The beagle ‘Miss P’ is top dog at Westminster

Miss P, a 15 inch Beagle with handler William Alexander, looks on after winning the "best in show" of the 139th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York. - AFP

Peyton, also known as “Miss P,” outperformed a cadre of higher-ranked Westminister stalwarts to take the nation’s most prestigious dog show.

A tri-color beagle weighing about 30 pounds, Peyton glided across the vast expanse of Madison Square Garden as she outperformed six other finalists selected from the more than 2,700 participants in the annual canine competition.

“She just never let me down,” said her handler Will Alexander. “She just didn’t make any mistakes.”

To get to Tuesday’s “Best in Show” round, Peyton first had to eclipse Nathan the Bloodhound, the top-ranked hound in a competitive group that also featured highly-touted Afghan Hounds and Whippets, among others.

After dispensing with Nathan Monday night, Peyton, whose full name is Tashtins Lookin for Trouble, took care of the nation’s top two ranked dogs, Matisse the Portuguese Water Dog, and Swagger, the Old English Sheepdog.