National Dog Show makes history Best in Show winner at 2021

Claire is a ruthless champion.

History was made on Thursday at the National Dog Show. the beloved annual event hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. when a Scottish Deerhound named Claire, who also won last year, was named Best in Show.

Claire's victory marks the first time a dog has won consecutively in the show's 20-year history, the hosts noted.

"In 20 years of the National Dog Show, there has never been a repeat champion until tonight," commentator Mary Carillo said of the two-time best dog.

She was cheered on by vaccinated viewers. a return to normal after last year's scaled down and fanless show. her as she pranced on a victory lap around the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania. The event was filmed on November 20 and 21, but aired Thursday on NBC.

"She's a year older and she's more self-confident," her manager Angela Lloyd said of Claire, whose trade name is GCH Foxcliffe Claire Randall Fraser.

National Dog Show makes history Best in Show winner at 2021

As part of the Hound group, the 4-year-old canine also won a $ 20,000 prize in addition to the glory. This year's competition was close, as Claire took on Chester the Affenpinscher, Sasha the Pyrenean Shepherd, MM the Lakeland Terrier, Jade the German Shorthaired Pointer, Mo'Ne the Kuvasz, and Winter the Bulldog.

Last year, Claire was the first of her breed to earn the coveted title, but she's not the first champion in her family - Claire's grandmother won Best in Show at the 2011 Westminster Dog Show.

But Claire, who resides in Virginia, has surpassed her grandmother since she now she is the most winning Scottish fighter in history.

Claire, in her opinion, really believes in herself and is very confident in who she is. And if you look like her, don't you? Lloyd said. "She is really on top of her game."

In addition to the two-time victory, the Biewer Terrier made his debut Thursday in the Toy group, stealing the show with tenderness for the historic year.

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the National Dog Show, which has become something of a Thanksgiving tradition of sorts, and airs immediately after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The 2021 event was hosted by John O'Hurley and David Frei, who have been masters of ceremonies for the show since it first aired on NBC in 2002.

We estimate that 250 million people have watched since then, ”organizers said in a statement.

"Dogs have become more than ever a part of people's lives and the show reminds us how great they are and how easy it is for them to make us smile," added O'Hurley, best known for playing the catalog mogul. store J. Peterman. in "Seinfeld".

This year, 209 breeds and varieties of dog, all purebred licensed by the American Kennel Club, were divided into seven different groups: sporting, hounds, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting and herding, to select the winner. from the coveted Best in Show title. Last year, only 600 dogs participated, a far cry from the nearly 2,000 that normally compete in the show.

Claire also won the 2020 National Dog Show, particularly the first of her breed to earn the coveted title. The Scottish Deerhound defeated seven finalists and a total of 538 innings.

The show, which was founded in 1879, has been held annually since 1933, but the first NBC broadcast occurred less than two decades ago. Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network, told The Post in 2013 that Christopher Guest's beloved 2000 mockumentary "Best in Show" actually inspired him to air the show nationwide.

"The ratings blew everyone away that first year, and it's been on the air ever since," Miller said. He also credits his wife, Janine, as the "genius" who came up with the concept.

"I am very proud of the fact that, after 44 years at NBC, it is a property that will live on long after I am gone," he added.

National Dog Show makes history Best in Show winner at 2021

The judges select the winners by examining the dog and how closely each dog compares to the perfection of the "perfect dog" in the official breed standard. Conformation, general appearance, temperament, build, and movement are considered, as well as the dog's ability to "perform the function for which his breed was bred."