Top dogs! The winners of the world's most important dog show

The frisky, friendly and perfectly mannered pooch Buddy Holly became the first Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen to win Best in Show at the highly esteemed Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2023.

Buddy Holly’s owner and trainer, Janice Hayes, said she had been dreaming of this moment since she was nine years old. This is her third try, but she said Buddy Holly is the “epitome of a show dog” because nothing bothers him.

While Hayes was highly emotional after beating out 3,000 of the best dogs at Westminster, Buddy Holly maintained his characteristic cool. Hayes said she’s most excited for Buddy Holly to get back to being a regular dog and hanging out with “his girlfriends.”

Second prize went to Rummie, an absurdly fluffy Pekingese. He was also voted the top dog in the toy group. Fans on Twitter said he was robbed. The New York Times writes, “the existence of his legs has not been confirmed.”

This charming speckled English setter named Cider beat out 35 other breeds to take home the top prize in the Sporting group.

Breaking the domination of Samoyeds in this category in recent years was Monty the giant schnauzer, whose jumping and elegant gait charmed the judges.

This good boy pranced his way to victory in the terrier group.

This four-year-old female Australian shepherd from Ohio, described by her handler as the “fun girl at the party,” according to the Associated Press, took top honors in the herding group.

Winston, a fan favorite for Best in Show this year after making it to the final round, fell just short again this year. Last year, he won second-place.

Grammy-winning country star Tim McGraw celebrated another prize winner in his family – his Bracco Italiano dog Lepshi, who won "best of breed."

Initiated in 1877, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is America's second-longest continuously held sporting event, after the Kentucky Derby. It features purebred dogs competing in categories like Best in Breed, Best in Group and Best in Show. Dogs are judged on breed standards and ability to perform their original jobs.

Photo of the event in 1918

Experts say this year’s top prize is solidifying the trend of diversity in best breeds. Last year, a bloodhound named Trumpet won, also a first for its breed.

In 2021, the handler of this year’s second-prize winner won Best in Show with an extremely fluffy Pekingese named Wasabi. This hilarious breed has actually taken home the fourth-most top prizes of all.

The pandemic year produced another classic winner in the form of the expertly sculpted Siba.

It may not be your first guess, but the breed that’s won more Best in Show titles than any other is the wire fox terrier. It's taken home 15 wins.

Another terrier breed has taken home eight Best in Show wins at Westminster. The most recent time was in 2010, when Sadie (pictured) won the top prize.

The next most common Best in Show breed is the English springer spaniel, which has taken home six Best in Show titles. James was the most recent representative of the breed, winning in 2007.