2025 AKC National Championship Judging Panel Now Available

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 25th AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14, 2025.

The 2025 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, the Obedience Classic and the AKC RACH Invitational, with junior events in Conformation, Agility, Obedience and Rally, as well as special attraction North America Diving Dogs (NADD) Santa Splash.

Leading the charge as Best In Show judge for the 2025 National Championship is Mrs. Rosalind Kramer of High Point, NC and Mr. Thomas Coen of Great Barrington, MA 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.

“The AKC National Championship has had remarkable judges for 25 years, and this year is no exception,” said Dennis Sprung, Show Chair, President and CEO of AKC. “With Roz and Thomas at the helm, this year’s show is sure to be an exhilarating display of quality competition for breeders, exhibitors and judges.”

Judges for the seven variety groups and the Miscellaneous Classes at the AKC National Championship are:

SPORTING – Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. – Brooklyn, NY

HOUND – Ms. Deirdre Petrie – Strasburg, PA

WORKING – Rita J. Biddle, Esq. – Eagle, MI

TERRIER – Elizabeth “Beth” Sweigart – Bowmansville, PA

TOY – Patricia Proctor – Yarmouth Port, MA

NON-SPORTING – Mr. Fred Basset – Broken Arrow, OK

HERDING – Mr. Carl Gene Liepmann – Flushing, MI

MISCELLANEOUS CLASSES – Mr. Michael Canalizo – Mill Neck, NY

Judges for the seven Bred-by-Exhibitor variety groups are:

SPORTING – Mr. David Kittredge – Rochester, NY

HOUND – Mr. Richard Reynolds – Tenafly, NJ

WORKING – Barbara Bruns – Winsen Niedersachsen Lowe, GER

TERRIER – Mrs. Allison Sunderman – Hanover, MI

TOY – Pamela Bruce – Niagara Region, CN

NON-SPORTING – Mr. Desmond Murphy – Monroe, NY

HERDING – Ms. Janina Laurin – Ashford, CT

BREED JUDGING FOR THE AKC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP:

SPORTING GROUP

BREED ASSIGNMENTS

Ms. Britt Jung – Barbet, Bracco Italiano, Lagotto Romagnolo Pointer, Vizsla, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Vizsla

Beth Sweigart – Brittany, Retriever (Labrador)

Mr. Frank Kane – Retriever (Chesapeake Bay), Retriever (Curly-Coat), Retriever (Flat-Coated), Spaniel (Welsh Springer), Spinone Italiano, Weimaraner

Ms. Elizabeth Muthard – Pointer (German Shorthaired)

Ms. Patricia Anne Keenan – Pointer (German Wirehaired), Spaniel (English Cocker), Spaniel (English Springer), Spaniel (Field), Spaniel (Irish Water), Spaniel (Sussex)

Ms. Cynthia Collins – Retriever (Golden)

Mrs. Mary Ann Alston – Retriever (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling), Setter (English), Setter (Gordon), Setter (Irish), Setter (Irish Red & White)

Mrs. Meghen Riese-Bassel – Nederlandse Kooikerhondje, Spaniel (American Water), Spaniel (Boykin), Spaniel (Clumber), Spaniel (Cocker – all varieties)

HOUND GROUP

BREED ASSIGNMENTS

Mr. Michael Canalizo – Afghan Hound, Whippet

Mr. Daniel J. Smyth, Esq. – American English Coonhound, American Foxhound, Azawakh, English Foxhound, Redbone Coonhound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Saluki, Treeing Walker Coonhound

Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. – Basenji, Bloodhound, Bluetick Coonhound, Borzoi, Cirneco dell’Etna, Greyhound, Harrier, Irish Wolfhound, Plott Hound, Sloughi

Mr. Frank Kane – Basset Hound

Mrs. Debbie Melgreen – Beagle (both varieties), Black and Tan Coonhound, Ibizan Hound, Norwegian Elkhound, Otterhound, Scottish Deerhound

Mrs. Jane Fowler – Dachshund (all varieties)

Dana Cline – Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Portuguese Podengo Pequeno

Mr. Dominic Carota – Pharaoh Hound

WORKING GROUP

BREED ASSIGNMENTS

Mrs. Linda Clark – Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Bullmastiff

Ms. Elizabeth Muthard – Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Black Russian Terrier, Danish-Swedish Farmdog, Dogo Argentino, Giant Schnauzer, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Standard Schnauzer

Andrew Ritter – Bernese Mountain Dog, Boerboel, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Komondor, Kuvasz, Leonberger, Newfoundland, St. Bernard, Tibetan Mastiff

Mrs. Vicki Seiler-Cushman – Boxer, Cane Corso, Dogue de Bordeaux, German Pinscher, Great Pyrenees

Ms. Janina Lauren – Chinook, Doberman Pinscher, Great Dane, Rottweiler

Robin Stansell – Portuguese Water Dog, Samoyed, Siberian Husky

TERRIER GROUP

BREED ASSIGNMENTS

Ms. Kathy Ferris – Airedale Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Russell Terrier, Scottish Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, Skye Terrier, West Highland White Terrier

