Standard poodle Siba wins
best in show at Westminster
Associated Press,
by
Staff
Original Article
Posted By: MissMolly,
2/12/2020 4:04:34 AM
Primped and poised, Siba the standard poodle owned the ring.
Even with the crowd at Madison Square Garden chanting for a popular golden retriever, the statuesque Siba strutted off with best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club on Tuesday night.
Adorned with black puffs and pompoms, the 3-year-old Siba was the absolute picture of what many see as the epitome of a show dog.
Not everyone shared that view. As judge Bob Slay studied Siba in the best-of-seven final ring, a fan shouted out: “No way, Slay, no way!”
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Flyball Dogs 2/12/2020 5:39:25 AM (No. 315734)
Stunning dog. And the Golden, too.
Nice show this year. An especially nice diversion from politics.
8 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Condor44 2/12/2020 6:15:00 AM (No. 315752)
Should have been a Dachshund.
2 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
FleetUSA 2/12/2020 6:28:29 AM (No. 315755)
Was Joe Garagiola there?
0 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
NancyD 2/12/2020 6:43:49 AM (No. 315766)
I'm not a fan of the poodle breed. Maybe it's the hair cut... We all watch the Westminster dog show. So many of the dogs are so nice, I loved the Golden that hugged the owner, then ran away with the blue ribbon in its mouth. Ha! We laughed at our dog who sat and watched the other dogs on TV. It's good family time.
12 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Bazi 2/12/2020 7:38:05 AM (No. 315818)
Poodles are supposedly very intelligent dogs, but those goofy poofy haircuts make them look ridiculous. I agree with #2. The winner should have been a dachshund. My dachshunds agree, as well.
6 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
BeatleJeff 2/12/2020 8:08:47 AM (No. 315848)
Poodles rule! It had been too long since one took the top prize at WKC. And #4's comment is rather ignorant. If you've ever owned a poodle (and I've had several) you know that they are smart, loyal, playful, and rather bad-a$$. Don't let the show cut fool you. Poodles ordinarily don't wear that cut. It's impracticable and way too much work to maintain.
11 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
udanja99 2/12/2020 8:27:16 AM (No. 315875)
I love standard poodles too but they look much better without the stupid puff balls. They are delightful dogs when allowed to just be dogs.
8 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
J F Ackerman 2/12/2020 8:29:30 AM (No. 315879)
No slurs, please. Poodles are wonderful, loving companions...smart, composed athletes. The haircuts are required for these shows as remnants of their working purpose as retrievers. Ours are trimmed forever in a "puppy cut". This Westminster was incredible. Every single dog in the final was perfect and wonderful. Siba had that little something, that extra spark of "I got this" the judge looks for. Please keep rude, ignorant opinions to yourselves. Well done, Westminster!
12 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Rather Read 2/12/2020 8:35:12 AM (No. 315887)
I like poodles, but I don't like the show haircuts. My cousin has one and she gets a puppy clip that is easy to care for and doesn't look silly. I have some HUGE problems with dog shows and purebred standards. Some breeds are so deformed they are unsustainable (pugs, French bulldogs, bulldogs) and some look terrible, Who had the bright idea that breeding German Shepherds with hindquarters that drag look good? I have a friend who works for the state police and they get their K-9 shepherds from Europe where they breed them with straight backs.
11 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
ramona 2/12/2020 9:04:42 AM (No. 315925)
Despite the haircut, Siba is a magnificent animal. I agree that a puppy cut is nicer - I keep my miniature white Schnauzer in a puppy cut; the Schnauzer cut makes him look like Snagglepuss.
Kudos to Siba and the handler!
Ramona (the Pest)
7 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
gobushcheneygo 2/12/2020 9:26:04 AM (No. 315960)
When I first saw Siba in the Group ring, I thought what a breathtakingly beautiful black poodle...and I'm not a poodle person. My heart belongs to a certain Cavalier King Charles spaniel who loves to watch Westminster every year with me.
The final 7 were all beautiful examples of their breed. I was pulling either for the Sheltie or the Havanese. I thought they both had the extra "spark" the judges tend to look for. I felt rather sorry for Siba's owner and handler because I heard a collective "NO" from the crowd when he won. The crowd definitely had their favorite, the happy golden retriever. I think everyone was shocked, including me, that the whippet came in 2nd.
Even if I didn't agree with judge Slay choices, it was a great show at Westminster this year.
5 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
kiwinews 2/12/2020 10:20:22 AM (No. 316041)
Sore losers are just mad because she's black.
2 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
earlybird 2/12/2020 10:55:05 AM (No. 316100)
Regular poodles, not forced to wear that awful cut, are pretty decent, quite smart animals. No dog should have to endure wearing that absurd cut. Especially a male.
We loved the Golden, though it was not as handsome as ours. Looked as though they had powdered its coat.
1 person likes this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
earlybird 2/12/2020 10:57:27 AM (No. 316102)
Re #10, this is and always has been an opinion site where members give their opinions…
Having preferences about dogs is not rude. Slamming other members is.
4 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
earlybird 2/12/2020 11:06:17 AM (No. 316109)
Here, following an explanation of why poodles were sheared and clipped (to keep them from sinking in the water), is information about the intricate cuts we see at Westminster;
Poodles’ haircuts evolved into some of the more ornate and elaborate incarnations we see today when the animals gained popularity in France, particularly in the 18th century under the reign of Louis XVI. Poodles, especially the smaller varieties, were popular with the nobility, who would mold the little dogs’ hair into extravagant styles, sometimes mimicking the ornate pompadours that French men and women wore themselves at the time.
These days, poodles competing at Westminster must sport one of two coat patterns, the Continental or the English Saddle. (The primary difference is that the Continental leaves the poodles’ hindquarters embarrassingly exposed.) These clips are believed to show off the poodle’s “squareness,” one of the many characteristics that they are judged on in the show ring. In a properly square poodle, the area from the breastbone to the rump measures approximately the same distance as the height from shoulders to ground.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2004/02/the-genesis-of-the-poodle-hairdo.html
2 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
Jim Neely 2/12/2020 11:15:59 AM (No. 316122)
I watched the whole show and the Whippet was announced the Best in Show winner. I was rooting for the poodle or golden retriever.
0 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
kono 2/12/2020 11:24:25 AM (No. 316137)
I'd love to see a new breed named after Colin Kaepernick (to celebrate the humongous poodle-poof he grew atop his head when he changed from athlete to activist).
0 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
kono 2/12/2020 11:24:42 AM (No. 316138)
But what's up with Westminster's Kennel Club having its biggest show in New York City? Did it get exiled from Westminster? Is there some exchange program that has Manhattan Kennel Club's show in London? Has anybody ever tried to enter a cat pretending to be a dog?
0 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
LC Chihuahua 2/12/2020 3:54:21 PM (No. 316387)
Was rooting for the whippet but ok with the poodle. They were all very good, and the winner usually is the one asking for it the most and has the fewest 'faults'. I was also struck by how many newer breeds are showing up. AKC seems to add 2 or 3 every year.
0 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
DVC 2/13/2020 12:09:41 AM (No. 316713)
Fine looking dog. We had poodles when I was young. Ultra smart dogs, amazing pets.
They look pretty foo-foo when they get that French cut, but ours had a uniform length cut called a puppy cut. No shedding, clean and just amazingly smart. You do have to get their hair cut, or cut it your self.
0 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
ussjimmycarter 2/13/2020 4:03:40 AM (No. 316763)
Poodles are ugly and suck! But they win every year among the beautiful people! Give me a Golden or a Shepard any day! But a flighty poodle...ewww!
0 people like this.
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