Channing Sheets: In a word, EVERYTHING! It was validation for close to 40 years of exhibiting, breeding, handling, and now, judging. Judges work their entire canine careers for an opportunity to judge at Westminster, Royal Canin, or their respective National Specialties. Very few accomplish this in their judging careers. For me to get invited so early in my judging career is truly humbling. I am so thankful that the Westminster Kennel Club Judges Selection Committee chose me. I took this honor very seriously. I worked diligently to re-familiarize myself with the Breed Standards for the six breeds that I judged. I also tried to make sure every exhibit received my undivided attention, to be fair and impartial.
Channing Sheets: I won’t be critiquing dogs in this answer because I was asked to write critiques for some of my Breed winners elsewhere. With that being said, I will say I was fortunate to judge some of the heavy-hitting breeds in the Herding Group. Of the breeds I judged, German Shepherd Dogs have the most Group wins at The Garden followed by Old English Sheepdogs.
I had large entries in Australian Shepherds and German Shepherds. Aussies are a personal favorite of mine to judge because the quality is always deep. Westminster 2026 was no exception. I felt that my Breed winners were standouts and that any judge would be fortunate to have them in their ring. Of my six Breed winners, four were pulled in the Group, with the Old English garnering a Group One. It was definitely a confirmation of the qualities I had recognized in those exhibits at the Breed level. The biggest responsibility was judging my own breed, the German Shepherd. We had a larger entry than usual, and a breeder-judge was doing the Group. I had to make some tough decisions, but I was proud of the female that represented my Breed in the Group. She exuded breed type and was a beautiful package.
Channing Sheets: Westminster is an important milestone in my judging career. I hope to have many more similar experiences in the years to come. I hope that I was able to play a part in making dog shows more accessible to ringside observers and those watching at home. I was able to access some of the most brilliant minds (i.e., judges and exhibitors) in the dog show world. I was happy to pick their brains for those three days. I met so many wonderful people while judging in NYC. I love to bring the party to the dog show world, and I think the judges panel this year did that, lol. Exhibitors should have fun while making left-hand turns. Sometimes that involves jokes, an act of kindness, or a black-tie event, but dog shows should ALWAYS be a good time. I was linked to some mentors in breeds that I will be applying for in the future. I got to watch my friend Adrian Woodfork judge Doberman Pinschers. Most people don’t know this, but Dobermans are my second love. When I moved to California over 20 years ago, Adrian was one of my mentors. I was happy to be there to support him and Faye Strauss. The most memorable moment was watching Andy Linton. I have watched him show dogs since I was a kid. I watched him go Breed, win the Group, and go Best in Show. I don’t know if he knows it, but he is so loved, and it brought me so much joy to see his success. That was an emotional moment for many of us, especially us Doberman aficionados. You don’t realize how close you are to some of the people you see weekly at dog shows. My advice is to hold the people you care about close, let them know how much you appreciate them every day of their lives, and live with no regrets. In summary, what Westminster provided me personally was an opportunity to share an experience with friends and to develop some new friendships.
