National Dog Show 2022 Results: Best in Show and List of Winners

For the second time in four years, a bulldog has won the title of Best in Show at the National Dog Show.

This time, it was Winston the French Bulldog that ended the two-year run for the Scottish deerhound breed.

The annual event was held at the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. There are 209 AKC registered breeds that compete, with the dogs assigned to one of seven groups.

The first stage of the competition involves dogs competing to be named Best in Breed. Those that are chosen to advance square off for the title of First in Breed.

After whittling the field down from 209 breeds to group winners, the seven finalists go head to head for the prestigious honor of Best in Show.

Here is the list of dogs that made it to the final stage of the competition.

Hounds: Nate (Treeing Walker Coonhound)

Toy: Cooper (English Toy Spaniel)

Herding: River (German Shepherd)

Sporting: Sloane (Irish Water Spaniel)

Non-Sporting: Winston (French Bulldog)

Working: Reus (Alaskan Malamute)

There was an air of confidence around Winston during the group stage. He even took his handler for a short run when it was announced he won First in Group among the non-sporting breeds.

There was no shortage of competition for Winston to overcome in his quest for Best in Show.

Winston's victory marks the first time since the competition was first televised in 2002 that a French Bulldog has won the top prize.

The dog also has a personal connection to the sports world, as Winston is owned by Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Morgan Fox.

Fox told Hayley Elwood of the Chargers' official website he came to own Winston because his grandmother breeds them:

"A couple years ago, she had a litter and asked me if I'd be interested in keeping one of the puppies. I told her of course! It all worked out because Kay [Fox's fiancé] had wanted a Frenchie. So we got to go down there and she gave us Winston and said when he grows up, she'd like to show him. It was kind of like, we don't really know where it's gonna go, but it was a passion and labor of love for my grandma."

Fox noted Winston has been "a winning machine" since his show career began when he was about one year old.