A blonde whippet from Italy with soulful eyes and tiger-like markings won the overall prize at Crufts, the world\u2019s biggest dog show, on Sunday. <\/p>\n
Miuccia, who is 4 years old, became the first Italian dog to win the coveted Best in Show prize at the event in Birmingham, England \u2013 an accolade that left her handler, Giovanni Liguori, overwhelmed with emotion. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really a dream come true, I am truly overwhelmed. Miuccia performed her best, I felt her very relaxed on the leash, so I\u2019m super-, super-happy,\u201d Liguori told British broadcaster Channel 4 afterward. <\/p>\n
\u201cI absolutely adore her, she\u2019s fantastic, the sweetest dog, she always wants to be super-close to me and that\u2019s the most important thing. It\u2019s incredible, it\u2019s amazing, as Italians we are super-proud.\u201d <\/p>\n
Miuccia became the fourth whippet to win the prize and saw off competition from more than 18,000 dogs gathered at Birmingham\u2019s National Exhibition Centre for four days of competition. <\/p>\n
A Tibetan Mastiff from Romania named Viking finished in second place, becoming the first of his breed to make it to that stage of the competition. <\/p>\n
First held in 1891, Crufts has become one of the most famous international shows of its kind, attracting dogs from all over the world. Around six times as many dogs compete at Crufts as at the Westminster Dog Show, the famed US competition held in New York every year. <\/p>\n
Those dogs competing for the Best in Show award qualify for the final if they win one of the seven preliminary rounds that come before it, where they are grouped with other similar dogs. <\/p>\n
And as well as the famous dog-showing competition, there are opportunities for dogs to showcase their agility and obedience skills. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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