The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2019 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15, 2019.
The 2019 event will showcase the top national and international canine athletes and will also include popular attractions such as the Best Bred-by-Exhibitor competition, the AKC National Owner-Handled Series Finals, the AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes, AKC Meet the Breeds® and the NADD/AKC Dock Diving National Championship. The show will once again take place alongside the AKC Agility Invitational and AKC Obedience Classic, with junior events in each sport.
Heading the panel as Best in Show judge for the 2019 National Championship is Mrs. Dorothy Collier of Sapphire, NC and Dr. Thomas Davies of Brimfield, MA will judge Best Bred-by-Exhibitor in Show.
“We have a fabulous lineup of judges this year, and with Dorothy and Tom leading the charge, it’s sure to be a thrilling competition,” said Show Chairman Dennis B. Sprung.
Judges for the seven variety groups and the Miscellaneous Classes at the AKC National Championship are:
SPORTING – Mr. Carl Liepman – Flushing, MI
HOUND – Mr. Guy Jeavons – Moffat, ON
WORKING – Ms. Pamela Bruce – Welland, ON
TERRIER – Mrs. Rozalind Kramer – Charlottesville, VA
TOY – Mr. Edd E. Bivin – Ft. Worth, TX
NON-SPORTING – Mr. David Kirkland – Sanford, NC
HERDING – Mr. James Moses – Wentzville, NC
MISCELLANEOUS CLASSES – Mr. Chuck Trotter – Caramel, CA
BEST JUNIOR HANDLER – Mrs. Victoria Seiler-Cushman – Xenia, OH
JUNIOR PRELIMS – Mr. Blake Hansen and Mrs. Cheslie Pickett-Smithey
Judges for the seven Bred-by-Exhibitor variety groups are:
SPORTING – Mrs. Paula Hartinger – Cincinnati, OH
HOUND – Ms. Patricia Trotter – Caramel, CA
WORKING – Ms. Rita Biddle – Eagle, MI
TERRIER – Mr. Bruce Schwartz – Los Angeles, CA
TOY – Miss Evalyn Gregory – Louisville, KY
NON-SPORTING – Mrs. Charlotte Patterson – Destin, FL
HERDING – Sharon Ann Redmer – Whitmore Lake, MI
The National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes will be held on Friday, December 13th. Best in Stakes will be judged by an elite panel of three judges: Mrs. Dorothy Collier, Dr. Thomas Davies and Patricia M. Cruz.
Breed and group judges for the AKC-Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes are:
SPORTING GROUP – Mr. Desmond Murphy
SPORTING BREEDS – Mr. Michael Faulkner & Mrs. Christine Calcinari
HOUND GROUP – Mrs. Christine Calcinari
HOUND BREEDS – Mr. Frederick Vogel & Mr. David Miller
WORKING GROUP – Mrs. Victoria Seiler-Cushman
WORKING BREEDS – Mr. Bob Busby & Mrs. Beverly Vics
TERRIER GROUP – Mr. Clay Coady
TERRIER BREEDS – Mrs. April Clyde & Mr. Todd Clyde
TOY GROUP – Mr. David Fitzpatrick
TOY BREEDS – Mr. Jordan Chamberlain, Mr. Jeffery Bazell & Mr. Richard Miller
NON-SPORTING GROUP – Ms. Susan Vroom
NON-SPORTING BREEDS – Mrs. Angela Pickett & Mrs. Edy Dykstra-Blum
HERDING GROUP – Mr. Michael Faulkner
HERDING BREEDS – Mrs. Mary Anne Brocious, Mr. Mark Houston-McMillan & Mr. David Kirkland
*Click here for the judging panel.
