Source: Radio New Zealand
Statuesque black standard poodle Anton has made history at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
The four-year-old dog, with hair worthy of a glam rocker, won back-to-back best in show prizes, making him the second dog to ever do so at the annual show’s 203-year history.
It was a 4am start for Anton and his owners on show day on Sunday, floofing and poofing his pom poms to perfection. The day before, another five hours went into preparing for his outing in the show ring. (It can take up to 10 hours, Anton naps through most of it.)
It all paid off for Anton and his handler and co-owner James Bennett, as they took out the top prize for the second year running. As a result, Anton is the first dog in more than 90 years to win back-to-back crowns in Australia’s biggest canine competition.
“He’s a normal dog, just not on the weekends,” Bennett told RNZ’s Nights.
“He’s just a big black standard poodle, with a typical haircut with pom poms on the legs… and a shaved butt that everyone makes fun of and laughs about – and all that hair.”
Bennett is a third-generation competitor who grew up in the world of dog showing. He tried his hand at other things, but fell back into the profession.
Bennett says show dogs get better the older and more mature they become – reaching their peak between three and six years old.
“He’s kind of peaking now,” he says of Anton.
“He had an amazing year last year, but this is a big year for us.”
Anton celebrated his win by “running around rolling around the grass… maybe a lick of champagne with everyone else.”
He is now off to Italy to represent Australia at the World Dog Show in June.
A Fox Terrier named Jerry Ideal, owned by a W Polley, was the first dog to win back to back best in show in 1933 and 1934, the Guardian reported.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
