Epilogue
"It sure was nice of Mister Wyndham to get us these front row seats," commented Daphne, as she and the others watched the final segment of competition for the show.
"Yeah, and, like, Mister Dale even promised Scooby a special reward for having caught the witch," commented Shaggy. The dog in question fixated on the show ring, while at the same time, pondering what his 'big reward' might be.
"Shh, guys," Velma whispered, "they're just about to announce this year's Best in Show winner."
"And, the winner of the 2003 Westminster Kennel Club Sterling Perpetual Trophy is…" A sudden hush fell over the arena as both spectators and handlers anxiously awaited the judge's pronouncement. "…Champion Danny Boy, Lad of Kilarney, the Kerry Blue Terrier!**" Thunderous applause arose from the seats and the arena exploded in a sea of flashbulbs as the judge presented Danny and his handler with a large, sterling silver bowl. "Congratulations, sir," he announced, shaking the man's hand, "you are the 2003 winner of the Westminster Kennel Club show."
As the applause subsided, an audio technician walked into the ring, handing the judge a microphone. "In addition to Best in Show, we have another special prize to give out this year. This particular prize has never before been awarded in the 123 year history of this show, and in fact, the winner was not even a registered competitor at Westminster. But were it not for the accomplishments of this dog and his talented team of handlers, this year's competition would not have reached this stage." The judge turned and raised his hand towards the front row of seats. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please give a round of applause for this year's honorary winner and his handlers: Scooby Doo, and the kids from Mystery Inc.!"
To the sound of applause, the four kids walked to the center of the ring, Scooby walking proudly alongside Shaggy, his head held high, like a trained show dog.
The ring judge addressed each of the kids by name. "Scooby-Doo, Shaggy Rogers, Velma Dinkley, Fred Jones and Daphne Blake, in recognition for your accomplishments, the board of directors of the Westminster Kennel Club is proud to present you with a replica of the Sterling Perpetual Trophy." The four humans flanked the judge, accepting the award collectively. "Had you not solved this particular case, not only would we have had to cancel the show, but the sportsmanship and the integrity of our institution would have been severely compromised. I congratulate you on a job well done, and thank you for solving the mystery."
As the crowd applauded, a second ring judge approached Scooby and placed a multi-colored rosette ribbon on his collar.
"Congratulations, kids," announced Marc Wyndham, "a job well done, as usual."
Daphne turned around to find Kala and Scooby nose-to-nose, their tails wagging furiously.
"What have you got to say for yourself, old buddy?" asked Shaggy.
The dog had only one reply. "Scooby-Dooby-Dooooo!" he howled, as the other seven dogs joined him in a celebratory howl.
**Those of you who watched this year's competition will recall that a Kerry Blue Terrier named "Mick" did win "Best in S how," but as "Mick" is still an active show dog, I could not use him in the story. If anyone is still puzzled by the dogs mentioned in this story, or by the technicalities of dog showing, feel free to visit the official website of the Westminster Kennel Club show.