Because this old dog has some new tricks:
At 10 years old, Stump the Sussex spaniel should be well into his dotage. Instead, the dog who technically retired four years ago took home Best in Show on Tuesday at the 133rd Annual Westminster Kennel Club show at Madison Square Garden, becoming the oldest to win the award.
Stump, officially named Ch. Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee, might have surprised aficionados, who had their eye on a giant schnauzer, but the crowd clearly preferred the jaunty spaniel. Stump was greeted with deafening applause each time he plodded around the ring.
It was the first time that a Sussex spaniel won the top prize, although the breed, which originated as a hunting companion in England, was among the first to be recognized by the American Kennel Club.
Judge Sari Brewster Tietjen said she made her decision at the last minute.
“I didn’t know who he was or how old he was,” Tietjen said. “He’s just everything that you’d want in the breed, and I couldn’t say no to him.”
Stump won the sporting group at Westminster in 2004, but in early 2005 fell seriously ill with an undetermined sickness, said Scott Sommer, Stump’s handler and an owner along with Cecilia Ruggles and Beth Dowd.
Stump eventually returned to health, and by last year he was looking quite good. Still, Sommer said he was not sure until last Wednesday that he would definitely show Stump at Westminster.
What a great story.
A Mom Anon
He’s adorable. I’m a fan of the mutt,but I love seeing all the breeds at these shows. I’m glad the old dude won.
kommrade reproductive vigor
Let’s see, 10 years old, that’s 70 in people years … OMG! This is excellent news for John McCain!
Seriously, that’s a great story but I must ask: WTF is up with saddling relatively small show animals with long names? If you tried to give a race horse a name like that it’d kick your ass into the next century.
Laura W
Awesome. Four pet pics in a row. Has to be a record.
Yay BJ. Yay Grinchy Glee.
Nicole
I love schnauzers (my first dog was a mini), but how can you not love this story? I especially liked the little patch of grey hair on his chest. And that his nickname is "Stump." Heh.
Though, did anyone else notice the rather disturbing Mastercard commercials- the ones that basically said, "Buy groceries with your credit card!" Amazing how advertising can turn people not having cash for food into a selling point.
John Cole
Laura- Click through the story to the pictures, there is one series about the grooming there, and it has this awesome pic.
Nicole
@kommrade reproductive vigor: First of all, heh, ’cause that was funny. But second, because I am a big nerd, and also love horse racing, the reason race horses don’t have long names is that you can’t give a registered Thoroughbred a name longer than 18 characters, spaces included. Which is why you get stupid names for racehorses like, "Iwannawinemall" and people like me say, "I wanna wine mall? What kind of name is that?"
(For the record, Iwannawinemall might have wanted to, but he sure didn’t)
Horses in other competitive sports have names that go hoof to paw up against show dogs’ ridiculously long names. What I can’t figure out is the possessive in all of their names. What’s that about? (Edit: seeing as how the Best in Show doesn’t have a possessive, clearly I don’t know what I’m talking about. I thought a lot of them were Somebody’s Bizarre Set of Three Words Strung Together.)
Okay, I’ll now push my nerd glasses back up my nose and ruminate on how I didn’t date in high school. ;)
kommrade reproductive vigor
Nicole – Actually, I was hoping you’d come along and explain. Thanks.
John Cole
Greatest horse name = John Henry.
End of discussion.
Tattoosydney
He’s so cute… but this picture takes me back to my childhood. Love the ‘Welch" corgis.
Laura W
@Nicole:
Of course, I read: "I wanna wine mall".
There is nothing stupid about that name at all. I may adopt it as my new middle name. Compared to "Ann"? No contest.
John, all of the photos were stunning. The bulldog kills. I especially like the crisp action shots of the handlers working their kids in the ring.
Laura W
@Tattoosydney: and when the hell are we gonna see an ACD take the prize, huh??
Tattoosydney
@Laura W:
My guess: When we can find a cattle dog who doesn’t think the judges are cattle….
