There would be no major upset Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. That happened earlier in the day when a black cocker spaniel named Beckham, the top-ranked dog in 2011 according to Dog News, lost to others in his breed.
But statistics matter, or at least tell you something about a great dog’s strength.
A Pekingese called Malachy, last year’s No. 2 dog, won Best in Show — the fourth time for the breed and the 10th time for the toy group.
Malachy is not a speedy dog. While his six competitors sped around the ring at Madison Square Garden, Malachy moved so deliberately that he only had to make a half circuit on the green carpet. It did not matter. Beneath his long coat and lion’s mane — and behind that distinctive pushed-in face — was the club’s ultimate champion.
The judge, Cindy Vogels, put Malachy ahead of a German shepherd, a Dalmatian, a Kerry blue terrier, a Doberman pinscher, a wire-haired dachshund and an Irish setter who gave birth to 15 puppies last May (using the frozen semen of a long-dead sire) and had just returned from a year’s maternity leave.
“He’s a super dog who had a stupendous night,” Vogels said of Malachy.
In triumph, Malachy relaxed, splaying himself on a table for his news conference. If you looked hard, or close enough, you could see his little eyes. His face was framed by a coat that gave him the look of a 1960’s guru — or perhaps Cousin It’s pet.
The great man sneezed. He looked at the microphones as if they were toys.
He was spritzed with water by David Fitzpatrick, his handler and co-owner.
“He’s a very happy dog,” Fitzpatrick said. “He’s an extrovert in the ring.”
Malachy defeated the other toy dogs Monday and had 24 hours to relax. “I kept him quiet all day to save his energy for tonight.”
Last year, Malachy also made it to Best in Show, but lost to a Scottish deerhound.
“Malachy’s a little more mature this year,” said Fitzpatrick, who had a broken arm last year.
Iris Love, also a co-owner, said that she was wearing a yellow blouse in Malachy’s honor, one that is sprinkled with images of a dragon, which is her dog’s insignia.
“This is the year of the dragon,” she said, then proclaimed: “We are in the presence of an imperial Pekingese. That doesn’t happen very often.”
Fitzpatrick knows that his Pekingese was a bit different from the other dogs. He is small, about 12 pounds. Maybe a half-pound of it was hair. But when he was asked about Malachy’s clear lack of speed, he responded with a bit of testiness about his dog’s rivals.
“Their gait should be slower,” he said.
Of course, it is hard to tell a Doberman to slam on his brakes to keep up with Malachy. Who was going to tell the Irish setter, with her shimmering coat and elegant form, to slow down for the Pekingese? Nature’s canine order would have to be altered.
But then, it was the little Pekingese, with his unhurried, short-legged style, who won. “His demeanor was spotless,” Vogels said. “He was flawless.”
For Malachy, his 115th best in show performance was his last.
At 4 years old, he is retiring, to live with Fitzpatrick as his pet.
“He will chase squirrels,” he said. “He will be pampered.” Even as Malachy hunts for rodents with fluffy tails, he will not lose his signature coat. “I don’t have the heart to trim him,” said Fitzpatrick, who has had Pekingese since he was 14.
The night began with the judging of the sporting, working and terrier groups following Monday’s selection of winners in the toy, non-sporting, herding and hound groups. Emily, an Irish setter, won the sporting group; Chelsey, a Kerry blue terrier, defeated all other terriers; and Fifi, a Doberman, was chosen over other working dogs.
Jocleyn Mullins, who owns, breeds and handles Fifi, extolled her Doberman’s intelligence. “She has a beautiful mind,” she said. “She’s brilliant.”
Why name her Fifi?
“The breed has kind of a harsh reputation,” she said. “It’s like naming a Chihuahua Spike.”
The decision to show Emily at Westminster was made at the last minute. A mother of 10 boys and 5 girls, Emily needed her muscle tone and gorgeous red coat to return after her pregnancy. Adam Bernardin, her owner and handler, said: “It took a lot of road work to get her back in shape. We gave her good food and lots of work.”
He added, “She’s just the best dog ever.”
西敏寺犬賽 迷你北京狗奪冠
14日晚舉行的第136屆西敏寺名犬賽(Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show)中，去年奪得亞軍的北京狗「馬拉基 (Malachy)」，榮獲冠軍。
只優雅走半圈 就打敗對手
「紐約時報」報導，馬拉基不是一隻行動迅速的狗，當牠的六個競爭對手在麥迪遜花園廣場快速繞場奔跑時，牠從容不迫的在綠色地毯上只走了半個圈。但這並不重要，牠厚厚的長毛和獅鬃毛，和別緻的臉，最終使牠贏得總冠軍。
評判仙迪．沃吉斯認為，馬拉基比入圍的德國牧羊犬、凱利藍梗犬 (Kerry blue terrier)、杜賓犬 (Doberman pinscher)、長毛臘腸狗、和愛爾蘭雪達犬 (Irish setter)更優異。
沃吉斯談及馬拉基時說：「牠是一隻超級狗，今晚表現精彩。」
臉被毛覆蓋 看起來像高僧
在記者會上，馬拉基悠閒的伏在桌上，如果你留心或走近看，便能看見牠的小眼睛。牠的臉部周圍被毛覆蓋著，看上去像1960年代的高僧，或像「亞當家庭」的虛構人物艾特表哥的寵物。
狗主人費茨帕崔克不時向牠的長毛上灑點水。牠另有一名狗主，而費茨帕崔克更兼任它的看管人。
他說：「牠是一隻非常快樂的狗狗，在繞圈時很有信心。」
馬拉基13日擊敗其他狗狗後，在它這一組稱雄晉級決賽後，休息了24小時。費茨帕崔克說：「我讓牠整天休息，為今晚養足精神。」
馬拉基去年參賽時，輸給一隻蘇格蘭獵鹿犬 (Scottish deerhound)。
費茨帕崔克說：「馬拉基今年多了幾分成熟。」
「馬拉基」的另一位狗主人艾莉絲．洛夫說，她穿上黃色印有龍圖案的外衣，慶祝馬拉基獲勝，龍是牠的標記。
胃口驚人 是它體型的兩倍
「馬拉基」出生以來，沒有減過長髮，如今一天梳頭一次，一次費時1小時。它的胃口驚人，是它體型的兩倍。如果說它舉止端莊，有如王子，並不為過，唯一的是，它睡覺時，會發出「嬰兒般」的 鼾聲。
這次是四歲的馬拉基最後一次參賽，牠退休後專職費茨帕崔克的寵物，並專心擔任「種狗」。
原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/15/sports/westminster-kennel-club-dog-show.html
Slideshow: Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: Feb 14
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/02/14/sports/SPTSDOGS0214.html
Slideshow: Backstage With the Dogs
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/02/14/sports/SPTSCONRAD0214.html
2012-02-16/聯合晚報/A11版/國際要聞 國際新聞組
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