Sage the poodle wins US Westminster Dog Show top prize

It was the 11th triumph for poodles of various sizes in the United States' most prestigious canine event - only wire fox terriers have won more. And it was the second-best in show win for handler Kaz Hosaka. He led another miniature poodle, Spice, to the trophy in 2002 and said this year's Westminster would be his last.

"No words," he said in the ring to describe his reaction to Sage's win, soon supplying a few words: "So happy - exciting."

Striding briskly and proudly around the ring, the inky-black poodle "gave a great performance for me," added Hosaka, who said he'd been competing at Westminster for 45 years.

Sage bested six other finalists to take the top prize. Second went to Mercedes the German shepherd, also guided by a handler, Kent Boyles, who has won the big prize before.

The canine contestants faced off at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the US Open tennis tournament.

Dogs first compete against others of their breed. Then the winner of each breed goes up against others in its "group". The seven group winners meet in the final round.

The best in show winner gets a trophy and a place in dog-world history, but no cash prize.

Westminster can feel like a study in canine contrasts. Just walking around, a visitor could see a Chihuahua peering out of a carrying bag at a stocky Neapolitan mastiff, a ring full of honey-coloured golden retrievers beside a lineup of stark-black giant schnauzers, and handlers with dogs far larger than themselves.

The Westminster show, which dates to 1877, centres on the traditional purebred judging that leads to the best in show prize. But over the past decade, the club has added agility and obedience events open to mixed-breed dogs.

And this year, the agility competition counted its first non-purebred winner, a border collie-papillon mix named Nimble.

Australian Associated Press