A blonde whippet from Italy with soulful eyes and tiger-like markings won the overall prize at Crufts, the world’s biggest dog show, on Sunday.
Miuccia, who is 4 years old, became the first Italian dog to win the coveted Best in Show prize at the event in Birmingham, England – an accolade that left her handler, Giovanni Liguori, overwhelmed with emotion.
“It’s really a dream come true, I am truly overwhelmed. Miuccia performed her best, I felt her very relaxed on the leash, so I’m super-, super-happy,” Liguori told British broadcaster Channel 4 afterward.
“I absolutely adore her, she’s fantastic, the sweetest dog, she always wants to be super-close to me and that’s the most important thing. It’s incredible, it’s amazing, as Italians we are super-proud.”
Miuccia became the fourth whippet to win the prize and saw off competition from more than 18,000 dogs gathered at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre for four days of competition.
A Tibetan Mastiff from Romania named Viking finished in second place, becoming the first of his breed to make it to that stage of the competition.
First held in 1891, Crufts has become one of the most famous international shows of its kind, attracting dogs from all over the world. Around six times as many dogs compete at Crufts as at the Westminster Dog Show, the famed US competition held in New York every year.
Those dogs competing for the Best in Show award qualify for the final if they win one of the seven preliminary rounds that come before it, where they are grouped with other similar dogs.
And as well as the famous dog-showing competition, there are opportunities for dogs to showcase their agility and obedience skills.