Editorial: May 22, 2026
TWO SHOWS, TWO DAYS, TWO VISIONS
As the middle of May rolled around, the questions started to be asked when will the Westminster Kennel Club release it’s judging panel for the 2027 dog show? On May 13th Westminster dropped, as the expression goes, their judging panel with other news of the upcoming dog show. Surely not by design the following day, on May 14th, the American Kennel Club released their judging panel for their 2026 dog show that is held approximately six weeks before Westminster. Releasing the two most important all breed dog show judging panels, both held in high esteem, didn’t give us much time to analyze each judging panel. Since their release, the conversation about who is judging what breeds at which show and getting confused, so we will publish both panels, exclusive of non regular classes for your convenience and comparison. We will present them in chronological order.
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2026 AKC National Championship Best In Show Dr. Thomas Davies Sporting Group Mr. Frank Kane Hound Group Dennis Sprung Working Group Robin Stansell Terrier Group Kathleen Ferris Toy Group David Fitzpatrick Non-Sporting Group Grace Fritz Herding Group James Frederiksen
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2027 Westminster Kennel Club Best In Show Espen Engh Sporting Group Kathy Lorentzen Hound Group Ken Murray Working Group Dana Cline Terrier Group Clay Coady Toy Group Sei-Ichiro Ishimaru Non-Sporting Group Patricia Sosa Herding Group Marilyn VanVleit
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Sporting Breed Judges David Kittredge: Barbet, Spaniel (Cocker – all varieties), Spaniel (English Cocker), Spaniel (Field) Jamie Hubbard: Bracco Italiano, Lagotto Romagnolo, Ne-derlandse Kooikerhondje, Spaniel (Ameri-can Water), Spaniel (Clumber) Corinne Miklos: Brittany, Pointer (German Wirehaired), Retriever (Curly-Coated), Weimaraner, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Jon Cole: Pointer, Pointer (German Shorthaired), Retriever (Chesapeake Bay), Retriever (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling) Rosalind Kramer: Retriever (Flat-Coated), Setter (English), Setter (Irish) Paula Nykiel: Retriever (Golden), Spinone Italiano, Wirehaired Vizsla Carl Gene Liepmann: Retriever (Labrador) Linda Clark: Setter (Gordon), Setter (Irish Red & White), Spaniel (Boykin), Spaniel (English Springer), Spaniel (Irish Water) Ann Ingram: Spaniel (Sussex), Spaniel (Welsh Spring-er) Phoebe Jordan Booth: Vizsla
Hound Breed Judges Patricia Clark: Afghan Hound, Greyhound, Scottish Deerhound Pamela Lambie: American English Coonhound, American Foxhound, Basset Fauve de Bretagne, Black and Tan Coonhound, English Fox-hound, Harrier, Otterhound, Pharaoh Hound, Plott Hound, Redbone Coon-hound, Treeing Walker Coonhound Dr. Steven Keating: Azawakh, Bluetick Coonhound Rosalind Kramer: Basenji, Bloodhound, Cirneco dell’Etna, Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen, Petit Bas-set Griffon Vendéen Ryan Horvath: Basset Hound, Dachshund (all varieties), Portuguese Podengo Pequeno Harold “Red” Tatro III: Beagle (both varieties), Rhodesian Ridge-back Mary Dukes: Ibizan Hound, Irish Wolfhound, Norwegian Elkhound, Saluki, Sloughi Phoebe Jordan Booth: Whippet
Working Breed Judges Dr. Joyce Dandridge: Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Great Dane, Kuvasz Paula Nykiel: Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Bernese Moun-tain Dog, Black Russian Terrier, Boerboel, Boxer, Chinook, Danish-Swedish Farmdog, German Pinscher Pamela Lambie: Bullmastiff, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Mastiff Jon Cole: Cane Corso, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Komondor, Neapolitan Mastiff Carolyn Herbel: Doberman Pinscher, Portuguese Water Dog, Rottweiler, St. Bernard, Standard Schnauzer Ann Ingram: Giant Schnauzer, Great Pyrenees, Leonberger Debbie Campbell-Freeman: Newfoundland Clay Coady: Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Tibetan Mastiff
