A beautiful greyhound might have won the trophy on Thursday but it was Chuck who captured viewers hearts.
Gia, a 4-year-old greyhound, took home Best in Show at the 2016 National Dog Show. The dog-studded event was broadcast on NBC Thursday.
The winner (full name: GrandCru Giaconda) was praised by the judges for her beauty and showmanship.
Gia fits the Greyhound standard perfectly and also gives that extra showmanship, said one of the Best in Show judges, according to People. She has a head like a snake and can really gallop. A lot of Greyhounds dont have that showmanship.
But she wasn’t afraid to break from her poise and jump for joy after the winners were announced, as you can see in the video below.
The Greyhound wins Best in Show in the National Dog Show! #DogThanking pic.twitter.com/c0LKwrb0wp
NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 24, 2016
Gia isn’t new to winning. The dog achieved her 44th Best in Show title Saturday, when the competition took place in Philadelphia.
She was up against some fluffy competition, including Timmy, the English springer spaniel; Ty, the giant schnauzer; Slick, the border collie; Rondo, the West Highland terrier; Clue, the Tibetan terrier; and Chuck, the Pekingese the latter of which inspired adoration and then heartache on Twitter.
Where has Chuck the Pekingese been my whole life? @TheNatlDogShow pic.twitter.com/bbkYdt59zH
Amy Myers (@AmyRebeccaMyers) November 24, 2016
Chuck seemed to be a favorite on Twitter, even as judges made jokes at his expense.
“You could be walking the Pekingese backwards for years and never realize it,” one of them said.
Dog show quotes ‘U could b wlkng the Pekingese backwards 4 yrs & nvr realize it’. pic.twitter.com/7t8Z5B2wV9
Mary Gamber (@MaryGamber) November 24, 2016
The Pekingese… #nationaldogshow pic.twitter.com/KRDoLPYxzC
Katherine Anne (@katherineanneav) November 24, 2016
Wait. The Pekingese didn’t win the dog show? Well, now I’ve got to start a whole other protest. #AuditTheDogVote
WendyBrandes (@WendyBrandes) November 24, 2016
THE PEKINGESE WON!!!!! HIS NAME IS CHUCK #nationaldogshow CONGRATS CHUCK pic.twitter.com/XSgfBn0epL
Chnning Kennedy (@CKdotbiz) November 24, 2016
How can you not smile after watching that #pekingese waddle around the show floor?! It’s a walking dust buster! #nationaldogshow
Sarah Young (@sarahelyoung) November 24, 2016
For those who missed out on the show, the National Dog Show will air again on NBC at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.