At the Westminster Dog Show in New York, wire fox terriers continue to win.
A wire fox from Brazil who had already won big in Europe became America’s top dog Tuesday night.
The winner’s name is King. He is 7 years old.
Wire fox terriers have won “best in show” 15 times at Westminster, the most important dog competition in the United States. That is far more than any other dog breed.
Judge Peter Green pointed to King to confirm his victory. Green is a well-known person in the dog world, especially for his work with terriers. He has chosen King as the champion at other shows.
Gabriel Rangel is King’s trainer. He said the dog looks “like a beautiful painting, a piece of art."
“The way he stands and performs, he’s the whole package,” he added.
A Havanese named Bono came in second place among the more than 2,800 dogs who competed at Westminster.
Also among the finalists were Bean the Sussex spaniel, Burns the longhaired dachshund, Wilma the boxer and Baby Lars the bouviers des Flandres.
The crowd’s favorites were clearly Bean and Burns.
Shouts of “Bean! Bean! Bean!” filled New York City’s Madison Square Garden. And Burns got loud cheers as his long hair flowed while circling the green walkway.
But the night belonged to King. He remained completely in control under his handler Rangel, who won for the third time at Westminster.
Rangel began to cry after winning. He said he was moved by the decision and by the recognition from Green. Rangel said it was a “special win because of that judge."
Rangel and King have been busy since the win. Wednesday morning, they visited television shows, enjoyed a meal at a steakhouse, went to the top of the Empire State Building and made an appearance in the Broadway musical “Pretty Woman.”
King has many qualities that made him a likely Westminster champion. He has a good coat of fur. He has a beautiful way of walking. And he has a playful personality.
Tuesday night’s victory was the 47th "best in show" win for King, whose full name is Kingarthur Van Foliny Home. He has also been successful at the biggest dog show in the world, Crufts in England.
I’m Anna Matteo.
The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
breed - n. a particular kind of dog, cat, horse, etc.
whole package - expression. something or someone that has all of the desired qualities
steakhouse - n. a restaurant that serves mostly steaks
coat - n. the outer covering of fur, hair, or wool on an animal
fur - n. the hairy coat of an animal especially when it is soft and thick
