Purina
Winston is the winner.
The French Bulldog earned the top spot at the 21st Annual National Dog Show Presented by Purina, which aired on NBC on Thanksgiving Day, right after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
According to Purina, an estimated 20 million people watched Winston take the Best in Show title at the 2022 National Dog Show — hosted by The Kennel Club of Philadelphia — with his handler Perry Payson of Bixby, Oklahoma. Winston triumphed over hundreds of dogs from dozens of breeds to win the grand prize.
“He is a show dog with personality and beauty and a perfect fit for the breed,” Vicki Seiler-Cushman, the 2022 National Dog Show’s Best In Show judge, said in a statement. “He has a razzle-dazzle that says, ‘I am here to win tonight.’ You can just tell that he can also go home and be the perfect pet.”
Purina
Winston — registered show name GCHP Fox Canyon’s I Won The War at Goldshield — is familiar with fame. This win marks the dog’s 78th Best in Show title, and Winston is now the number one ranked all-breed canine in the U.S. NFL Player Morgan Fox is part of the ownership group that cares for Winston. The Los Angeles Chargers defensive end looked after the French Bulldog during the pet’s puppyhood.
“I get excited every time, and so does Winston,” Payson said after Winston’s Best in Show win. “The National Dog Show in Philadelphia, with the television exposure on Thanksgiving Day, is obviously special. We’ve had a lot of support, and that’s what happens with a dog of this quality.”
Before taking Best in Show, Winston won the 2022 National Dog Show’s Best in Group prize for the Non-Sporting Group. Six other canines joined Winston in the dog show’s final round: Sloane the Irish Water Spaniel of the Sporting Group, Cooper the English Toy Spaniel from the Toy Group, Reus the Alaskan Malamute from the Working Group, Trouble the America Staffordshire Terrier from the Terrier Group, Nate the Treeing Walker Coonhound from the Hound Group, and River the German Shepherd from the Herding Group.
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Cooper the English Toy Spaniel took home the 2022 National Dog Show’s second place prize, known as Reserve Best in Show. Winston won Reserve Best in Show at the 2022 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
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With his win, Winston unseated Claire the Scottish Deerhound. The talented canine made history in 2021 by becoming the first to win two consecutive Best in Show titles (2020 and 2021) at the National Dog Show. Claire retired from competition after her 2021 win.
To watch Winston’s win again, tune in to an encore presentation of the 2022 National Dog Show on November 26 from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT/MT) on NBC.