Grace Fritz – American Hairless Terrier, Cesky Terrier, Fox Terrier (Smooth), Fox Terrier (Wire), Parson Russell Terrier, Rat Terrier

Mr. Fred Basset – American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier (both varieties), Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Irish Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Miniature Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Ms. Patricia Anne Keenan – Australian Terrier, Lakeland Terrier, Manchester Terrier (Standard), Miniature Schnauzer, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Welsh Terrier

Mr. Richard Reynolds – Border Terrier, Cairn Terrier

TOY GROUP

BREED ASSIGNMENTS

Pamela Bruce – Affenpinscher, Biewer Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Russian Toy

Mr. Ray Filburn, Jr. – Brussels Griffon, Chinese Crested, Shih Tzu

Mr. Tim Catterson – Chihuahua (both varieties), Italian Greyhound

Ms. Deirdre Petrie – English Toy Spaniel (all varieties), Havanese, Pomeranian, Silky Terrier

Beth Sweigart – Japanese Chin

Dr. Steven Keating – Maltese, Miniature Pinscher, Pekingese, Pug, Toy Fox Terrier

Ms. Patricia Anne Keenan – Manchester Terrier (Toy)

Mrs. Angela Pickett – Papillon

Dana Cline – Poodle (Toy)

Robin Stansell – Yorkshire Terrier

NON-SPORTING GROUP

BREED ASSIGNMENTS

Grace Fritz – American Eskimo Dog, Chinese Shar-Pei, Chow Chow, Coton de Tulear, Keeshond, Lhasa Apso, Norwegian Lundehund, Schipperke

Dr. Valeria Rickard – Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, Bulldog

Dr. Charles Garvin – Dalmatian

Ms. Elizabeth Muthard – Finnish Spitz, Löwchen, Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier, Xoloitzcuintli

Mrs. Angela Pickett – French Bulldog

Dana Cline – Poodle (Miniature & Standard), Shiba Inu

HERDING GROUP

BREED ASSIGNMENTS

Dr. Thomas Davies – Australian Cattle Dog, Belgian Laekenois, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdog, Belgian Tervuren, Bergamasco, Berger Picard, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Pyrenean Shepherd

Dr. Steven Keating – Australian Shepherd

Dana Cline – Bearded Collie, Beauceron, Briard, Canaan Dog, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Entlebucher Mountain Dog

Mrs. Linda Clark – Border Collie, Bouvier des Flandres

Ms. Marie Ann Falconer – Collie (both varieties), Shetland Sheepdog, Spanish Water Dog, Swedish Vallhund

Mr. Ray Filburn, Jr. – Finnish Lapphund, Icelandic Sheepdog, Norwegian Buhund

Pamela Bruce – German Shepherd Dog, Lancashire Heeler, Miniature American Shepherd, Mudi, Puli, Pumi

Ms. Elizabeth Muthard – Old English Sheepdog

Beth Sweigart – Pembroke Welsh Corgi

BEST JUNIOR HANDLER – Ms. Patricia Anne Keenan – Chehalis, WA

JUNIOR PRELIMS – Amanda Swanson and Angela Lloyd

*Panel subject to final approval.

About Best In Show judge Mrs. Rosalind Kramer: Rosalind Kramer started in the sport as a child showing her Wire Fox Terriers. She has bred National Specialty, Best in Show winners, and many top-ranked dogs over the years. She handled top-winning Terrier and Toy dogs.

After ending her career as a professional handler, Mrs. Kramer went to work for the American Kennel Club as an Executive Field Representative and Judges Education Chair. She retired from the AKC when she married Dr. Andrew Kramer, a fellow Terrier enthusiast, and began her judging career. She has judged the Terrier Group, Toy Group and Best in Show at Westminster Kennel Club, as well as BIS at Montgomery County Kennel Club, and the Terrier and Toy Groups at the American Kennel Club National Championship, as well as numerous shows internationally.

Mrs. Kramer is a long-time member of the American Fox Terrier Club, Wire Fox Terrier Club of the Central States, Middle Peninsula Kennel Club, and the Virginia Terrier Club.

About Best Bred-By-Exhibitor judge Mr. Thomas Coen: Tom Coen became interested in the world of purebred dogs at the age of 12 and whelped his first Sheltie litter in 1964 while still in high school on Long Island. Over the past the past six decades, Macdega has bred or owned eight National Specialty Best of Breed winners, eight All-Breed Best in Show winners and more than 20 Register of Merit producers, including the breed’s All-Time Top Sire. In 2004, Tom and his wife, Nioma, were named AKC Herding Group Breeders of the Year.

After graduating from college, Mr. Coen taught art on the Junior High level outside of Woodstock, New York. In 1970 he applied for his handler’s license and that was the beginning of an exciting career that spanned 30 years. He retired from handling and received his judge’s license in 2000. He judges all Herding Breeds, Dachshunds, and Best in Show. Mr. Coen has had the honor of judging Best of Breed at the Collie National, the Australian Shepherd National, the Pumi National and twice at the Sheltie National. His assignments and his seminar “Quest For Quality” have taken him to Canada, Japan, China, Denmark, Norway and Brazil. He lives with his wife, Nioma, in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts.

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