There is no "best" zodiac animal as each of them has their own weaknesses and strengths. However, it is widely believed that those born in the year of the Dragon will succeed very well in life, and thus it is commonly believed that the Dragon is the "best" animal.
The Chinese Zodiac is based on a lunar calender, so the first portion of the year is Monkey, and the latter (and largest) portion is the rooster.
It was the year of the Water Horse (Feb 12, 2002 - Jan 31, 2003).
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 1981 was the rooster.
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 1966 was the horse.
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 1940 was the dragon.
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 1967 is the sheep.
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 1971 was the pig.
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 2003 was the sheep.
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 1954 was the horse.
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 1992 was the monkey.
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 1991 was the sheep.
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 1966 was the horse.
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 1962 was the tiger.
The animal that represented the Chinese New Year in 1969 was the rooster.