Chihuahua from Delaware wins at 2019 Westminster dog show; state has 23 other competitors

A smooth-coat Chihuahua from Delaware won best of variety Monday afternoon at the 143rd annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York.

At least eight of 23 other Delaware dogs also have placed at the prestigious dog show, which runs through Tuesday.

The Chihuahua, named Tiffany, is a 5-year-old owned and handled by Cecilia Bozzo of Wilmington.

"Tiffany has made every dream come true and then adds another!" Bozzo said in an email from the show.

The best of variety is a best of breed prize, but Chihuahuas compete separately as smooth coats and long coats.

The Chihuahua advanced to the toy group competition Monday night at Madison Square Garden but lost.

A Havanese named Bono won, and he advances to the best-in-show contest on Tuesday night. A pug named Biggie took second place; a Yorkshire terrier named Keegan, third; and an English toy spaniel (Blenheim & Prince Charles) named Anders, fourth.

This was Tiffany's fifth appearance at Westminster. She earned best of opposite sex (as the opposite sex of the first-place dog) in 2017 and an award of merit in 2015.

Last year the dog, whose competition name is GCHP CH Dartan Diamonds Are Forever at Viva, was the No. 4 smooth-coat Chihuahua in the country. She was No. 2 in 2017 and 2016. As a puppy in 2015, she was No. 7.

In the AKC National Owner-Handled Series, Tiffany has been the No. 1 smooth-coat Chihuahua for the past four years.

She won the 2018 Chihuahua Club of America's best of variety and the 2018 AKC National Owner-Handled Series finals reserve best in show.

WESTMINSTER:Very good dogs of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Leading up to Westminster, on Friday, the dog won Progressive Dog Club’s best of variety. She also won best of variety at the AKC National Championship in December.

Out of the show ring, “Tiffany loves to chew duck feet and will eat anything that I call ‘Cookie!’” Bozzo said.

Tiffany also gets to sleep in Bozzo's bed every night. 

Bozzo said her Chihuahua "will be forever cherished – show dog or not."

Bozzo, who has been a neonatal intensive care unit nurse for 27 years, has been competing in dog shows for nearly 10 years and breeding for six years. Unlike many owners, she also handles her own dog at shows.

Also among the 24 Delaware dogs competing at Westminster this week was a grand basset griffon Vendeen – a breed making its debut at this year's show.

In all, nearly 3,000 dogs are being shown, and two Delawareans, Douglas and Rita Holloway of Glasgow, are judges picking some breed winners. 

Ahead of the big show, two other Delaware dogs competed Saturday in the 2019 Westminster Masters Agility Championship against nearly 330 other teams.

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Here is a look at some of Delaware’s competitors at Westminster:

Trio

Trio, a 4-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever, received an award of merit at Westminster on Monday.

He was the No. 1 male of his breed in the nation for the 2018 season. He is owned by Chris and Karen Beste of Wilmington.

In December, Trio won best of breed at the American Kennel Club’s National Championship in Orlando, Florida. In all, he won best of breed 72 times last year and placed 21 times in the sporting group, Chris Beste said.

Trio was a wedding present to his owners. He got his name because their marriage is Chris’ third. Chris said he was hesitant about getting married again until a friend reminded him, "Third time is the charm!" Trio came about as the couple give all their dogs musical names; Chris’ late wife was a musician.

Trio’s AKC-registered name is GCHG Pond Hollow Third Times a Charm RN BN. Before the show, the dog’s owners said they were hoping his name would ring true at Westminster, as he is the Bestes’ third Chesapeake Bay retriever to compete at Westminster.

Owen’s favorite treat is popcorn, and Chris Beste said the Chessie has gotten good at catching it in his mouth.

The dog’s favorite toy is a Kong on a rope for retrieving.

Gus

Gus, a 3-year-old bullmastiff owned by Lisa and JP McCormick of Frankford, competed for the third year at Westminster on Tuesday but did not place.

In December at the AKC National Championship, this bronze grand champion and best in specialty show winner won an award of merit.

When he’s not competing, Gus is the mascot at the Harris Teeter/Starbucks in Selbyville.

“We go for coffee every Sunday, and Gus meets and greets all of the customers as well as the store employees,” Lisa McCormick said. She said they have been making their visits for almost three years. 

Gus' favorite toy is a squirrel stuffed animal, and his favorite treat is liverwurst, McCormick said.

Myfanwy

A Welsh springer spaniel named Myfanwy – which is Welsh for “pretty girl – won best of opposite sex in her Westminster debut on Tuesday.

The 3-year-old, called “Myf” by her owners Jack and Roxanne Satterfield of Middletown, is a bronze grand champion and has won best of breed 13 times.

Last year, she was the top Welshie bitch and the No. 3 Welshie overall in the country.

Welshies are known as “Velcro dogs,” and Myf is particularly sweet and loves to cuddle, Jack Satterfield said. “It’s a good thing she’s medium-sized!” he said.

The Satterfields have been competing in dog shows for about five years, and this was their first time at Westminster.

Myf's favorite toy is "a stuffed gingerbread man that she keeps in the yard and chews regularly," and her favorite treat is fried chicken liver. 

Owen

A bloodhound owned by Rick and Stacie Shriver of Bear returned to Westminster for the second year in a row Monday morning. Three-year-old Owen, an AKC bronze grand champion, was awarded select dog in bloodhounds.

"We are very happy with that which was our first placement at Westminster!!!" Rick Shriver said in an email.

Owen was a breed winner at the 2017 National Dog Show in Philadelphia.

He has been ranked in the top 20 of bloodhounds for the past two years.

His favorite treat is a McDonald’s plain cheeseburger, Rick Shriver said.

“We always celebrate after a good day in the show ring with a sack full,” he said.

