Malachy the Pekingese: Last Year's Runner-Up for Best in Show a Worthy Winner

Malachy the Pekingese can retire peacefully now, bowing out at the top of the sport after winning "Best in Show" at this year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

The four-year-old—and last year's runner-up for the honor—was a worthy winner if for no other reason than he was carrying around a ridiculous amount of hair that appeared to double his natural body weight.

Actually, quite a bit about the Westminster Show is ridiculous, now that I think about it. Consider some of the wonderful paragraphs you might find in the write-up about the show from Richard Sandomir of The New York Times:

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There would be no major upset Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. That happened earlier in the day when a black cocker spaniel named Beckham, the top-ranked dog in 2011 according to Dog News, lost to others in his breed.

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And you thought the BCS was silly.  Or how about this little ditty:

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The judge, Cindy Vogels, put Malachy ahead of a German shepherd, a Dalmatian, a Kerry blue terrier, a Doberman pinscher, a wire-haired dachshund and an Irish setter who gave birth to 15 puppies last May (using the frozen semen of a long-dead sire) and had just returned from a year’s maternity leave.

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I've heard of deadbeat dads, but that's just ridiculous.

Finally, Sandomir puts the entire spectacle into its proper light, subtly reminding us all that, hey, they're just freaking dogs, okay?

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In triumph, Malachy relaxed, splaying himself on a table for his news conference. If you looked hard, or close enough, you could see his little eyes. His face was framed by a coat that gave him the look of a 1960’s guru — or perhaps Cousin Itt’s pet.

The great man sneezed. He looked at the microphones as if they were toys.

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What was he thinking about in that moment? All the long hours of walking around in a circle to train? The time spent being groomed while the other dogs frolicked about outside?

Or was he simply wondering where he could get some food? Because honestly, something around him really required a bit of sniffing, or pawing, potentially even some licking.

Yes, the little guy with the crazy hairdo was indeed just a dog. And a worthy winner.

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