Meet the bichon frise named Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show's best in show
The dog, Flynn, was a surprise winner at the annual event.
— -- A bichon frise who loves a good belly rub and loves to roll in the snow trotted away as best in show Tuesday at the 142nd annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City.
The bichon frise, named Flynn, beat out nearly 3,000 four-legged competitors to take home the top title.
"I knew he showed really good but so did all the others," Flynn's handler, Bill McFadden, said today on "Good Morning America" when asked whether he had an inkling Flynn would win. "It was really an awesome lineup, beautiful dogs. So, no, I did not know."
"I just knew we did a good job," he said.
The next stop for Flynn, only the second bichon frise in history to win at Westminster, is retirement, McFadden said. The dog will move back to Michigan to live with his owners.
"It’s bittersweet because I enjoy being around him -- he’s lived with me for two years -- but it’s a pretty awesome way to stop," McFadden said.
Flynn, 5, came out on top over Ty the giant schnauzer, Biggie the pug, Bean the Sussex spaniel, Lucy the borzoi, Slick the border collie and Winston the Norfolk terrier in the final round, according to ESPN.
The two-day Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show drew challengers from 50 states and 16 other countries, including Canada, Mexico, Japan, Russia, Australia and China, the Westminster Kennel Club said in a statement.
Flynn stood out as the "perfect example of his breed," according to Gail Miller Bisher, communications director for the Westminster Kennel Club.
"He has the dark round eyes that create the beautiful expression of a bichon," she said.
McFadden explained what goes into creating a winning look for Flynn, whose given name is GCHP CH Belle Creek's All I Care About Is Love.
"He gets shown at a lot of dog shows and he always gets a bath like two times, three times a day," McFadden said. "Then he gets 'scissored' on for a while."
Here are more fun facts about Flynn, according to McFadden.
1. He is a clown who loves to make people laugh.
2. He is related to the first bichon frise to win at Westminster, a dog named JR.
3. He loves a good belly rub.
4. His favorite pastime is rolling in the snow.