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National Dog Show 2019 Results: Best in Show and List of Winners
November 28, 2019
Thor the Bulldog is your 2019 Best in Show winner at the National Dog Show, hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia.
Below, we'll go through all of the group winners and highlights from this year's edition of the annual show.
List of Winners
Best in Show: Bulldog
Reserve Best in Show: Havanese
Herding Group: Old English Sheepdog
Hound Group: Pharaoh Hound
Non-Sporting Group: Bulldog
Toy Group: Havanese
Working Group: Siberian Husky
Sporting Group: Golden Retriever
Terrier Group: Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Recap
Thor the Bulldog made history at the National Dog Show, becoming the first bulldog to win Best in Show this century.
"He's a dog that always gives everything for me," Thor's handler, Eduardo Paris, told NBC's Mary Carillo. "I discovered him in South America and I love this dog."
"He's a very complete dog," Paris added. "It's not just one piece, it's many pieces together. He moves like a dream. The outline is beautiful. The hair is beautiful. Everything. I love this dog."
That might be the first time anyone has said a bulldog moves like a dream, but Thor was absolutely a popular choice for Best in Show, especially among college sports programs nicknamed after the breed:
Thor wasn't the only pup to make history at this year's event, as the Azawakh was introduced to the hound group for the very first time. Per only breed recognized by the AKC that is taller than it is long" and "originated from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger and was bred to be guardians and hunters."
This is the first year the breed has been eligible for the dog show.
The Azawakh's handler, former Philadelphia police officer Aliya Taylor, also made history at the event, becoming the first woman to wear a hijab while showcasing a dog at the National Dog Show.
"I have never, to my knowledge, encountered another Muslim woman while competing—at least, not another covered Muslim woman who was showing dogs," Taylor told Hope Schreiber of Yahoo Lifestyle. "I believe I am the only one in the northeast."
"I had somebody tell me when I was first starting to show dogs, again, that nobody would take me seriously with [my hijab] on," she added. "I didn’t listen to them, obviously. ... There's a lot of people who are curious, a lot of people looked at me strangely, especially when I walked into show games, but I held my head up high. I went and I competed with my dog, and that was that."