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A Doberman pinscher born and raised in the GTA has just climbed to the very top of the dog-show world.
On Tuesday night in New York, four-year-old Penny won Best in Show at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show after outlasting a field of more than 2,500 entries and beating the seven group winners in the final round at Madison Square Garden.
If you follow competitive dog shows even a little (or maybe just like playing catch-up through TikTok clips), you’ll know what an epic moment this is: In the dog-show world, Westminster is one of the most prestigious stages there is, and Best in Show is the highest honour a dog can take home!
Penny is only the fifth Doberman pinscher to win the title at Westminster, adding another chapter to the breed’s relatively rare history in the winner’s circle. Her win also has a local connection: Penny was born and raised in the GTA, bred by Toronto-area Doberman breeders Theresa Connors-Chan and Gregory Chan, who are based in Newtonville, Ont.
In an interview with the Toronto Star following the win, Chan called the moment “surreal,” saying the couple felt “overwhelmed by happiness and joy,” while describing Penny as the kind of puppy who always wanted to be the centre of attention.
According to a press release, Penny was handled by Andy Linton, a veteran in the sport who’s now won Best in Show at Westminster twice with two different Dobermans, nearly four decades apart (his first win was in 1989, when he handled a Doberman named Indy to the same title).
Penny “is as great a Doberman as I have ever seen,” Linton told the crowd on Tuesday.
Early rounds at this year’s show were held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center before the competition ended at Madison Square Garden for the group judging and Best in Show events.
In the final, Penny faced off against the other group winners, including an Afghan hound (Hound Group), Maltese (Toy), Lhasa apso (Non-Sporting), Old English sheepdog (Herding), Chesapeake Bay retriever (Sporting) and Smooth fox terrier (Terrier). The Best in Show judging was done by David Fitzpatrick.
For more on Penny, follow @westminsterkennelclub on Instagram!
