Westminster Dog Show 2022: Top moments, winners, Best in Show champ

The 2022 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show wrapped up Wednesday with the last round of Group judging, as the final three dogs secured their spot in the Best in Show judging.

The 146th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show kicked off Saturday at Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York with the Masters Agility Championship, followed by the Masters Obedience Championship and beginning of Breed judging on Monday.

Winners for the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups were selected Tuesday.

Competition continued Wednesday with Breed judging in the Sporting, Working, and Terrier Groups, followed promptly by Group judging in those same categories. The three winners join Tuesday’s four winners to make up the field of seven dogs competing for the title of Best in Show.

The Sporting Group was the largest of the four groups judged on Wednesday, followed by Working, and Terrier.

Wednesday’s first winner was Belle the English Setter for the Sporting Group.

English Setters are over 400 years old and are mellow, merry, and friendly dogs. Their origin goes back to working on different terrains in England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Belle the English Setter wins the Sporting Group | Westminster Kennel Club

Check out the highlights of the Sporting Group, as Belle the English Setter came away victorious as best in breed class.

The next winner was Striker the Samoyed for the Working Group.

Samoyeds are gentle, adaptable, and friendly. They’re also a powerful and energetic breed with a thick all-white coat impervious to cold. Samoyeds are beautiful but highly functional.

Striker the Samoyed wins the Working Group I Westminster Kennel Club

Watch as Striker the Samoyed takes best in breed class for the Working Group.

The Terriers were the last to show and MM the Lakeland Terrier took home the final Group win.

A bold, zesty “big dog in a small package,” the Lakeland Terrier, named for the Lake District of his native England, was once a farmer’s dog bred to work in packs on sheep-stealing foxes. Lakeland Terriers are high energy, which makes them well suited for an active lifestyle.

MM the Lakeland Terrier wins the Terrier Group | Westminster Kennel Club | FOX Sports

Watch as MM the Lakeland Terrier takes best in breed class for the Terrier Group.

These three finalists went on to compete against the four finalists selected Tuesday — Trumpet the Bloodhound (Hound Group), Hollywood the Maltese (Toy Group), Winston the French Bulldog (Non-Sporting Group), and River the German Shepherd (Herding Group) — in Best in Show.

In the end, the Trumpet the Bloodhound was crowned this year’s champion, beating out over 3,500 other dogs and 211 breeds (from 49 states and nine other countries!) for the highly coveted WKC blue ribbon.

Bloodhounds are independent, inquisitive and friendly large scent hounds originally bred for hunting deer and wild boar. The Borzoi, Norwegian Elkhound and Harrier rounded out the top four spots for the Hounds.