Bloodhound 'Trumpet' Wins Best in Show at 2022 Westminster Dog Show
Sounding off at the 146th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Presented by Purina Pro Plan, a 4 ½-year-old male named “Trumpet” became the first Bloodhound to win Best in Show. The No. 3 Hound and No. 1 all-systems Bloodhound was handled by breeder-owner Heather Buehner of Berlin Center, Illinois.
MBIS GCHB Flessner’s Toot My Own Horn began his career as a special in January and took his ninth Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show June 22, 2022, at Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York. The 130-pound black-and-tan Bloodhound wowed with his beautiful head, long-hanging ears and smooth, athletic movement.
Outperforming more than 3,000 dogs representing 211 breeds, Trumpet makes 15 of the past 16 Westminster Best in Show winners fueled to their wins by Purina Pro Plan. The power of Purina Pro Plan nutrition is reflected in Pro Plan’s clean sweep as the food of choice for all the 2022 Westminster Group winners.
Trumpet is the second Westminster Hound Group winner for Buehner, who showed his sire, “Nathan” (GCHP Fless’er International S’Cess MT), to his win in 2014 and to Best in Show at the 2014 National Dog Show.
A junior handler who started with Irish Setters, Buehner fell in love with the silly, happy nature of Bloodhounds in 2005 when her mother asked her to show her Bloodhound.
Best in Show judge Dr. Don Sturz of Brooklyn, New York, said after the show, “Trumpet has a beautiful head, great bone and amazing conformation that showed itself in his flawless movement. This breed must have the endurance to track and trail, and that athleticism is what I saw in this Bloodhound.”
Trumpet’s co-breeders and co-owners are Bryan and Chris Flessner, of St. Joseph, Illinois, Tina Kocar, and Missy Bettis. The Westminster Best in Show winner is fed Purina Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula dog food.
Sharing the spotlight with Trumpet are these Pro Plan-fed Group winners:
Reserve Best in Show & Non-Sporting Group Winner
The No. 1 all-breed dog in the country, the first French Bulldog to achieve No. 1 status, “Winston” (MBIS/MBISS GCHP Fox Canyon’s I Won The War At Goldshield CGCA CGCU TKN) is a 3-year-old fawn male. The winner of 42 Bests in Show, the outgoing, energetic Frenchie was handled by Perry Payson of Bixby, Oklahoma.
Winston represents the fourth generation of a co-breeding partnership between Payson and Sandy Fox, who co-own him with Alexandra “Alex” Vorbeck and Fox’s grandson, Morgan Fox, a defensive end for the Carolina Panthers. The No. 1 Non-Sporting dog for two straight years, Winston is fed Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Oat Meal Formula dog food.
Toy Group Winner
The No. 1 all-breed Maltese for two years, “Hollywood” (MBIS/BISS GCHB Ta-Jon’s Walk Of Fame) is a 3-year-old female handled by Tim Lehman of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Hollywood was bred by Tammy Simon, the breeder of CH Ta-Jon’s Tickle Me Silly, the top-winning Maltese in history with 103 Bests in Show, and Diana Egnor. In May, Hollywood won the 2022 American Maltese Association National Specialty. Co-owned by Dina Hunter and Simon, the beautiful Maltese is fed Purina Pro Plan Adult Toy Breed Chicken & Rice Formula dog food.
Herding Group Winner
The No. 1 Herding dog and No. 1 all-systems German Shepherd Dog, “River” (MBISS/BISS GCHG Gem-N-I River Of Urloved CGC) is a 4-year-old male. Handled by Lenny Brown of Jasper, Georgia, River was bred by Lee Jewel, B. Stamper and owner Richard Waits. The Grand Victor at the 2020 German Shepherd Dog Club of America National Specialty, River is fed Purina Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Beef & Rice Formula.
Sporting Group Winner
The No. 1 all-breed English Setter, “Belle” (MBIS GCHG Ciara N’ Honeygait Belle Of The Ball FDC CGC), is the first Bred-By Best in Show winner of breeder-owner-handler Amanda Ciaravino of Pine Island, Minnesota. The sweet, loving setter was whelped in the first litter Ciaravino bred. Belle’s dam, GCHG Aerden’s Free Fallin’ With Honeygait, is Ciaravino’s first Best in Show winner. The winner of six Bests in Show, Belle was co-bred by Vito Ciaravino, John and Mary Nowak, and Brian Silbernagel, and is co-owned by Van Jacobsen, Lee Afdahl and the Ciaravinos. Belle is fed Purina Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula dog food.
Working Group Winner
The winner of 111 Bests in Show and the No. 1 all-breed dog in the country in 2021, “Striker” (MBIS/MBISS GCHP Vanderbilt ‘N Printemp’s Lucky Strike) is a 6-year-old male Samoyed from Toronto, Canada. The top-winning Samoyed in breed history and a two-time Working Group winner at Westminster, Striker was handled by Laura King of Milan, Illinois. The handsome male was bred by Judi Elford and Mengru Wu and is co-owned by Correen Ralsky-Pacht, Marc Ralsky, Elford, and her husband, Blair Elford. Striker is fed Purina Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Salmon & Rice Formula dog food.
Terrier Group
The No. 2 Terrier and No. 1 all-systems Lakeland Terrier is “MM” (GCHG Hi-Kel Terrydale Nanhall Mizzconceived), a 6-year-old female handled by co-owner Ariel Cukier of Greenwood, Delaware. The feisty terrier was bred by Hayley Keyes and Terrydale Kennels and is co-owned by Maripi Wooldridge and Jennifer Stevens. MM is fed Purina Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Salmon & Rice Formula dog food.
Congratulations to these 2022 Westminster Pro Plan-fed show dogs!