Westminster show: Dogs eat everything from chicken, porterhouse steak to duck

Owen’s favorite toy changes monthly, as it’s the latest arrival from the monthly Bark Box that the Shrivers get for Owen and his bloodhound siblings.

“It is always a fun time watching them pick out their favorite stuffed animated toy from the box,” Rick Shriver said.

Owen’s younger half-brother Jagger and sister Bettee also compete on the show circuit. Owen’s older brother Hank, who was the Shrivers’ first bloodhound and first show dog, is retired from competition.

Brook and Myrty

New Castle County resident Betty Barth had two dogs competing Monday: Brook, a petit basset griffon Vendeen, and Myrty, a grand basset griffon Vendeen — one of the two breeds making their first appearance at Westminster this year.

Three-year-old Brook did not place. She is as grand champion, bred by Barth and husband George.

One-year-old Myrty won best of the opposite sex at the show. She comes from the Netherlands, and her father won best in show at the 2018 World Dog Show, making him the 2018 all-breed world winner.

Betty Barth, who has been competing in dog shows since 1976, is a past president of the PBGV Club of America and the current vice president of the GBGV Club of America.

Ghost

Faye Adcox of Wyoming, who has been competing in dog shows for 20 years, was hoping for another win at Westminster – this time with her 4-year-old Norwegian buhund named Ghost. However, Ghost did not place.

Ghost’s mother won best in breed in 2014, and other dogs belonging to Adcox won honors in 2012 and 2015.

Grand champion Ghost won the breed at the National Dog Show in Philadelphia.He was the No. 6 buhund in the United States for 2018 and has been the No. 1 owner-handled buhund two years in a row.

Ghost is also a therapy dog. His favorite treat is liver, and his favorite toy is any one that squeaks, Adcox said.

Mae and Hush

American water spaniels Mae and Hush, owned by Teresa Tebbens of Seaford, placed at the show Tuesday.

Four-year-old Mae took best of opposite sex. She was No. 10 in the breed and all-breed standings in 2018.

Five-year-old Hush earned select dog. He was ranked No. 1 in the breed standings and No. 2 in the all-breed standings in 2018.

Both are Canadians champs as well, Tebbens said.

Pippa

Pippa, a 7-year-old Shetland sheepdog, competed for the fourth time in Westminster’s agility event.

She and her owner, Kate Felton of Bellefonte, improved their performance over last year by earning a double Q – meaning they completed both the standard class and the jumpers with weaves class in the preliminary round without any faults in the allotted time – but they did not make it into the finals. Last year, the team didn’t earn any qualifying scores, Felton said.

This year a border collie named Verb ultimately won the agility contest, but a bulldog named Rudy captured hearts with his speedy performance.

Pippa’s favorite treats are Sophie’s Sliders from GiggyBites Bakery and Marketplace, near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Her favorite toy is a stuffed crab called “Crabby.”

Mo

A long-haired miniature dachshund named Mo, owned by Carole Krivanich and Sally Waldie of Milton, also competed in the agility contest.

The 9-year-old is the top-ranked 4-inch-jump-height dachshund in speed points and in yards per second.

But Mo failed to qualify in the two classes at Westminster after taking an off-course obstacle on both courses, Krivanich said.

Still, “I was very proud of his runs, and the crowd loved watching him,” she said.

When not competing, Mo “enjoys any toy that squeaks, but his favorite thing to do is RUN, anywhere any time,” Krivanich said in an email.

For a treat, Mo’s favorite is tripe or liverwurst.  

Mo isn’t Krivanich’s only Westminster agility dog. She competed in 2016 and 2018 with her long-haired dachshund Spec — also known as "the Weavin' Weiner.”

Other dogs

Lacey, a Xoloitzcuintli owned by Jennifer Vawter and Barbara Waldkirch of the Wilmington area, won an award of merit on Monday.

Daisy, a parti-color cocker spaniel owned by Carol Ann Hensley Zoch of Seaford, also won an award of merit on Tuesday.

Lacey's and Daisy's owners could not be reached for comment.

No details were available on the remaining 12 dogs because a Westminster spokeswoman said the owners had not consented to the release of their information.

Judges

Also at the show will be Douglas and Rita Holloway of Glasgow, who will judge various breeds during the daytime competitions on Monday and Tuesday. This will be Douglas Holloway’s second time judging at the show and Rita Holloway’s first time.

The couple have handled many top winners, including the standard Schnauzer Ch. Parsifal Di Casa Netzer, who was the No. 1 dog all-breeds in 1996 and won Westminster’s best in show in 1997.

The Holloways own a boarding and grooming kennel, Rainbow Kennels in Glasgow.

If you watch

2019 Westminster Masters Agility Championship

Videos from the agility competition are available for on-demand streaming on the Westminster Kennel Club’s website.

143rd annual WestminsterKennel Club Dog Show

On-demand video coverage of Monday's show is available on the Westminster Kennel Club’s website: breed and group judging (hound, toy, non-sporting and herding breeds) and junior handler preliminaries and the fourth annual Masters Obedience Championship

Tuesday:

• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. – livestreaming on Fox Sports GO and on the Westminster Kennel Club’s website: breed judging (sporting, working and terrier breeds) and junior handler preliminaries
• 10 a.m. – on-demand video coverage starts becoming available on the Westminster Kennel Club’s website: breed judging (sporting, working and terrier breeds) and junior handler preliminaries
• 1-4 p.m. – select live coverage on Nat Geo WILD: breed judging

• 7-7:30 p.m. – live coverage on FS1: pre-show, including a portion of the junior showmanship finals
• 7:30-11 p.m. – live coverage on FS1: group competitions (sporting, working and terrier breeds) and the best in show competition