NEW YORK — For a last hurrah, it was a Sage decision.
A miniature poodle named Sage won the top prize Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, in what veteran handler Kaz Hosaka said would be his final khbrknews at the United States’ most prestigious canine event. After 45 years of competing and two best in show dogs, he plans to retire.
Sage notched the 11th triumph for poodles of various sizes at Westminster; only wire fox terriers have won more. The last miniature poodle to take the trophy was Spice, with Hosaka, in 2002.
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“No words,” he said in the ring to describe his reaction to Sage’s win before supplying a few: “So happy—exciting.”
Striding briskly and proudly around the ring, the inky-black poodle “gave a great performance for me,” Hosaka added.
Sage bested six other finalists to take best in show. Second went to Mercedes, a German shepherd whose handler, Kent Boyles, also has shepherded a best in show winner before.
Others in the final round included Comet, a shih tzu who won the big American Kennel Club National Championship last year; Monty, a giant schnauzer who arrived at Westminster as the nation’s top-ranked dog and was a Westminster finalist last year; Louis, an Afghan hound; Micah, a black cocker spaniel; and Frankie, a colored bull terrier.
While Sage was going around the ring, a protester carrying a sign urging people to “boycott breeders” tried…