Terrier Breed Judges April Clyde: Airedale Terrier, American Hairless Terri-er, Cesky Terrier, Dandie Dinmont Terri-er, Irish Terrier, Lakeland Terrier, Rat Terrier, Welsh Terrier Jamie Hubbard: American Staffordshire Terrier, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Parson Russell Terrier, Russell Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, Staf-fordshire Bull Terrier Richard Powell: Australian Terrier, Fox Terrier (Smooth), Fox Terrier (Wire), Kerry Blue Terrier, Standard Manchester Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Kathi Brown: Bedlington Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Scottish Terrier, Skye Terrier, West Highland White Terrier Debbie Campbell-Freeman: Border Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Bull Terrier (both varieties), Miniature Bull Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer Ann Ingram: Norfolk Terrier Desmond Murphy: Norwich Terrier, Teddy Roosevelt Terrier
Toy Breed Judges Patricia Proctor: Affenpinscher, Brussels Griffon, Japanese Chin, Papillon Dr. Valeria Rickard: Biewer Terrier, English Toy Spaniel (all varieties), Russian Toy, Russian Tsvet-naya Bolonka, Silky Terrier Richard Powell: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Maltese, Toy Manchester Terrier Joe Walton: Chihuahua (both varieties), Shih Tzu Margaret Reed: Chinese Crested, Italian Greyhound, Toy Fox Terrier George Milutinovich: Havanese, Miniature Pinscher, Pug, Yorkshire Terrier Clay Coady: Pekingese, Poodle (Toy) Fred Bassett: Pomeranian Non-Sporting Breed Judges Angela Pickett: American Eskimo Dog, Coton de Tulear, Finnish Spitz, Lhasa Apso, Löwchen, Norwegian Lundehund, Shiba Inu, Tibetan Spaniel Fred Bassett: Bichon Frise, Schipperke, Xoloitzcuintli Debbie Campbell-Freeman: Boston Terrier, Chinese Shar Pei, Chow Chow, Keeshond, Tibetan Terrier Phoebe Jordan Booth: Bulldog Frank Kane: Dalmatian, French Bulldog Clay Coady: Poodle (Miniature & Standard)
Herding Breed Judges Amy Gau: Australian Cattle Dog, Bergamasco, Border Collie, Lancashire Heeler, Norwegian Buhund Susan Landry-Whiticar: Australian Shepherd Frank Kane: Bearded Collie, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Spanish Water Dog Debbie Melgreen: Beauceron, Berger Picard, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Finnish Lapphund, Iceland-ic Sheepdog, Miniature American Shep-herd, Shetland Sheepdog, Swedish Vallhund Fred Bassett: Belgian Laekenois, Belgian Malinois, Bel-gian Sheepdog, Belgian Tervuren Clay Coady: Bouvier des Flandres, German Shepherd Dog Thomas Coen: Briard, Canaan Dog, Collie (both varie-ties), Mudi, Puli, Pumi Ann Ingram: Cardigan Welsh Corgi Jon Cole: Old English Sheepdog, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Pyrenean Shepherd
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Sporting Breed Judges Mrs. Debbie Melgreen: Bracco Italiano, Brittanys, Lagotti Romagnoli, Pointers, German Shorthaired Pointers, German Wirehaired Pointers, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers. Mr. Jamie Hubbard: Barbets, Flat-Coated Retrievers, Boykin Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels (A.S.C.O.B.), Cocker Spaniels (Parti-Color), Cocker Spaniels (Black), English Springer Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniels, Field Spaniels, Irish Water Spaniels, Sussex Spaniels. Mr. Manual Queijeiro: Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, English Setters, Gordon Setters, Irish Setters. Mrs. Rosalind Kramer: Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Curly-Coated Retrievers, Clumber Spaniels, Irish Red and White Setters, American Water Spaniels, Welsh Springer Spaniels, Spinoni Italiani, Vizslas, Weimaraners, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, Wirehaired Vizslas.
