Many people own a dog, but having a champion dog is a rare characteristic that only a select few share. Darrell Burton, the father of Connor Burton, a junior here at Whitman, has been accepted to show his English bulldog, Apollo, at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City.

Apollo was entered into a fun show at three months old and they were told he has talent. This show was a test to see how Apollo would do and if he liked it. At six months, he received his championship, which is very rare. At this point in time, he has become a multiple Best of Breed winner and has multiple group placements.

Being able to compete in the Westminster Dog Show is an honor. The application process is a kind of resume. The applicant has to submit an application with the matches the dog has won and have their experiences listed. There is also a fee of $75.00. This dog show is the super bowl of dog shows. There will be 11 males and three females competing for Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, and Awards of Merit. It is held at Madison Square Gardens on February 9th and 10th. It will also be aired on USA Network.

To practice for the event, Apollo has done numerous work outs and training sessions. On Thursdays, he goes to handling class before his shows to brush up on the basics. He used to go every Thursday, but Burton is training Mini-Pearl, Apollo’s daughter, for shows now. At the show, the dogs will have to walk around the ring and show the judges their coat and other characteristics from their breed. They also will have to walk up a ramp and onto a table and "stack up" which means stand up. Good luck Burton family and Apollo.