The Luckiest Dog

The 145th Westminster Dog Show is being held this weekend at the Lyndhurst mansion in Tarrytown, NY, rather than the usual Madison Square Garden venue. Just last week, Major League Baseball devoted its June 2 slate of games to the immortal Lou Gehrig.

What’s the connection? Well, in 1933, a certain New York Yankee first baseman entered his German Shepherd, Afra of Cosalta, in the Westminster. Here’s the Iron Horse’s dog:

In case you don’t believe me, here’s her certificate of ownership, which was sold two years ago by Heritage Auctions:

Afra finished second in the Open Bitch competition in 1933. Gehrig’s Yankees also finished second that year, despite his 140 RBIs and .344 batting average.

You could also look up the American Kennel Club description of the German Shepherd to see another similarity between the Iron Horse and his pet:

“A large, agile, muscular dog of noble character and high intelligence.”

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