2022 AKC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP JUDGING PANEL NOW AVAILABLE

NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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:

*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.

About the American Kennel Club
Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization, which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function.  Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog.  For more information, visit www.akc.org.

AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc.

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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.

SOURCE American Kennel Club