresponsible buyers.
In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s the Shar Pei saw a similar spike that was problematic. After a stint of commercials the formerly obscure wrinkled wonders soared in popularity; however the somewhat delicate skin of the Shar Pei and the lack of information regarding the breed led to a spike in Shar Pei pound puppies.
If the past is any indication of the future the Beagle could be in for a similar fate; however, their current standing and their overall stability in popularity charts could stave off big problems.
The Beagle has been fifth in overall popularity in the U.S. for the last several years according to the AKC and hopefully a slew of interested buyers will not cause unnecessary problems for the breed.
Regardless, Uno’s win is a historic triumph for an all around American dog and he truly is one of the most perfect Beagles the U.S. has ever seen.
