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Wait, The Dog Who Wins The Westminster Dog Show Gets To Do What?

Hickory, a 5 year-old Scottish Deerhound from Warrenton, VA, is the first of her breed to ever win Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. She will visit the top of the Empire State Building, be served steak on silver platter at a restaurant, visit cancer patients at the Ronald McDonald House, go on a world tour, and do a host of other things that most normal people will never do.

For those that aren’t familiar with the breed, the Scottish Deerhound is a large, wire-haired dog that originated in Scotland (shocker), and were used as a hunting dog for noble families.  In fact, nobody with a rank lower than “Earl” could even legally own one back in the day.

Hickory’s full name is (seriously) Grand Champion (GCH) Foxcliffe Hickory Wind, and is a pretty impressive physical specimen at 85 pounds.  She enjoys running after deer and rabbits at her farm home in Virginia, which should come naturally to her since Scottish Deerhounds were bred in the 16th and 17th Century to chase down and kill deer.

She also gets to go on a trip to Disneyland (wait, really?).

Before the show, handicapper Johnny Avello gave the Scottish Deerhound breed a 60-to-1 chance of taking home the top prize (last year’s winner, a Sussex spaniel, overcame 275-to-1 odds).  Yes, apparently they make odds on winning dog shows.  And yes, you have to admit that placing a bet on a dog show would be pretty cool. Note to self for next year.

Here’s a photo of Hickory eating a nicer steak than you or I will ever eat: