Whippet from Italy called Miuccia wins best in show | Global News Avenue

A whip from Venice, Italy was named the best performance in Birmingham’s 2025 Crufts Dog Show.

The four-year-old Miuccia beat more than 18,000 dogs from around the world and won the top award at the NEC on Sunday.

“It’s really a dream come true,” said her manager Giovanni Liguori. “I’m really overwhelmed. Miuccia performed the best.”

This is the first time a dog in Italy won the Best Performance Award, with a trophy and a small amount of cash being reportedly awarded £200.

Miuccia, owned by Enrico de Gaspari, was the winner of the Hound Group earlier in the show and beat the winners of six other groups to win the highest award.

“I absolutely admire her,” said Mr. Liguori. “She is the sweetest dog.

“She always wants to be very close to me, and that’s the most important thing.”

Mr Liguori said it was incredible to be the first dog in Italy to get the best dog in the show.

“As Italians, we are very proud, which means we did a great job.”

Crufts performance manager Helen Kerfoot said it was great to watch Miuccia and her handlers “a strong relationship in the ring that they really deserve the winner.”

“It has also done a great job for all of our other great finalists.

“The dogs, owners and handlers should be very proud to be in such a major final – an incredible achievement that we are sure they will cherish in the years to come.”

The runner-up is the Tibetan bullfighter Viking from Romania.