Rufus, the colored bullterrier who won Best in Show tonight, was my favorite to win. (Easy for me to type a half-hour after the show has ended, I know, but ask the AP guy in the press room ... he was my pick -- honest.) Rufus had that balance of feistiness and control that makes a great show dog -- what dog people liken to "lightning in a bottle."
The seven dogs lined up in any Best in Show ring, much less Westminster's, need to be calibrated to perfection. At that level, a millimeter's misstep can sideline you. Dermot the pug, the number-two dog in the nation, broke his stack on the table and refused at first to be examined -- a flub that cost him dearly. Shaka, the Rottweiler who smashed that breed's win records, was a bit distracted on the freestack, jumping on his owner-breeder-handler. That impetuous move didn't help his chances, either.
Despite his goofy name, Rufus was polished perfection tonight. He screamed, "Look at me." And the judge listened.
Comments (6)
How wonderful! Congrats to Rufus the great bull terrier.
I was rooting for him or Margot the Scottish deerhound to win - I adore both breeds.
How wonderful! Congrats to Rufus the great bull terrier.I was rooting for him or Margot the Scottish deerhound to win - I adore both breeds.
Did not mean to post it twice - First time doing this
Did not mean to post it twice
First time doing this
Did not mean to post it twiceFirst time doing this
Just wanted to say that I, too, picked Rufus to win before the show even started. I was elated that he won the Terrier group. I wanted the SDH, Margot, to win BIS but knew that Rufus would be impossible to beat.
-Ed