Wasabi the Pekingese wins the Westminster Dog Show in New York

June 13 (Reuters) – (This June 13 story refiles to correct incorrect capitalizations in some dog breed names)

Wasabi, a fuzzy Pekingese with a black and brown face and soulful eyes, won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Sunday in Tarrytown, New York.

A whippet named Bourbon came second, winning the reserve prize at the 145-year-old contest. This year marked the first time the show was not held in Manhattan.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers moved the show from its usual Madison Square Garden digs to the 19th-century Lyndhurst mansion near the Hudson River in Tarrytown, and delayed it from February so it could stand outside.

Mathew, a French Bulldog, and Connor, an Old English Sheepdog, were also in the final on Sunday, along with a West Highland White Terrier named Boy, a German Shorthaired Pointer named Jade and a Samoyed named Striker.

Held annually since 1877, the show is one of the oldest and most popular sporting events in the United States. Dogs of more than 200 different purebreds can compete, with judges determining which competitors best conform to their breed’s standards.

Wasabi and Bourbon beat thousands of other dogs to win Best in Show at the American Kennel Club National Championship in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; edited by Diane Craft

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