German shorthaired pointer CJ wins Westminster Dog Show

NEW YORK — A 3-year-old German shorthaired pointer named C.J. won the highest honor at the 140th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, claiming the coveted Best in Show award. “He’s great,” owner and breeder Valerie Nunes-Atkinson said earlier in the night after C.J. won the sporting group. “He loves this. He was born this way. We always say that from the moment he was born, he walked across the room and we thought: ‘Oh, boy. This one is special.’ ” C.J. (GCH Vjk-Myst Garbonita's California Journey) was the No. 1 German shorthaired pointer in the United States in 2015 and impressed the judges with his graceful, balanced stride and prototypical deep brown hair on his head, combined with a sleek white body complete with freckled brown spots. Dr. Richard Meen selected the winner among the seven contestants from the hound, toy, non-sporting, herding, sporting, working and terrier groups. Meen picked the Lucy the Borzoi as the Reserve Best in Show. “Two different things,” Nunes-Atkinson said when asked what differentiates C.J. “One, he fits the standard. He epitomizes that. But he has that extra sparkle – that extra something that makes you stop and look at him. He had that from a very young age. We always say he’s an old soul. There’s something different about this one, and I’ve had shorthaireds for a very long time.” Nunes-Atkinson actually had two dogs in the Best in Show running, as she is Lucy the Borzoi’s normal handler. Lucy’s owner, however, Mai Ozeki, opted for her husband Shota Hirai – a professional handler in Japan – to lead Lucy this week. The award recognizes achievement in exemplary breed standards. More than 2,700 dogs across 197 breeds comprised the entire field, which was whittled down over the past two days. Westminster is the second-longest continuously running sporting event, behind only the Kentucky Derby.