All the accolades go out this morning to an utterly gorgeous dog who won Best in Show at the 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Monty, a Giant Schnauzer from New Jersey, beat out more than 2,500 dogs across 200 breeds during two days of competition.
Monty is the first Giant Schnauzer to ever win Best in Show and the first Working Group dog breed to win Best in Show since 2004. This 5-year-old pup just made history with his win!
@wkcdogsIt’s official: Monty the Giant Schnauzer is The Westminster Kennel Club’s 149th Best in Show Winner. Take a look at the winning moment on the floor of the world’s most famous area, @The Garden WestminsterDogShow.
The TikTok account for the @WKCDogs posted this celebratory moment and fans are applauding Monty.
One person commented, “Good job Monty! I don’t see enough Giant Schnauzer love.” Another person responded, “Congratulations Monty and team!! I’ve been rooting for Monty for 3 years, so so glad to see him finally win BIS. Absolutely deserved.”
BIS refers to Best in Show, and Monty has won the Working Group three consecutive times previously.
The New York Times reports, “Overcome with emotion at the excitement of it all, Monty’s handler and co-owner, Katie Bernardin, burst into tears when the judge, Paula Nykiel, made the best in show announcement, bestowing on Monty a silver cup the size of a French bulldog and a massive purple-and-yellow ribbon.
“Winning best in show is a dream come true,” Ms. Bernardin said. She felt the weight of the moment even as the two circled the ring, thinking “that it would probably be our last lap together, and I just wanted him to enjoy it.”
At the end of the day and despite his new celebrity status, Monty seems like a pretty down-to-earth dog. The article goes on to say, “Monty will likely celebrate his win by chewing on a soccer ball, or several of them, back home in Chaplin, Conn. “He loves a good soccer ball,” Ms. Bernardin said. “He destroys them, but that is his favorite thing.”
Congratulations, Monty! You enjoy that soccer ball!
About the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
The first ever event of The Westminster Kennel Club was staged in 1877 at Gilmore’s Garden (the forerunner of Madison Square Garden) in New York City, drawing an entry of 1,201 dogs.
The Westminster Kennel Club, established in 1877, is America’s oldest organization dedicated to the sport of dogs. It hosts the iconic, all-breed Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the second-longest, continuously held sporting event in the U.S., and since 1948, the longest nationally televised live dog show.
A fun fact about the competition? The winner of the Westminster Dog Show traditionally eats a celebratory lunch at famed Broadway watering hole Sardi’s—breaking New York City’s health codes, which prevent animals from entering restaurants.
We can’t wait to see which beautiful and well-bred dog takes home next year’s top prize! If you would like information on attending the show next year, you can visit the website for the Westminster Kennel Club.
