Uno, the champion beagle bred and born in Belleville, was top dog after he made history Tuesday night — becoming the first beagle to win Best in Show title at the 132nd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York.
"It was very exciting and the energy was very high," handler Aaron Wilkerson said on the USA cable TV network just after the win. "(It was) something I can't explain. It's a great feeling."
Uno captured the hearts of dog lovers -- and the eye of judges -- this week.
When he won the hound group at Westminster on Monday, he became the first beagle to win that group since 1939. Then Tuesday night, Uno was clearly the crowd favorite, and drew a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden when he was picked.
Uno got right into the act, jumping up on Wilkerson and confirming his other title: noisiest in show. Years from now, he'll be known for the "ah-roo" heard 'round the ring.
The only dog consistently listed among America's most popular breeds for nearly 100 years, a beagle had never won in the 100 times Westminster picked a winner. That changed when judge J. Donald Jones pointed to this nearly 3-year-old package of personality.
"We knew from the very beginning that he is a special one," Uno's breeder and owner, Kathy Weichert of Belleville, said before the win. Weichert owns K-Run Kennels in Belleville. "He is the kind of dog every breeder dreams of producing. There is no other way to put it. He is what you strive for."
Weichert has been breeding beagles for 12 years, producing no more than two litters a year, she said.
"He drips of breed type," Weichert said. "Each breed has a standard and they are judged against the written standard. He is a very good example of what a beagle is supposed to be."
In the dog world, Uno is officially known as Champion K-Run's Park Me in First.
Uno beat out two perfect poodles, a top Sealyham terrier, a sleek Weimaraner, a lively Australian shepherd and a sprightly Akita.
"We knew he was going to be No. 1," Wilkerson said.
With fans calling out his name and clapping, Uno soaked in the cheers as he walked around the ring. And when he made his final stop in front of Jones, Uno went to town, baying over and over.
"He's a happy dog," Weichert said. "The standard calls for a merry little hound and that's exactly what he is. He loves what he does. He loves Aaron. He's a consummate show dog. He talks all the time. He talks to Aaron in the ring and when he comes back to the judge, he talks. He lets kids pet him and he loves people. He's not a frou-frou dog, he's an all-American dog. He's an everybody dog and people just love him."
In his 13-month dog show career, the 2-year-old tri-colored beagle has won 32 best-in-show titles and finished 2007 as the sixth-ranked show dog in the nation. He was the 2007 Hound of the Year and the 2007 Beagle of the Year.
In December, he won the hound group at the AKC/Eukanuba show in Long Beach, Calif., and was the first beagle to win the ProPlan Top Show Award of the year.
Although Weichert bred Uno and he was born in Belleville, a team of co-owners and handlers show him.
"We're known as Team Uno," Weichert said. "You have to have a team when you want to campaign a dog like this. Dog showing is very, very expensive. There is no money in dog shows, none to be made. It's an expensive hobby and we do it for the love of the dogs. It's for the betterment of the breed, and that's why we do it."
Uno is co-owned by Weichert, Caroline Dowell of Texas, Eddie Dziuk of Columbia, Mo., and Jon Woodring of North Carolina.
