Top Dog

Three years ago, while judging at a London dog show, Mrs. John G. Winant, wife of the late U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, could hardly take her eyes off a nine-month-old Scottish terrier pup. Said Constance Winant, an old hand with blue-blooded dogs: "He filled my eye. I had never seen such an air of perfection, such perfect showmanship, such manners." She gave the pup a blue ribbon, then bought him for $7,500.

If any dog was worth that much it was Walsing Winning Trick of Edgerstoune. Mrs. Winant showed him three more times in England, where he won two best-in-shows, then took him home to the U.S. Last week, after catching an hour nap in a crate in Madison Square Garden's basement, 3 1/2-year-old Trick perked up for the final of the Westminster Kennel Club. Most of his five rivals, survivors of more than 2,500 carefully sifted pooches, were considerably more formidable in size and mien. Finalist Judge George H. Hartman moved from the sleek pointer (best of the sporting dogs) to the shaggy Afghan (best of the hounds), examining each dog with quick hand and practiced eye. When he got to the handsome imported German shepherd (working-dog winner), the handler slipped off the lead and the dog stood unattended, facing the judge with a pride and pose that would have looked good on Rin Tin Tin.

The shepherd won the crowd, but Judge Hartman, ignoring the applause as though he were stone deaf, went on with his work. The highly barbered black standard poodle (nonsporting group), the feather-light toy white poodle (toy group) and the Scotty (king of the terriers) got their inspections. Then each of the six finalists was gaited for the judge.

The shepherd and the pointer were beautiful in long-legged motion; Trick, skimming nonchalantly through his paces, was a smooth and jaunty little Scotty. Judge Hartman didn't take long to decide. He picked up the blue ribbon and pointed to Trick. Said Hartman: "Not only one of the greatest dogs I have ever judged, but one of the greatest I have ever seen."

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