Ladies and Gentlemen, meet your new Queen: Star the Bulldog. Monday night we learned the gorgeous and aptly called Star was named Best in Show (to which Star sniffed, “as if I didn’t already know that”) at the 2022 American Kennel Club’s (AKC) National Championship. The actual contest took place mid December but the world was kept in rapt suspense until this week when Star, whose show name is GCHG CH Cherokee Legend Encore, trotted over 5,300 dogs and allowed the world to bask in her shine.
Meet the “Star” of the 22nd annual AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin.
On Monday, the American Kennel Club announced the winner of its annual canine competition. Star the bulldog went home with the event’s top prize, winning the Best in Show title and $50,000.
Star — show name GCHG CH Cherokee Legend Encore — beat out over 5,300 canines to win the dog show, which took place December 17-18, 2022, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The 2022 AKC National Championship aired as a three-hour special on ABC on January 1, 2023.
A family from Glen Rose, Texas, owns the talented Star, who was also crowned “America’s National Champion” by Best in Show judge Mr. Desmond Murphy at the AKC dog show.
Star won Best in Group in the event’s Non-Sporting Group before moving on to the Best in Show round, where six other talented pooches joined the canine: Bogart the Schnauzer, winner of the Working Group, Trumpet the Bloodhound, winner of the Hound Group; Josie the Spinone Italiano, winner of the Sporting Group; Stache the Sealyham Terrier, winner of the Terrier Group; Clark the Havanese, winner of the Toy Group, and Mercedes the German Shepherd, winner of the Herding Group.
If you find yourself in need of a pick me up today, please go to the ACK website and read their Ode to a Rising Star (my title) write up on her win. I swear it’s the first draft of her biopic that’s being pitched to four major studios and already has Angelina Jolie attached to direct. Here’s a taste:
The Masons know that firsthand, having purchased a promising Bulldog that has become so successful she now has her own trophy room. And hanging on one of the walls, amid Star’s ribbons and win photos, is that original Bulldog photo from Kevin Mason’s final year of college, signed by Sickle on the day Star went to her new home.
Can you imagine what Star’s Trophy Room looks like? She probably lets her little bulldog friends select which cup they want to drink from while declaring, “I can’t even remember what I won *that* for. Sometimes I just walk down the street and they just hand trophies to me.” I wonder if all the 2002 AKC Best Ins have a group text that just consists of bone emojis. And can we take a minute for some of these names, please? Trumpet the Bloodhound and Stache the Sealyham Terrier – come on. Who doesn’t want to hear the antics of Stache the Terrier? Mercedes, of course, is Star’s best friend. Look at the way she comes to Star’s side after she wins.
Star’s beautiful. I’m worthless here because a dog show is the only time I condone every participant getting a trophy. Look at her mug – this bitch knows she’s fabulous too. Will she retire for a life of belly rubs and behind the ear scritches now that she’s done her victory lap? Speaking of victory laps, I love that no matter how high an honor a dog wins, they all get that “I’m a dog” face at some point during their winning walk-about.
Bogart the Schnauzer, the little suck up, was runner up, making his Reserve Best in Show. So now he waits in Star’s shadow, plotting and scheming how to snatch her crown. That and the occasional nap in the mid-afternoon sun.
STACHE!
Okay, I take it back. Bogart and I could hang. He’s a bud
Photo credit: Instagram
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