Ch. Viscount Grant, also known as Gable was an

Afghan Hound The Afghan Hound is a hound that is distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at the end. The breed is selectively bred for its unique features in the cold mountains of Afghanistan. Its local name is ( ps, تاژ ...

who was the winner of the title of

Best In Show ''Best in Show'' is a 2000 American mockumentary comedy film co-written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy and directed by Guest. The film follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show as they travel to the show and compete once there. Much of ...

at the

Crufts Crufts is an international dog show held annually in the United Kingdom, first held in 1891. Organised and hosted by The Kennel Club, it is the largest show of its kind in the world. Crufts is centred on a championship conformation show for do ...

dog show in 1987.

Early life

Gable, known by his kennel name Viscount Grant, was owned by

Chris Amoo Christopher Charles Amoo (born 14 October 1952) is a British singer-songwriter and the lead singer of English soul group, The Real Thing. He is also a dog breeder, and a judge at dog shows including Crufts, where he has had great success with ...

, of the British band The Real Thing, and his wife Julie. They bred the dog themselves, after getting involved with the breed as Chris Amoo's record producer owned two Afghans. Gable was the third Afghan Hound to be owned by the couple, and Chris Amoo said that "I could tell when he was three weeks old that he was a champion".

Show career

Gable was entered in his first dog show at the age of six months, and placed fourth overall. By his fourth show, Amoo said that Gable had hit his stride and victories started to come, winning 21 first prizes in a row at one point. The dog was entered into

in 1986, and was named Best Puppy in the show. The 1988 Crufts show was the second time that Gable had been entered in the UK national, and was no longer eligible for the puppy classes. Amoo had previous experience with showing at this level, as he also owned an Afghan named Hamilton which had been named Best of Breed at the show twice. It was victorious once more, first winning Best of Breed, then the

Hound Group A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey. Description Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. T ...

and finally

. Due to his victory, Gable won £175 for his owners as well as two trophies, which would need to be handed back prior to the following year's competition. He was also given a limited edition plate with his picture on it, and a sponsorship deal with the dog food Pedigree chum, with single payment of £350. As part of that deal, the dog food manufacturers also gave the owners a painting of Gable valued at £2,000.

Following Crufts

Following his victory, Amoo described Gable as being "basically retired", but was concerned that the dog might become bored without dog shows to compete at. He felt that while he might take Gable along to a few shows, he wouldn't take him back to Crufts as failing to be Best in Show once again would be an anticlimax. After Crufts, Gable was recognised from both his appearances on television as well as the ongoing advertisements for Pedigree Chum. Concerned that the attention was making him jumpy and nervous, his owners began to walk him less and they noticed that he was growing more insular over time. A number of offers were made to purchase the dog, but the owners turned these down as they considered Gable to be one of the family.

References

{{reflist

External links

Crufts Official Website
Best in Show winners of Crufts