Sage the Miniature Poodle Achieves Canine Glory at the Westminster Dog Show
She saw off stiff competition from Mercedes the German shepherd, who had to make do with second place.
Lucas Boland/USA Today Sports via Reuters
All hail Sage, the immaculately topiaried miniature poodle who was named Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday night.
The 3-year-old from Houston, Texas, became the first female to win the coveted canine title since 2020. Her dramatic victory came at the expense of fan favorite Mercedes, the German shepherd who won the herding group, who went home with the runner-up honor of “Reserve Best in Show.”
Kaz Hosaka, Sage’s seasoned handler who has been competing for 45 years, said 2024’s show would be his last. He was overcome with emotion as his Sage’s win was announced, saying: “No words. I am so happy.”
A total of seven dogs were in contention for Best in Show, drawn from the competition, which started with more than 2,500 first-round entrants from 200 different breeds. While only one animal can win the highest accolade in a (figurative) dog-eat-dog contest, lots of other participants can be proud with what they achieved—like Mando, who became the first representative of his breed, the Lancashire heeler, to take part.
When he entered the first-round ring on Monday, one spectator reportedly yelled: “Yay! History!”
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.