Laura W
@Tattoosydney: Isn’t it night or early morning there? You’re probably drunk and high. And still you’re sharper than I am after 8 hours of sleep and one cup of coffee.
pppppppffffffffftttttttttttttt
(PS: You should post a photo of Pedro for JenJen in hopes she’ll see it. One of her dogs is part ACD and the other is full Aussie Shepherd, I think.)
Ash Can
@Tattoosydney: One of the families in our neighborhood has two corgis, and when the mom walks her kids to and from school she brings the corgis along. The kids all shower them with attention, and they love it. They’re simply adorable.
Tattoosydney
@Laura W:
Not either – just can’t sleep. Almost bedtime though. Hope you’re well.
PS: Like this photo?
Nicole
@John Cole: And the horse was every bit as awesome as his name.
Okay, because I just had to read all the Times’ coverage on Westminster (cut me a break; I’ve been out for three days with the flu)- can I say, dog people are funny when they talk their special dog talk and you take it out of context:
“I always said, I would love to retire with one black bitch as our house pet,” McCoy said.
Frozen Sperm Keeps Bloodlines Alive
Carrie
I’m hoping to catch this when it comes on PBS in a while…i never miss it.
I love Spaniels, i have a 2 year old Cocker and she’s just the most precious thing…loyal and good natured.
Lovin’ her to bits.
Laura W
@Tattoosydney: Ah, that’s a new one, at least to me. Adorable. His ears are so perky!
Here’s one of my faves of Leah from many years back.
Tattoosydney
@Ash Can:
My family had corgis for the first 25 years or so of my life. We got our first one the month I was born – Blossom – the smartest dog who ever lived.
She was replaced by Diana – full name "Princess Diana Begriff’s Forester" or some such rot – who could run for about thirty metres with a soccer ball balanced on the tip of her nose.
Finally we had Sam, who would vocalise "hello" when we arrived home, and had a torrid but platonic love affair with a sheepdog.
I love corgis.
Tattoosydney
@Laura W:
She’s so pretty – although the words I actually want to use are handsome and distinguished.
She looks like Benny, my brother’s blue – although Benny was dumb as oats, and had a pathological fear of plastic bags and clothes lines. I suspect Leah is much smarter.
dr. bloor
Stump grabs the Big Show for all of us short, old farts out here in the real world. Thanks, dude, and enjoy all those hot poodle groupies.
Michael D.
@John Cole:
Which is, coincidentally, of a woman and her dog sitting in Ch. Grinchy Glee’s cubicle.
Nicole
My last dog (current apartment doesn’t allow pets) was a mini poodle I adopted and then my aunt took in when I went away to college. The dog, Bonnie, was very sweet, but due to a lot of inbreeding, had terrible physical problems, including eyes that degenerated pretty early in her life. First one eye had to come out, then the other. She never had a good sense of smell. When she got older she lost her hearing. When she started to go deaf, my grandfather mentioned he was thinking of getting my aunt a book about teaching hand signals to deaf dogs. "Pop," I said. "The dog doesn’t have any eyes." "Oh, that’s right," he said. Pause. "So she can’t see at all?"
And the thing is, deaf, blind and unable to smell much, Bonnie was still perfectly capable of making her way around the house and yard. If she knew someone was around, though, she’d start barking and playing helpless, knowing that person would pick her up and carry her. No dummy, she.
Tattoosydney
Stump is so adorable.
There are some great photos here.
JenJen
I was rooting for this guy the whole time. I really thought she’d give it to that Giant Schnauzer, who was pretty cool, or even that adorable, funny-lookin’ Brussels Griffon, but Stump just won my heart. He won everyone’s heart inside MSG last night, to be sure.
I also love reading that a show dog like Stump lives a normal life, and even sleeps in his owner’s bed with him. And that the owner got him "show-ready" by walking him up and down the driveway a few times, looked at him and said, "OK, I think he’s a go." :-)
The Tim Channel
Very cool. Hope the poor mutt doesn’t get caught smoking a bong somewhere and have big media try to ruin it his life for him.
Enjoy.
