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AKC National Championship Judging Panel | The 2022 event will showcase the top canine athletes and will also include popular attractions such
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NEW YORK, NY (January 24, 2022) – The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2022 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18, 2022.
The 2022 event will showcase the top canine athletes and will also include popular attractions such as the Best Bred-by-Exhibitor competition, the AKC National Owner-Handled Series Finals, and the AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes. The show will once again take place alongside the AKC Agility Invitational and the Obedience Classic, with junior events in Conformation, Agility, Obedience and Rally.
Leading the charge as Best in Show judge for the 2022 National Championship is Mr. Desmond Murphy of Monroe, NY and Mr. Carl Gene Liepmann of Flushing, MI will judge Best Bred-by-Exhibitor in Show. The judges for the National Owner-Handled Series Finals and the AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes will be announced at a later date.
“We have a fantastic lineup of judges this year,” said Show Chairman Dennis B. Sprung. “The AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin continues to be a must-attend event, and with Desi and Carl leading the panel, that tradition will continue. The 2022 even will be a thrilling competition for breeders, exhibitors and judges.”
Judges for the seven variety groups and the Miscellaneous Classes at the AKC National Championship are:
SPORTING – Mr. Jamie Hubbard – Bloomington, IN
HOUND – Mrs. Gayle Bontecou – Clinton Corners, NY
WORKING – Mrs. Dorothy Collier – Sapphire, NC
TERRIER – Mr. Clay Coady – Paradise Valley, AZ
TOY – Mr. Jeffrey Bazell – Bremen, OH
NON-SPORTING – Ms. Pamela Bruce – Ontario, Canada
HERDING – Dr. Tom Davies – Brimfield, MA
MISCELLANEOUS CLASSES – Mr. Charles Olvis – Lake Wales, FL
BEST JUNIOR HANDLER – Mrs. Linda Clark – Tulsa, OK
JUNIOR PRELIMS – Marianne “Tuni” Conti and Margaret Peat
Judges for the seven Bred-by-Exhibitor variety groups are:
SPORTING – Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. – Brooklyn, NY
HOUND – Mr. Jamie Hubbard – Bloomington, IN
WORKING – Dr. Tom Davies – Brimfield, MA
TERRIER – Ms. Patricia Anne Keenan – Chehalis, WA
TOY – Dr. Steven L. Keating – Dallas, TX
NON-SPORTING – Mr. Eugene Blake – Tulsa, OK
HERDING – Mr. Charles Olvis – Lake Wales, FL
BREED JUDGING FOR THE AKC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
| Sporting Group | Breed Assignments |
| Mr. Norman B. Kenney | Barbets, Pointers (German Shorthaired), Pointers (German Wirehaired), Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay), Retrievers (Curly Coated), Retrievers (Flat-Coated), Retrievers (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling) |
| Mr. Clay Coady | Brittanys, Lagotti Romagnoli, Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes, Pointers, Retrievers (Labrador) |
| Mr. Sam Houston McDonald | Retrievers (Golden), Setters (English), Setters (Gordon), Setters (Irish) |
| Mr. Daniel J. Smyth, Esq. | Setters (Irish Red and White), Spaniels (Welsh Springer) |
| Mr. Edd E. Bivin | Spaniels (American Water), Spaniels (Boykin), Spaniels (Clumber), Spaniels (Cocker – all varieties), Spaniels (English Cocker), Spaniels (English Springer), Spaniels (Field), Spaniels (Irish Water), Spaniels (Sussex), Spinone Italiani, Weimaraners, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, Wirehaired Vizslas |
| Mrs. Linda Clark | Vizslas |
| Hound group | Breed Assignments |
| Ms. Deirdre Petrie | Afghan Hounds, Ibizan Hounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Salukis |
| Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. | American English Coonhounds, Azawakhs, Norwegian Elkhounds, Portuguese Podengo Pequenos, Redbone Coonhounds, Sloughis, Treeing Walker Coonhounds, Whippets |
| Mr. Neil T. McDevitt | American Foxhounds, Basenjis, Basset Hounds, Black and Tan Coonhounds, Bloodhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds, Borzois, Cirnechi dell’Etna, Greyhounds, Harriers, Irish Wolfhounds, Otterhounds, Plott Hounds |
| Ms. Patricia Anne Keenan | Beagles (both varieties), English Foxhounds |
| Mr. William F. Potter II | Dachshunds (all varieties), Scottish Deerhounds |
| Mr. Daniel J. Smyth, Esq. | Grand Basset Griffon Vendéens, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéens |
| Mrs. Linda Clark | Rhodesian Ridgebacks |
| Working Group | Breed Assignments |
| Mrs. Sheila DiNardo | Akitas, Doberman Pinschers, Giant Schnauzers, Great Danes, Great Pyrenees, Kuvaszok |
| Ms. Victoria M. Jordan | Alaskan Malamutes, Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Boerboels, German Pinschers Komondorok, Leonbergers, Mastiffs, Neopolitan Mastiffs, Standard Schnauzers, Tibetan Mastiffs |
| Rick Blanchard | Black Russian Terriers, Boxers, Bullmastiffs, Cane Corsos, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, Siberian Huskies |
| Mr. Clay Coady | Chinooks, Dogos Argentinos, Dogues de Bordeaux, Newfoundlands, Portuguese Water Dogs, Rottweilers, Saint Bernards, Samoyeds |
