NEW YORK, NY (July 20, 2022) – The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panels for the 2022 National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS) Finals and the AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida in conjunction with the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin. The NOHS Finals will be held on December 16 & 17, 2022 and the AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes will be held on December 16, 2022.
Best in Show for the NOHS Finals will be judged by Mr. Dominic Carota on Saturday evening. Best in Stakes will be judged on Friday, December 16th, by an elite panel of three judges: Mr. Desmond Murphy, Mr. Carl Gene Liepmann, and Mr. Dominic Carota.
AKC Judges for the seven variety groups at the 2022 National Owner-Handled Series Finals are:
SPORTING BREEDS & GROUP – Mrs. Ann F. Yuhasz – Chagrin Falls, OH
HOUND BREEDS & GROUP – Mr. D. Scott Pfeil – Ingleside, IL
WORKING BREEDS & GROUP – Mr. William deVilleneuve – Dix Hills, NY
TERRIER BREEDS & GROUP – Dr. Valeria Rickard – Haymarket, VA
TOY BREEDS & GROUP – Mr. Gus Sinibaldi – Matthews, NC
NON-SPORTING BREEDS & GROUP – Ms. Kathi Brown – Stow, MA
HERDING BREEDS & GROUP – Mrs. Danielle M. Brown – Georgetown, TX
Breed and Group judges at the 2022 AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes are:
SPORTING – Valerie Nunes-Atkinson – Temecula, CA
HOUND – Mr. James Donahue – Ingleside, IL
WORKING – Diego Garcia – Lillington, NC
TERRIER – Ernesto Lara – Bowmansville, PA
TOY – Tammie Sommerson-Wilcox – Tacoma, WA
NON-SPORTING – Patricia Proctor – Yarmouth Port, MA
HERDING – Mr. Jamie Hubbard – Bloomington, IN
Sporting Group | Breed Assignments |
Mr. Clay Coady | Barbet, Bracco Italiano, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Curly-Coated Retriever, Flat-Coated Retriever, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, English Setter, Gordon Setter, Irish Setter, Irish Red and White Setter, English Cocker Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel, Field Spaniel, Irish Water Spaniel, Sussex Spaniel, Welsh Springer Spaniel, Spinone Italiano, Vizsla, Weimaraner, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Vizsla |
Valerie Nunes-Atkinson | Brittany, Lagotto Romagnolo, Nederlandse Koikerhondje, Pointer, German Shorthaired Pointer, German Wire-haired Pointer, Labrador Retriever, American Water Spaniel, Boykin Spaniel, Clumber Spaniel, Cocker Spaniel (All Varieties), Small Munsterlander |
Ms. Patricia Keenan | Golden Retriever |
Hound group | Breed assignments |
Ms. Lesley Potts | Afghan Hound, Basenji, Borzoi, Dachshund (All Varieties), Greyhound, Ibizan Hound, Otterhound, Peruvian Inca Orchid, Pharoah Hound, Portuguese Podengo, Portuguese Podengo Pequeno, Saluki, Sloughi, Whippet |
Mr. James Donahue | American English Coonhounds, American Foxhounds, Azawakh, Basset Hounds, Beagle (Both Varieties), Black and Tan Coonhound, Bloodhound, Bluetick Coonhound, Cirneco dell’Etna, English Foxhound, Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, Harrier, Irish Wolfhound, Norwegian Elkhound, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Plott Hound, Redbone Coonhound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Scottish Deerhound, Treeing Walker Coonhound, Norbottenspetts |
Working group | Breed assignments |
Michael Shepherd | Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Anatolian Shepherd, Bernese Mountain Dog, Black Russian Terrier, Boerboel, Boxer, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Komondor, Kuvasz, Leonberger, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Newfoundland, Portuguese Water Dog |
Diego Garcia | Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Chinook,
Doberman Pinscher, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, German Pinscher, Giant Schnauzer, Kai Ken, Rottweiler, St. Bernard, Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Standard Schnauzer, Tibetan Mastiff, Danish-Swedish Farmdog |
Terrier group | Breed assignments |
Ernesto Lara | Airedale Terrier, Australian Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Border Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Wire Fox Terrier, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Irish Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Lakeland Terrier, Scottish Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, Skye Terrier, West Highland White Terrier |
Amy Rutherford | American Hairless Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier (Both Varieties), Cesky Terrier, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Manchester Terrier (Standard), Miniature Bull Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Parson Russell Terrier, Rat Terrier, Russell Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Teddy Roosevelt Terrier, Welsh Terrier |
Toy Group | Breed Assignments |
Tammie Sommerson-Wilcox | Affenpinscher, Biewer Terrier, Brussels Griffon, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua (Both Varieties), Manchester Terrier (Toy), Russian Toy, Shih Tzu, Silky Terrier, Toy Fox Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier |
Cesar Cortes | Chinese Crested, English Toy Spaniel (Both Varieties), Havanese, Italian Greyhound, Japanese Chin, Maltese, Miniature Pinscher, Papillon, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Poodle (Toy), Pug |
Non-sporting Group | Breed Assignments |
Patricia Proctor | American Eskimo Dog, Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Chinese Shar-Pei, Coton de Tulear, Dalmatian, Finnish Spitz, Keeshond |
David Fitzpatrick | Chow Chow, French Bulldog, Lhasa Apso, Lowchen, Norwegian Lundehund, Poodle (Miniature and Standard) Schipperke, Shiba Inu, Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier, Xoloitzcuintli |
Herding Group | Breed Assignments |
Alice Lawrence | Australian Cattle Dog, Bearded Collie, Berger Picard, Border Collie, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, German Shepherd Dog, Old English Sheepdog, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Puli, Pumi, Shetland Sheepdog |
Mr. Jamie Hubbard | Australian Shepherd, Beauceron, Belgian Laekenois, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdog, Belgian Tervuren, Bergamasco, Bouvier des Flandres, Briard, Canaan Dog, Collie (Both Varieties), Dutch Shepherd, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Finish Lapphund, Icelandic Sheepdog, Lancashire Heeler, Miniature American Shepherd, Mudi, Norwegian Buhund, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Pyrenean Shepherd, Spanish Water Dog, Swedish Vallhund |
*Panel subject to final approval.
About Royal Canin USA
Royal Canin USA is a leader in science-based cat and dog health nutrition. Founded by a veterinarian in 1968, Royal Canin has 50 years of experience in delivering individualized nutritional solutions. In collaboration with an expert team of nutritionists, breeders and veterinarians from around the world, Royal Canin places cats and dogs at the central point of the innovation process. The Royal Canin product line offers a range of diets based on size, age, breed, lifestyle and therapeutic requirements. Royal Canin diets are available at veterinary hospitals and pet specialty stores nationwide. Royal Canin is a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. To learn more about Royal Canin, visit www.royalcanin.com and “LIKE” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/royalcanin.us.