An Ungainly, Wrinkled Bloodhound Wins Westminster Dog Show

By: Jiahao Chen

Trumpet, a rather wrinkled and ungainly bloodhound from Illinois, won the Westminster dog competition, placing in front of many hard competitors, each with unique physical traits to make them stand out. The trumpet was a one-of-a-kind contestant.

Trumpet’s win shocked everyone, even his owner and handler. “There were seven beautiful dogs in that ring. You know, I feel like sometimes a bloodhound might be a little bit of

an underdog. So I was absolutely thrilled,” Heather Buehner (Trumpet’s handler) said after he won.

The show originally took place in Madison Square Garden, but was moved to Lyndhurst because of the pandemic. The events took place in outdoor rings and inside large tents.

The show this year was very different from the previous. What remained the same was a recording of Frank Sinatra singing “New York, New York” in the background. In the distance, you could see a purple empire state building lighting up, marking the beginning of the show.

Trumpet wasn’t a dog who caught everyone’s attention, like flashier and more sophisticated dogs that made the crowd go wild. Dogs like Striker, a Samoyed that was one of the seven group winners, had beautiful fur that earned its applause.

Although Trumpet wasn’t like Striker, he had something special that earned him first place. Not only this, but he had a famous great-grandfather, Tigger, who had once held the record for the longest ears (they were over a foot long).

Trumpet didn’t have to say anything when posing before a podium filled with prizes; ribbons upon ribbons, trophies upon trophies. He was a champion and that was that, his face, his manner, everything said “champion” about him. He also claimed his position in the Westminster dog show as the first bloodhound to win.