Purebreds put best paws forward for title

From toy-sized Brussels Griffons to 180-pound Irish Wolfhounds, hundreds of purebred dogs kicked off the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York on Monday, putting their best paws forward in hopes of advancing toward the gold.

Some 2,700 dogs from more than a dozen countries have entered the two-day competition, one of the world's most prestigious events for pedigree breeders. Now in its 140th year, the show is the second-longest continuously running sporting event in the United States after the Kentucky Derby.

"To compete at Westminster is like a dream," said handler Jason Lynn, who traveled from Blackpool, England, to show a 4-year-old standard poodle named Ricky.