On February 15th, five-year old Foxcliffe Hickory Wind, A.K.A. Hickory, took the world by surprise, when he became the first Scottish deerhound to win the title of America's Top Dog in the 135 year-old history of the Westminster Kennel Dog Show.
Nicknamed 'Super Bowl of the dog world', the annual event, held at New York City's Madison Square Garden, is one of the longest running and amongst the most prestigious dog show competitions in the world.
Hickory's history-making victory is even more impressive, given that she had to fend off 2,600 dogs representing 179 breeds during the two-day event. However, unaware of the poor past record of her breed, she put her best paw forward and impressed the judges with her calm and elegant demeanor and sophisticated natural beauty.
In the process, she beat out some tough competition from a cute Pekinese called Malachy, a Cocker Spaniel called Beckham, a Bearded Collie named after the Lord of the Rings character, Mr. Baggins and even a Portuguese Water Dog called Ladybug.
The day after winning the prestigious purple and gold rosette and the shiny bowl, Hickory went on the customary New York City tour to appear on some national television shows and then on to Sardi's for some filet mignon served on a silver platter. After that, it was a photo shoot at the top of the Empire State building. Her day ended on a high note with a visit to a children's cancer hospital.
While Hickory will probably soon return to the limelight with an advertising deal or two, for now, the top dog and her excited owners have returned to their 50-acre farm in Warrenton, Virginia where Hickory is doing what she loves best - Chasing wild animals.
Resources: latimesblogs.latimes.com, dailymail.co.uk