Andrew
This photo brings new meaning to the people looking like their dogs cliche.
ricky
I was for the Schnauzer until my wife pronounced Scoitties to be mean and nasty dogs. Then the Scottie peed on the floor. My loyalties switched instantly.
p.a.
Isn’t this a line from Boogie Nights?
Gindy
We’ve had dogs in our home ever since we were born, now 50 and 56 respectively. We’ve had small ones, HUGE ones, mutts and purebreds. They’re ALL great.
It’s amazing that a 10 year old dog won this, one that had been retired for 5 years and almost died in 2004.
ricky
Laura and Tattoosydney need to recognize that ACD’s cannot win now that we have Australian Shepherds. They are prettier, smarter, and have all the advantages of that Australian name without any real Australian heritage.
Wait a minute. Did I just describe Mel Gibson.
Laura W
@ricky: Just you wait. Pedrosydney is gonna herd your ass into tomorrow when he wakes up.
JenJen
@ricky: YES, another Aussie Shepherd fanboy!! ++10 points in my book.
In defense of ACD’s, though, the one in the herding group Monday night was a stunner. How the hell did the Puli win that thing?
ricky
You presume my Aussie S. (Western Cattle Dog) has left any of my ass above ground in her 5+ years of leading me around.
AnneLaurie
One reason is the convention where a breeder uses the stud kennel’s name as a possessive. If you want everyone (who cares about such things) to know that your dog is the offspring of Ch. Topflight Can’t Be Beat, his official name will be something like Topflight’s Best Boy of YourNameHere. Since conformation breeding is very patriarchal the maternal line is restricted to the "of… " suffix.
In the hundred-plus years that the AKC has been around, there have been millions of kennel names registered, most of them the sort of "vanity kennel" where some enthusiastic newbie with two dogs puts them together to produce a litter he’s absolutely certain will astonish the world. A year or two later, once the novelty’s worn off, the not-so-newbie is out of the AKC biz again, but the kennel name can never be re-used. It’s worse than picking a unique nym on AOL — all the obvious AKC names got used up by around 1925, and since then it’s been all about "creativity".
Indylib
Had 2 Springer Spaniels. Loved them. Both of my girls were sweet, loyal and smarter than any other dog I’ve ever had (always had dogs growing up, too). They made me very fond of hunting breeds – bred for brains and no in-bred physical problems. And while I admit that Stump is quite the cutie, I prefer the taller spaniels, the little ones always look like they are going to walk on their ears.
The Pale Scot
Scotties aren’t mean, but they are choosy, if you try to faust yourself upon them they’ll put you in your place. My lad will come around to just about everyone if you give him some time to access their character. Hysterically, he doesn’t like cops, my neighbor is a CO who loves dogs and Tavish won’t let him get within five feet. And he growls at police cars, Scotties have deep suspicion of anyone who likes telling others what to do, they’re very libertarian; until dinner time that is, then it’s brother can you spare a biscuit.
ricky
The judge was a fan of the human named Marley.
JenJen
As much as I enjoy watching a little Westminster, I have to say that "Best in Show" kind of ruined it for me. It’s hard to see any of the owners and groomers backstage without wanting to scream "WHERE IS THE F%CKI!G BUSY BEE!!".
And I can’t even listen to the commentary without opining, "And to think, in some countries, these dogs are eaten."
Laura W
@JenJen: One of my Top Five Comedies of all time. I can watch that every single time it comes on any channel, at any point it is playing when I find it.
Did you see TattooSydney’s Pedro?
I can’t believe I can not leave the house today. Agoraphobia.
(Aversion to driving around doing a million errands in the gray gunk is more like it.)
JenJen
@LauraW: Pedro is gor-or-or-geous. But you’ll have that with ACD’s, so it’s not really fair.
Yay, gratuitous dog photo posting window has opened! Here’s Strider, Aussie Cattle Dog/Your Guess Is As Good As Mine mutt de galore. His Moms was full-on papers-and-everything ACD, and that is all that is certain. Pops could very well have been a dachsund. (Sorry ’bout that visual, but look at him!!)
And here’s Rocco the Wonder Aussie Shep. And Stu, my dearly-departed Noble and Most Venerated Aussie.
