A Pekingese named Wasabi wins the famous New York dog show

First modification: 14/06/2021 – 16:30Last modification: 14/06/2021 – 16:28

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Tarrytown (United States) (AFP)

He is Pekingese and his name is Wasabi: this furry ball won the “Best of Show” award at the Westminster Dog Show on Sunday night, a famous canine beauty competition in New York, which this year moved to the bucolic town of Tarrytown in the wake of the pandemic.

After a year of suspension due to covid-19, this year the show, in its 145th edition, was postponed from February to June. And for the first time he was moved from the heart of New York City to a field in Tarrytown, an hour north of the Big Apple.

The contest was held without spectators, but the passion for the ancient event and its stars – the dogs – remains alive.

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Three-year-old Wasabi was named the winner from a group of seven finalist dogs that included French bulldog Mathew, Old English Shepherd Connor, Striker, a Samoyed (sled dog), and Boy, a West Highland white terrier.

The Bourbon Greyhound was second.

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One day before winning the final, its owner and handler David Fitzpatrick – who already won the “Best of Show” award in 2012 with another Pekingese – celebrated the “charisma, movement and theatricality” of his dog.

“He is in his best moment and he looks spectacular,” he proudly added in statements to the ABC channel.

The event, an annual celebration of all purebred dogs spanning all sizes, shapes and coat types, brought together more than 2,000 applicants from more than 200 breeds.

Dogs are judged on the basis of how well they represent their breed characteristics, as defined by the American Kennel Club.

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Dogs are evaluated not only in terms of how they move, but also by their facial expressions, whether they are vigilant or cheerful at appropriate times.

© 2021 AFP

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