Breed and group judges for the 2019 National Owner-Handled Series Finals are:
BEST IN SHOW: Dr. Carmen Battaglia
SPORTING GROUP – Mr. Desmond Murphy
SPORTING BREEDS – Mr. Desmond Murphy & Mrs. Joan Savage
HOUND GROUP – Mr. Elliott Weiss
HOUND BREEDS – Mr. Elliott Weiss & Mr. Allen Odom
WORKING GROUP & BREEDS – Mr. James Moses
TERRIER GROUP & BREEDS – Mr. Guy Jeavons
TOY GROUP & BREEDS – Ms. Margaret Reed
NON-SPORTING GROUP & BREEDS – Mr. Robin Stansell
HERDING GROUP – Mrs. Cindy Stansell
HERDING BREEDS – Mrs. Cindy Stansell & Ms. Marie Ann Falconer
*Specific breed judging assignments will be available in the Premium List
BREED JUDGING FOR THE AKC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
| SPORTING GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Ms. Pamela Bruce | Retrievers (Labrador), Spaniels (Cocker – ASCOB), Spaniels (Cocker – Black), Spaniels (Cocker – Parti Color) |
| Mrs. Christine Calcinari | Brittanys, Lagotti Romangoli, Retrievers (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling), American Water Spaniels, Boykin Spaniels, Weimaraners, Wirehaired Vizslas, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons |
| Mr. Clay Coady | Pointers (German Shorthaired), Pointers (German Wirehaired) |
| Mr. Michael Faulkner | Spaniels (English Springer), Spinoni Italiani |
| Ms. Shirley Fippin | Retrievers (Flat-Coated) |
| Mr. Geir Flyckt-Pedersen | Spaniels (Welsh Springer), Vizslas |
| Ms. Nancy Talbot | Retrievers (Golden) |
| Mrs. Joan Savage | Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes, Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay), Retrievers (Curly Coated), Setters (English), Setters (Gordon), Setters (Irish), Setters (Irish Red & White), Spaniels (Clumber), Spaniels (Field), Spaniels (Irish Water), Spaniels (Sussex) |
| Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. | Pointers, Spaniels (English Cocker) |
| HOUND GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Mr. Clay Coady | Beagles (both varieties) |
| Mr. Michael Faulkner | Rhodesian Ridgebacks |
| Ms. Heather Lindberg | Afghan Hounds |
| Mr. David Miller | Borzois, Cirnechi dell’Etna, Ibizan Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Norwegian Elkhounds, Otterhounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Portuguese Podengo Pequenos, Sloughis |
| Mr. Desmond Murphy | Greyhounds |
| Mr. Allen Odom | American English Coonhounds, Basset Hounds, Black and Tan Coonhounds, Bloodhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds, Foxhound (American), Foxhound (English), Harriers, Plott Hounds, Redbone Coonhounds, Treeing Walker Coonhounds |
| Mrs. Cindy Scott | Basenjis, Whippets |
| Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. | Petits Basset Griffon Vendéens, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds |
| Mr. Frederick Vogel | Azawakhs, Dachshunds (all varieties), Grand Basset Griffon Vendéens |
| WORKING GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Mr. Edd Bivin | Cane Corso, Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Kuvaszok, Leonbergers, Samoyeds |
| Mr. Bob Busby | Black Russian Terriers, Mastiffs, Rottweilers, St. Bernards |
| Mr. Clay Coady | Boxers |
| Ms. Marie Ann Falconer | Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, Siberian Huskies |
| Mr. Geir Flyckt-Pedersen | Giant Schnauzers, Standard Schnauzers |
| Mr. Roger Hartinger | Bullmastiffs, Great Pyrenees, Komondorok, Neapolitan Mastiffs, Tibetan Mastiffs |
| Dr. Anthony DiNardo | Newfoundlands, Portuguese Water Dogs |
| Mrs. Beverly Vics | Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Boerboels, Chinooks, Dogues de Bordeaux, German Pinschers |
| TERRIER GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Mr. Bob Busby | Staffordshire Bull Terrier |
| Mrs. Christine Calcinari | Australian Terriers, Norwich Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers, Russell Terriers, Sealyham Terriers, Skye Terriers, Welsh Terriers, West Highland White Terriers |
| Mr. Clay Coady | Cesky Terriers, Dandie Dinmont Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Scottish Terriers, Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, Standard Manchester Terriers |
| Mr. Geir Flyckt-Pedersen | Miniature Schnauzers, Norfolk Terriers, Rat Terriers |
| Mr. Roger Hartinger | American Hairless Terriers, Border Terriers |
