Hometown Pride

Woohoo! Stump The Sussex Spaniel was Best of Show at the Westminster Kennel Club show in Manhattan, and guess what??! He's from my town! Amazing! Who knew that a sweet 10 year old Sussex Spaniel named Stump would put our little town of Redding, Connecticut on the map! Congrats Stump, we're so proud of ya!

I'm thinking there's a playdate with my three silly hounds in his future??!!!!
* Pause the Hound Dog tunes over on the playlist on the right if you wanna see Stump's big moment, courtesy of You Tube. . .




"Imagine Michael Jordan coming back to make one more jumper. Or John Elway returning to toss a final TD pass. Or Nolan Ryan reappearing to throw a farewell fastball.

That’s what happened in the dog show world. Having just turned 10, a Sussex spaniel called Stump became the oldest best in show winner at the Westminster Kennel Club, ending his retirement last week and taking the big prize Tuesday night.

“He hasn’t slowed down a bit,” expert handler Scott Sommer said. “I thought it would be fun.”
With floppy ears and a plodding gait, the golden-red Stump became America’s top dog and an instant fan favorite at Madison Square Garden.

Turns out the old dog taught Westminster a new trick. Wow! In human years, he’s almost 70!

Sommer said Sussex spaniels can live to be 15. The previous oldest winner at Westminster was an 8-year-old Papillon in 1999, and Stump was the first of his breed to capture the silver bowl.

Stump barely made it past 5 or so. He left the show ring in 2004 and later nearly died from a mysterious medical condition. The vets at Texas A&M saved him

“It was miraculous,” Sommer said.

A nearly full crowd at Madison Square Garden cheered loudly when judge Sari Tietjen pointed to the new champion. She picked Stump from a field of seven that included a giant schnauzer that was the nation’s top show dog, a favored Brussels griffon, a Scottish deerhound named Tiger Woods, a standard poodle with 94 best in show wins, a Scottish terrier and a puli." Courtesy of Pet Tails