The 151st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Judging Panel

The Jet’s are the top champion producing Greyhound kennels of all time, having made up 226 homebred champions with more than 820 champion titles. Still actively breeding, there are several more champions in the pipeline. The Jet’s bitch tail line includes a unique eleven consecutive generations of Best in Show winning bitches. Homebred greyhounds have won BOB 50 times at parent club specialties as well as top dog all breeds in Norway four times with four different dogs.

More recently Espen has focused on Brussels Griffons, producing a number of champion and being top breeder of the year in the UK. He has also owned and shown champions in Afghan Hounds and Whippets.

Espen judged his first dog show in 1984 and was approved to judge at championship show level in 1987. He was licenced to judge all breeds by the FCI in 2011. He has officiated in more than 100 countries around the world, including all-breed Best in Show in 74 of these.

Espen has judged extensively in the US since 1989, including numerous national specialties and a dozen Best in Shows, including Santa Barbara K.C. Centenary show, Del Valle and Kennel Club of Philadelphia.

A veterinarian by education, Espen finished his Doctoral Thesis at the Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine. He lives with his husband Åge Gjetnes and their Greyhounds, Griffons, Afghan Hounds and Miniature Poodles in Lier, south of Oslo, Norway.

Espen will judge Best in Show on his fourth appointment at Westminster followed by BIS at Crufts on his 14th judging appointment in 2028 to become the only active judge to award Best in Show at both of these iconic shows.

Sporting Group Judge: Mrs. Kathy Lorentzen

Sporting Breeds Judges:

Mrs. Debbie Melgreen: Bracco Italiano, Brittanys, Lagotti Romagnoli, Pointers, German Shorthaired Pointers, German Wirehaired Pointers, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers.

Mr. Jamie Hubbard: Barbets, Flat-Coated Retrievers, Boykin Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels (A.S.C.O.B.), Cocker Spaniels (Parti-Color), Cocker Spaniels (Black), English Cocker Spaniels, Field Spaniels, Irish Water Spaniels, Sussex Spaniels.

Mr. Manual Queijeiro: Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, English Springer Spaniels, Gordon Setters, Irish Setters.

Mrs. Rosalind Kramer: Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Curly-Coated Retrievers, Irish Red and White Setters, American Water Spaniels, Welsh Springer Spaniels, Spinoni Italiani, Vizslas, Weimaraners, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, Wirehaired Vizslas.

Hound Group Judge: Mr. Ken Murray

Hound Breeds Judges:

Ms. Mary Dukes: Basenjis, Dachshunds (Longhair), Dachshunds (Smooth), Dachshunds (Wirehair), Greyhounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Whippets.

Dr. Oleg Voloshin: American English Coonhounds, American Foxhounds, Bassets Fauves de Bretagne, Basset Hounds, Beagles (Not Exceeding 13?), Beagles (Over 13?But Not Exceeding 15?), Black & Tan Coonhounds, Bloodhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds, English Foxhounds, Grand Basset Griffon Vendéens, Harriers, Otterhounds, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéens, Pharaoh Hounds, Plott Hounds, Portuguese Podengo Pequenos, Redbone Coonhounds, Treeing Walker Coonhounds.

Mr. Ramon Podesta: Afghan Hounds, Azawakhs, Borzois, Cirnechi dell’Etna, Ibizan Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Norwegian Elkhounds, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, Sloughis.

Working Group Judge: Mr. Dana Cline

Working Breeds Judges:

Dr. Johan Becerra Hernandez: Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, Boerboels, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, Komondorok, Leonbergers, Mastiffs, Portuguese Water Dogs, Saint Bernards.

Mr. Juan Martinez: Bullmastiffs, Cane Corsos, Dogos Argentinos, Dogue de Bordeaux, German Pinschers, Great Danes, Neopolitan Mastiffs, Rottweilers, Tibetan Mastiffs.

Ms. Kimberly Anne Meredith: Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Black Russian Terriers, Chinooks, Danish Swedish Farmdogs, Giant Schnauzers, Great Pyrenees, Kuvaszok, Newfoundlands, Samoyeds, Siberian Huskies, Standard Schnauzers.

Terrier Group Judge: Mr. Clay Coady

Terrier Breeds Judges:

Mr. Wood Wornall: Airedale Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers (Colored), Bull Terriers (White), Cesky Terriers, Irish Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers, Rat Terriers, Skye Terriers, Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Mr. Bruce Schwartz: American Hairless Terriers, Australian Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Dandie Dinmont Terriers, Glen of Imaal Terriers, Standard Manchester Terriers, Norfolk Terriers, Norwich Terriers, Scottish Terriers, Teddy Roosevelt Terriers, West Highland White Terriers.

Mrs. Sally George: Bedlington Terriers, Border Terriers, Fox Terriers (Smooth), Fox Terrier (Wire), Kerry Blue Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Parsons Russell Terriers, Russell Terriers, Sealyham Terriers, Welsh Terriers.

Toy Group Judge: Mr. Sei-ichiro Ishimaru

Toy Breeds Judges:

Mr. Anthony (Tony) Allcock: Affenpinschers, Brussels Griffons, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, English Toy Spaniels (B&PC), English Toy Spaniels (KC & R), Havanese, Japanese Chins, Papillons, Pekingese, Pugs.

Mrs. Wendy Paquette: Biewer Terriers, Maltese, Toy Manchester Terriers, Minature Pinscher, Pomeranians, Shi Tzu, Silky Terriers, Toy Fox Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers.

Mrs. Gina Wieser: Chihuahuas (Long Coat), Chihuahuas (Smooth Coat), Chinese Cresteds, Italian Greyhounds, Toy Poodles, Russian Toys, Bolonki.

Non-Sporting Group Judge: Mrs. Patricia Sosa

Non-Sporting Breeds Judges:

Mrs. Gina Wieser: Miniature Poodles, Standard Poodles.

Mr. David Kirkland: American Eskimo Dogs, Chinese Shar-Pei, Chow Chows, Cotons de Tulear, Dalmatians, Finnish Spitz, Lhasa Apsos, Schipperkes, Shiba Inu, Tibetan Spaniels, Xoloitzcuintin.

Mrs. Vicki Abbott: Bichon Frises, Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Keeshonden, Norwegian Lundehunds.

Mr. Larry Abbott: Löwchen, Tibetan Spaniels.

Herding Group Judge: Mrs. Marilyn VanVleit

Herding Breeds Judges:

Mr. Larry Abbott: Australian Cattle Dogs, Briards, Finnish Lapphunds, German Shepherd Dogs, Icelandic Sheepdogs.

Mrs. Debra Long Gschwender: Bergamasco Sheepdogs, Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Collies (both varieties), Norwegian Buhunds, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Shetland Sheepdogs, Spanish Water Dogs, Swedish Vallhunds.

Ms. Linda Robey: Australian Shepherds, Bearded Collies, Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, Lancashire Heelers, Miniature American Shepherds, Mudik, Polish Lowland Sheepdogs, Pumik, Pyrenean Shepherds.

Mrs. Linda Clark: Beaucerons, Belgian Laekenois, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdogs, Belgian Tervuren, Border Collies, Bouviers des Flandres, Canaan Dogs, Old English Sheepdogs.

Junior Showmanship Preliminary Judges: Mrs. Madeline Peterson & Dr. Tracie Laliberte

Junior Showmanship Finals Judge: Miss. Lisa Gallizzo

Masters Agility Championship: Mrs. Susan Thompson & Mrs. Tracey Mazur