| Mr. Desmond Murphy | Bedlington Terriers, Bull Terriers (Colored), Bull Terriers (White), Cairn Terriers, Fox Terrier (Smooth), Fox Terrier (Wire), Irish Terriers, Kerry Blue Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers |
| Ms. Marcy Zingler | Airedale Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Glen of Imaal Terriers |
| TOY GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Mr. Jeffery Bazell | Brussels Griffons, Japanese Chin, Papillons, Pekingese, Shih Tzu |
| Mr. Jordan Chamberlain | Pomeranians, Poodles (Toy) |
| Mr. Clay Coady | Toy Manchester Terriers |
| Mr. Michael Faulkner | Pugs |
| Ms. Shirley Fippin | Cavalier King Charles Spaniels |
| Ms. Heather Lindberg | Chinese Cresteds |
| Mr. Richard Miller | Chihuahuas (both varieties), English Toy Spaniels (King Charles & Ruby), English Toy Spaniels (Blenheim & Prince Charles) |
| Mr. Desmond Murphy | Affenpinschers, Miniature Pinschers |
| Mrs. Janice Pardue | Italian Greyhounds |
| Mr. Dana Plonkey | Maltese, Silky Terriers, Toy Fox Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers |
| Mrs. Beverly Vics | Havanese |
| NON-SPORTING GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Mr. Jeffery Bazell | Schipperkes |
| Mr. Edd Bivin | Boston Terriers, Chow Chows, Tibetan Terriers, Xoloitzcuintli |
| Mr. Jordan Chamberlain | Poodles (Miniature), Poodles (Standard) |
| Mr. Roger Hartinger | American Eskimo Dogs, Chinese Shar-Pei, Dalmatians, Finnish Spitz, Löwchen, Norwegian Lundehunds, Tibetan Spaniels |
| Mr. Allen Odom | Coton de Tulear |
| Mrs. Janice Pardue | Bichon Frises, French Bulldogs |
| Mrs. Beverly Vics | Bulldogs |
| Ms. Marcy Zingler | Keeshonden, Lhasa Apsos, Shiba Inu |
| HERDING GROUP: | BREED ASSIGNMENTS: |
| Ms. Mary Anne Brocious | Berger Picards, Briards, Canaan Dogs, Finnish Lapphunds, Miniature American Shepherds, Old English Sheepdogs, Polish Lowland Sheepdogs |
| Mrs. Roberta Davies | Bearded Collies, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdogs, Belgian Tervuren, Bergamasco Sheepdogs, Icelandic Sheepdogs, Norwegian Buhunds, Pulik, Pumik, Pyrenean Shepherds, Swedish Vallhunds |
| Ms. Marie Ann Falconer | German Shepherd Dogs, Shetland Sheepdogs |
| Mr. Guy Jeavons | Border Collies, Bouviers des Flandres, Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Pembroke Welsh Corgis |
| Mr. Allen Odom | Australian Shepherds |
| Col. Joe B. Purkhiser | Australian Cattle Dogs, Beaucerons, Collies (both varieties), Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, Spanish Water Dogs |
*Panel subject to final approval.
About Best in Show judge Dorothy Collier:
Dorothy Collier, of Sapphire, North Carolina, has been active in the sport of purebred dogs since 1968. She is best-known for her success in Komondors with many champions, Best in Show dogs, and top producers from her Summithill Kennels. She began judging in the early 1980s and is now licensed to judge the Working and Herding groups and Best in Show. Mrs. Collier has judged many of the major dog shows in America, including Best in Show at Westminster KC in 1997, and may foreign countries.
Mrs. Collier is a founding member of Take the Lead and a longtime member of the Komondor Club of America. She is also an active member of several all-breed clubs.
About Best Bred-By-Exhibitor judge Dr. Thomas Davies:
Dr. Thomas Davies, of Brimfield, Massachusetts, was introduced to the world of purebred dogs after his college graduation in 1967. Dr. Davies became president of the Bearded Collie Club of America and oversaw its entrance into the AKC Stud Book. He is an honorary lifetime member of that club and is the author of the Bearded Collie standard.
In the mid-1980s, Dr. Davies became deeply involved in Siberian Huskies and Belgian Sheepdogs. He and his wife, Roberta, have bred and finished many champions in all three of their breeds. Dr. Davies judges the Herding Group, many Working breeds and Best in Show.
He has served as president and show chairman of the Springfield, KC and is the club’s AKC Delegate. He is the longtime show chair for Springfield and previously for the country’s first Working Group club, the Connecticut River Working Group Association, for which he is vice president. Dr. Davies is retired after more than 30 years in various areas of scientific research, and product and market development.