10 year-old Sussex spaniel 'Stump' wins Best in Show at Westminster Dog Show 2009

Stump poses after winning Best in Show at the 133rd Westminster Dog Show.
(AP/Peter Kramer)

The crowd at Madison Square Garden tensed with anticipation as Judge Sari Brewster Tietjen took another long look at the seven glorious dogs before her, trying to decide which would win Best in Show at the 133rd Westminster Dog Show.

After a moment, she walked over to the judging table where she formally recorded her choice on a piece of paper. Then straightening, she walked back out to the center of the arena, lifted her hand, and pointed at Stump, the Sussex spaniel. The crowd roared with delight. 

Stump, whose full name is Champion Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee, set two records with his win Tuesday night at the Westminster Dog Show.

At 10 years old, he is the oldest dog to win Best in Show. It is also the first time a Sussex spaniel has taken the title.

Scott Sommer showing Stump during Best in Show.
(AP/Peter Kramer)

"I just wanted my dog to look good and to show good," handler Scott Sommer said after the show.

Stump had stopped competing five years ago, but came out of retirement to show at the Westminster Dog Show this year. "He looked great and is a rare breed, so I decided to enter him as a wonderful representative of his breed," says Sommer.

There's no doubt Stump charmed the crowd with his long, floppy ears and trundling gait that sent his tail wagging from side to side. The crowd erupted in thunderous applause each time Stump took a turn around the ring. 

Judge Tietjen says she was "so much into the dogs that she was not aware of other things happening, other than the time." She made her choice at the last minute after studying the "good group of dogs."

He represents so much. It's hard to find. He showed his heart out. He was everything you want, so in the end, I couldn't say 'no' to him.

--Best in Show judge, Sari Brewster Tietjen, on picking Stump the Sussex spaniel

Stump is besieged by the media, photographers and fans immediately after winning his 
group competition, and before competing for Best in Show. (Photo: Helena Sung)
 

Four years ago, it seemed unlikely Stump would survive much longer, much less be named the top dog in the country. After winning best of the sporting group at Westminster in 2004, Stump came down with a mysterious illness that nearly killed him. He spent 19 days at the Texas A&M vet hospital. Doctors never figured out what Stump had, but luckily, he started feeling better. It took the dog two years to fully recover.

These days, Stump, whose favorite toy is a Grinch doll, is really a house dog. He loves saying hello to people, but spends most of the day sleeping. He shares a bed with J.R., a Bichon Frise that won Best in Show at Westminster with Sommer in 2001.

"It was so much calmer this time," Sommers says about competing at Westminster. "It was like going out with my own pet. I don't think I even put a leash on him [to prepare him for the show]. He went to a lot of dog shows when he was younger. I'm sure J.R. told him this morning to keep up the family name," Sommers jokes.

Posing for the winning photo. From left, assistant Adam Peterson, Stump, handler Scott
Sommer, and Best in Show judge Sari Brewster Tietjen.  (Photo: Helena Sung)
 

Typically, the breed that wins Best in Show at Westminster enjoys a surge in popularity as people seek to own the breed themselves. "That will not be likely," says Sommers, pointing out that the Sussex spaniel is a rare breed, comes from a small gene pool, and is difficult to keep alive as puppies.

But there is no fear of the breed dying out. Stump has already fathered two litters and has two sons named Root and Forest, and a daughter named Myrtle. When they are old enough, Sommers says he may show them. "They have so much body that has to fill out that they won't show until they are three or four years old."