Ask Aunt Foley

          Dear Aunt Foley:  What was up with the beagle winning the Westminster Dog Show?  How do they judge who is the best?  - Josie

          Dear Josie:  Oh you sweet innocent dogs on the mortal side of the Bridge.  No humans decide who wins Westminster.  Every dog is best in show.  There is no way to distinguish one from another.  They could have given that ribbon to any dog in the ring or any dog watching at home.  There is no way of measuring who is the best when every dog is perfect.

          So how do they decide the winners?  It is simple.  We have a big lottery up here at the Bridge.  We put tennis balls with the names of every dog that has signed up for Westminster hidden in secret places all over Rainbow Bridge.  The first ball found with the name of a dog wins their breed, and then from there we hide all the found balls again and then seek them.  The first seven found win their groups.  Finally we hide the final seven and the first ball that is found is the winner. 

          There was a bit of a disturbance in the competitive balance this year.  Tommy Tunes was determined to see a beagle win and he was always the first to return with a beagle ball until he was the only one left in the winner’s circle.  If the rest of us don’t pick up our game Westminster fans may need to get used to seeing a beagle win every year.

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