Laura W
@JenJen: What a gorgeous shot of both Stu and Rocco.
I must admit, I LOL’d in a big way when I looked at Strider because your guess about the paternal genetic material is so freakin’ funny. And probably spot on.
Like you want to say: Hound? Beagle? but that low-slung body just screams DOXIE!
(Got any more? I’ve got another hour to waste doing absolutely nothing productive before I leave for an acupuncture appt.)
Linkmeister
JenJen writes: Yay, gratuitous dog photo posting window has opened!
Okay then. That’s the late and much-missed Tigger the German short-haired pointer, who lived to be 16 and had to be put down in October of last year.
Laura W
@JenJen: OK, in my ongoing commitment to pissing this day away…
Here is a shot of Leah’s godbrother, Zeke. Clearly mostly blue heeler, but maybe shepherd as well? He’s tall and long-limbed, with tail intact. So sweet.
If you go thru the photo stream, I loaded a few of both of them in (on?) Sullivan’s Island, SC, Xmas 2007. You’ll also see this one of Zeke at the grand opening of his own hot dog stand in Cashiers, NC: "Zeke and Earl’s". (Earl is the golden lab that belongs to the second partner in the operation.)
ricky
@ JenJen
I would never have watched a dog show without Best of Show. And I think Mary Carrillo is no Fred Willard despite attempted NFL references.
Laura W
@Linkmeister: I heart "Ice Dog"!
Linkmeister
@Laura: Thanks. Once she hit 15 or so she got less enthusiastic about ice, but until then I couldn’t use the ice dispenser without her turning up to ask for a cube.
JenJen
@Laura W: Oh, so you say you wanna waste some time?
The Baby Strider. Resistance is futile.
Looking at that first photo, it’s kinda weird that he’s resting his sweet little baby head on the Newsweek 9/11 issue. :-(
Michael D.
@Gindy:
Holy Crap! What are you feeding them?
:-)
JenJen
@Linkmeister: What is that in Tigger’s mouth, a pigeon? Ewwww. Poor pijjey. But good for Tig!
What a gorgeous dog, and how wonderful that you were blessed with 16 years of Tigger. Trippin’ down beloved dog-memory street can be bittersweet, though, huh? :-(
David in NYC
You know, that’s two years in a row that the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has been one of the sports (at least the NYT thinks it’s "sports") worlds high points.
Remember Uno from last year? First beagle to win Best in Show?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X61EjTptGSA
"May I have the beagle?" is one of my all-time favorite sports calls, right up there with "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" and "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" And I just love the overwhelming, standing ovation response from the crowd.
And after he went home, Uno did some public service work, visiting retirement homes to cheer up the residents:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu31PIedKSM&feature=related
What would we do without our four-legged friends?
Linkmeister
JenJen, yep. She was 15 at the time. She was a mighty hunter in her day, and one of the most cheerful dogs we’ve ever had. When we got her on Christmas Day in 1992 she was 6 months old and had been called Cocoa. Within two hours we’d begun calling her Tigger ("because she bounces!").
If you’ve got a good-sized yard or live in the country, pointers are wonderful beasties.
JenJen
@Laura W: I’m glad you also see DOXIE when you look at Strider! My vet thinks I’m on crack.
But dammit look at that face and that long, short bod and those legs. And if you knew Strider’s disposition, you’d think, "My, what a cranky-ass little bitch of a doxie." He’s still the light of my life and one cool little stubborn wonder-mutt! Sometimes, he’s a world-class ACD who would chase down anything. Other times, he’s like, "go away, or feed me. Either would work for me." Probably nobody would love him but me, so he’s a lucky little bastard.
All that is really known is that Strider’s Aussie Cattle Dog mum was a bit of a whore.
Dhalgren
Kind of a letdown after the very hammy and enthusiastic Uno the Beagle last year. This spaniel doesn’t look happy. He reminds me of a certain Republican Senator from Arizona.
Someday a Peruvian Hairless will win Westmister. Or a Manchester Terrier. Either of those breeds would make the wait worth it.