| Terrier Group | Breed Assignments |
| Ms. Kathi Brown | Airedale Terriers, Border Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Cesky Terriers, Irish Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Scottish Terriers, Sealyham Terriers, Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers |
| Mr. William deVilleneuve | American Hairless Terriers, Australian Terriers, Bedlington Terriers, Dandie Dinmont Terriers, Fox Terriers (Smooth), Fox Terriers (Wire), Glen of Imaal Terriers, Kerry Blue Terriers, Rat Terriers |
| Mr. Norman B. Kenney | American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers |
| Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. | Bull Terriers (colored & white), |
| Mr. William F. Potter II | Manchester Terriers (Standard), Miniature Bull Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers, Norfolk Terriers, Norwich Terriers, Russell Terriers, Skye Terriers, Welsh Terriers, West Highland White Terriers |
| TOY GROUP | Breed Assignments |
| Mr. Charles Olvis | Affenpinschers, Biewer Terriers, Brussels Griffons, Havanese, Italian Greyhounds, Japanese Chins, Shih Tzus |
| Mr. Jamie Hubbard | Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, English Toy Spaniels (all varieties) |
| Mr. Eugene Blake | Chihuahuas (both varieties), Maltese, Pekingese, Pugs, Silky Terriers, Toy Fox Terriers |
| Ms. Deirdre Petrie | Chinese Cresteds, Yorkshire Terriers |
| Dr. Steven L. Keating | Russian Toys |
| Gus Sinibaldi | Toy Manchester Terriers |
| Mr. Daniel J. Smyth, Esq. | Miniature Pinschers, Papillons, Pomeranians |
| Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. | Poodles (Toy) |
| NON-SPORTING GROUP | Breed Assignments |
| Gus Sinibaldi | American Eskimo Dogs, Bichon Frises, Coton de Tulear, French Bulldogs, Xoloitzcuintli |
| Dr. Steven L. Keating | Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, Chow Chows, Finnish Spitz, Keeshonden, Shiba Inus, Tibetan Terriers |
| Mr. Daniel J. Smyth, Esq. | Chinese Shar-Pei, Löwchens, Norwegian Lundehunds, Tibetan Spaniels |
| Mr. Jeffrey Bazell | Dalmatians, Lhasa Apsos, Schipperkes |
| Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. | Poodles (Miniature & Standard) |
| HERDING GROUP | Breed Assignments |
| Dr. Steven L. Keating | Australian Cattle Dogs, Bearded Collies, Beaucerons, Belgian Lakenois, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdogs, Belgian Tervurens, Finnish Lapphunds, Icelandic Sheepdogs, Norwegian Buhunds, Pulik, Pumik |
| Mrs. Linda Clark | Australian Shepherds, Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Pyrenean Shepherds, Spanish Water Dogs, Swedish Vallhunds |
| Mrs. Dorothy Collier | Bergamasco Sheepdogs, Berger Picards, Border Collies, Bouviers des Flandres, Briards, Canaan Dogs, Collies (both varieties), Polish Lowland Sheepdogs |
| Mr. Jamie Hubbard | German Shepherd Dogs, Old English Sheepdogs, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Shetland Sheepdogs |
| Ms. Elizabeth Muthard | Miniature American Shepherds, Mudik |
*Panel subject to final approval.
About Best in Show judge Mr. Desmond Murphy:
Desmond Murphy, of Monroe, New York, is a third-generation dog man – his grandfather, father, and two uncles all having been handlers. Born in Scotland, he was reared among Greyhounds, Whippets, and terriers at Mardormere Kennels on Long Island.
He began handling in 1958, working under his uncle John Murphy, a distinguished handler and judge. Mr. Murphy, known as Desi, points to his handling of seven different Best in Show Chow Chows as his proudest achievement.
Mr. Murphy has been an AKC judge since 1976 and is approved to judge 106 breeds.
Mr. Murphy is a member of the Tuxedo Park Kennel Club and the Santa Barbara Kennel Club. He considers “learning the value of preserving breed type” to be the most valuable lesson he has learned in dogs. Mr. Murphy judged the Toy Group at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin in 2017.
About Best Bred-By-Exhibitor judge Mr. Carl Gene Liepmann:
Carl Liepmann’s earliest recollection of a purebred dog is about 1945 when the family got a Harlequin Great Dane named “Eric Von Stroheim III.” His first serious “dog ownership” occurred in 1961 during his honeymoon with Jan, when they went to Canton, Ohio to pick up their German Shepherd at a training academy. That started over 60 years of involvement in the dog world
In 1962 Mr. Liepmann purchased his first Retriever, a Golden, from breeder Marcia Schlehr of “Kyrie Kennels.” This was the beginning of the Liepmann family’s love of the Retriever. In 1964, after the birth of daughter Lora, the Liepmann’s founded The Flint Retriever Club.
The next two decades were filled with dog activities, including his work as a Professional Handler in Conformation and Obedience, and the opening of a boarding and training kennel called Triple L. In 1968 they bred their first litter of Labradors.
In 1980 Mr. Liepmann was approved to judge the five Retriever breeds and now judges all Sporting, all Herding, and all Working breeds, Junior Showmanship and BIS. He has also served as president of the Genesee County Kennel Club since 1980 and Secretary of the American Dog Show Judges Association since 1991.
American Kennel Club (AKC)
