The 5-year-old female Scottish deerhound -- full name Gch. Foxcliffe Hickory Wind -- has been the number one Scottish deerhound for the last three years. But this was her first Best in Show appearance at Westminster.
After entering the ring at Madison Square Garden under a spotlight to rapturous applause, handler Angela Lloyd - a junior handler winner at Westminster in 1998 - led her to a swift and popular victory.
Judge Paolo Dondina, who paid tribute to all the seven finalists as "the best he could remember," did not take long to select Hickory as his choice for Best in Show. He watched their initial entrance lap and took a closer look at each dog before quickly deciding on Hickory.
"I think she was beautiful," he told reporters after the award. "This one feels perfect - very well balanced and beautiful. She did a marvelous job."
The victorious dog and handler drew the adulation of a large crowd as she basked in the victory. Some attendees paid as much as $155 to attend Best in Show, which was also broadcast live on the USA Network.
