There’s a new top dog in town. A Pekingese named Wasabi won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, beating out 2,500 other canine competitors.
Winning seems to run in Wasabi’s family. Grandfather Malachy won Best in Show in 2012.
“He has showmanship. He fits the breed standard. He has that little extra something, that sparkle, that sets a dog apart,” said Wasabi’s handler, breeder and co-owner, David Fitzpatrick. Show judge Patricia Trotter said simply, “What’s not to like about this dog? … He stood there as though he was a lion.”
Fitzpatrick, of East Berlin, Pennsylvania, guided Malachy to the title in 2012. Still, he said, “I just don’t always think lightning is going to strike twice.”
How will Wasabi celebrate? “He can have a filet mignon, and I’ll have champagne,” Fitzpatrick said with a laugh.
The 3-year-old Pekingese, meanwhile, was “pretty nonchalant about the whole thing,” his handler said. Indeed, Wasabi laid down on the dais, occasionally looking up as if to see what the fuss was all about, as Fitzpatrick spoke before a cluster of reporters and cameras.