Hound Breed Judges: Ms. Mary Dukes: Basenjis, Dachshunds (Longhaired), Dachshunds (Smooth), Dachshunds (Wirehaired), Greyhounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Whippets. Dr. Oleg Voloshin: American English Coonhounds, American Foxhounds, Bassets Fauves de Bretagne, Basset Hounds, Beagles (Not Exceeding 13”), Beagles (Over 13” But Not Exceeding 15”), Black & Tan Coonhounds, Bloodhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds, English Foxhounds, Grand Basset Griffon Vendéens, Harriers, Otterhounds, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéens, Pharaoh Hounds, Plott Hounds, Portuguese Podengo Pequenos, Redbone Coonhounds, Treeing Walker Coonhounds. Mr. Ramon Podesta: Afghan Hounds, Azawakhs, Borzois, Cirnechi dell’Etna, Ibizan Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Norwegian Elkhounds, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, Sloughis.
Working Breed Judges Dr. Johan Becerra Hernandez: Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, Boerboels, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, Komondorok, Leonbergers, Mastiffs, Portuguese Water Dogs, Saint Bernards.
Mr. Juan Martinez: Bullmastiffs, Cane Corsos, Dogos Argentinos, Dogue de Bordeaux, German Pinschers, Great Danes, Neopolitan Mastiffs, Rottweilers, Tibetan Mastiffs. Ms. Kimberly Anne Meredith: Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Black Russian Terriers, Chinooks, Danish Swedish Farmdogs, Giant Schnauzers, Great Pyrenees, Kuvaszok, Newfoundlands, Samoyeds, Siberian Huskies, Standard Schnauzers.
Terrier Breed Judges: Mr. Wood Wornall: Airedale Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers (Colored), Bull Terriers (White), Cesky Terriers, Irish Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers, Rat Terriers, Skye Terriers, Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Mr. Bruce Schwartz: American Hairless Terriers, Australian Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Dandie Dinmont Terriers, Glen of Imaal Terriers, Standard Manchester Terriers, Norfolk Terriers, Norwich Terriers, Scottish Terriers, Teddy Roosevelt Terriers, West Highland White Terriers. Mrs. Sally George: Bedlington Terriers, Border Terriers, Fox Terriers (Smooth), Fox Terrier (Wire), Kerry Blue Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers, Russell Terriers, Sealyham Terriers, Welsh Terriers. Toy Breed Judges: Mr. Anthony (Tony) Allcock: Affenpinschers, Brussels Griffons, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, English Toy Spaniels (B&PC), English Toy Spaniels (KC & R), Havanese, Japanese Chins, Papillons, Pekingese, Pugs. Mrs. Wendy Paquette: Biewer Terriers, Maltese, Toy Manchester Terriers, Miniature Pinschers, Pomeranians, Shih Tzu, Silky Terriers, Toy Fox Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers. Mrs. Gina Wieser: Chihuahuas (Long Coat), Chihuahuas (Smooth Coat), Chinese Cresteds, Italian Greyhounds, Toy Poodles, Russian Toys, Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonki.
Non-Sporting Breed Judges: Mrs. Gina Wieser: Miniature Poodles, Standard Poodles. Mr. David Kirkland: American Eskimo Dogs, Chinese Shar-Pei, Chow Chows, Cotons de Tulear, Dalmatians, Finnish Spitz, Lhasa Apsos, Schipperkes, Shiba Inu, Tibetan Terriers, Xoloitzcuintlis. Mrs. Vicki Abbott: Bichon Frises, Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Keeshonden, Norwegian Lundehunds. Mr. Larry Abbott: Löwchen, Tibetan Spaniels.
Herding Breed Judges: Mr. Larry Abbott: Australian Cattle Dogs, Briards, Finnish Lapphunds, German Shepherd Dogs, Icelandic Sheepdogs. Mrs. Debra Long Gschwender: Bergamasco Sheepdogs, Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Collies (Smooth), Collies (Rough), Norwegian Buhunds, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Shetland Sheepdogs, Spanish Water Dogs, Swedish Vallhunds. Ms. Linda Robey: Australian Shepherds, Bearded Collies, Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, Lancashire Heelers, Miniature American Shepherds, Mudik, Polish Lowland Sheepdogs, Pulik, Pumik, Pyrenean Shepherds. Mrs. Linda Clark: Beaucerons, Belgian Laekenois, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdogs, Belgian Tervuren, Berger Picard, Border Collies, Bouviers des Flandres, Canaan Dogs, Old English Sheepdogs.
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