(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK — The American Kennel Club announces the winner of the second AKC Virtual Top Dog Challenge. The event garnered 400 entries. GCHB CH Cordmaker Boys Will Be Boys PT NAP NJP, a Puli known as “Archie,” was awarded Best in Show by AKC Judge Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. of New York. “Archie” is owned by James Moen, Catharine Pronzini, Sue Huebner and Penny Kelly and bred by Sue Huebner and Penny Kelly. Best Puppy was awarded to Remedy’s Perfectly Paired, an Australian Shepherd known as “Zin,” also judged by Dr. Sturz. “Zin” is owned by Katie Knudtson and bred by Katie Knudtson and AJ Tavares. A combined donation of $8,000 from the entry fee made possible with a match by AKC Reunite, will be donated to AKC Reunite’s Adopt A K-9 Cop program, which works with AKC Clubs to donate K-9 police dogs to police departments around the United States.
Dogs were judged in one of two classes: Puppy (at least 6 months and under 12 months) or Open Class (any entry including CH of record) in the appropriate breed and sex. Entries were judged by selected dog people with expertise in their respective breeds. Group judges were Mr. Elliott B. Weiss (Sporting), Ms. Celeste M. Gonzalez (Hound), Mrs. Paula Nykiel (Working), Mr. Wood Wornall (Terrier), Miss Evalyn Gregory (Toy), Mr. Johnny R. Shoemaker (Non-Sporting), Ms. Linda Robey (Herding), and Mr. Jeffrey M Bazell (Miscellaneous).
The winners are:
- Best in Show: GCHB CH Cordmaker Boys Will Be Boys PT NAP NJP, a Puli, owned by James Moen, Catharine Pronzini, Sue Huebner and Penny Kelly and bred by Sue Huebner and Penny Kelly
- Reserve Best in Show: GCHS CH Loma Point & B-Cubed’s Limited Edition, a Cocker Spaniel (Parti-color) known as “Calvin”, owned by Marco Paseta and bred by Judy Bjelland and Lane Tarantino
Group Winners:
- Sporting: GCHS CH Loma Point & B-Cubed’s Limited Edition, a Cocker Spaniel (Parti-color), owned by Marco Paseta and bred by Judy Bjelland and Lane Tarantino
- Hound: GCH CH Sporting Fields Because The Night O Wesann, a Whippet, owned by Melissa Butt-Polier and bred by Kacie Davis, Michelle Queen
- Working: GCH CH Sundevil’s Fresh Squeezed CGCA CGCU TKN, an Akita, owned by Amy Huenneke and bred by Amy Huenneke
- Terrier: Darwyn’s Tawny Tangerine, a Welsh Terrier, owned by Caitlyn Schleifer and Larisa Hotchin and bred by Larisa Hotchin
- Toy: CH Ivyline Shirley Temple At Gylden, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, owned by Kevin L. Ellingson and bred by Ivy Giampapa
- Non-sporting: GCHS CH Delphi’s Put Your Lips Together And Blow CA BCAT CGC, a Boston Terrier, owned by Dolores J. Ferrero & John W. Flora and bred by Dolores J. Ferrero & John W. Flora
- Herding: GCHB CH Cordmaker Boys Will Be Boys PT NAP NJP, a Puli, owned by James Moen, Catharine Pronzini, Sue Huebner and Penny Kelly and bred by Sue Huebner and Penny Kelly
- Miscellaneous: Mudi, Hilarow Never Not Naughty Neska CM2 CD BN RN CGC, owned by Mandy Moore and bred by Cynthia Protheroe-Hildebrand
- Best Puppy: Remedy’s Perfectly Paired, an Australian Shepherd known as “Zin”, owned by Katie Knudtson and bred by Katie Knudtson and AJ Tavares
- Reserve Best Puppy: Winchester’s Wolfgang Stealth, an English Setter known as “Wolfie”, owned by Rachel Barnes, Dustin Fraser, Caryl Hodges, Stuart McGraw, and Justine Spiers and bred by Rachel Barnes, Dustin Fraser, Caryl Hodges, Stuart McGraw, and Justine Spiers
Group Winners:
- Sporting: Winchester’s Wolfgang Stealth, an English Setter, owned by Rachel Barnes, Dustin Fraser, Caryl Hodges, Stuart McGraw, and Justine Spiers and bred by Rachel Barnes, Dustin Fraser, Caryl Hodges, Stuart McGraw, and Justine Spiers
- Hound: Excaliber’s Into The Wild, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, owned by Michael & Michelle Cyr, Alicja Z Michnowicz and bred by Michael Fallat & Alicja Michnowicz
- Working: Tybrushe’s Down By The River, a Boxer, owned by Amy Osborne, Sheila McAvoy and bred by Sheila Mcavoy and Darren Lovely
- Terrier: Birch Bark Against All Odds, a West Highland White Terrier, owned by James McGarr and bred by James McGarr
- Toy: Quik, a Papillon, owned by Betty M Winthers, Carlisle Peel, Elyse Vandermolen, Robert L. Winthers and bred by Elyse Vandermolen, Sharon Newcomb
- Non-sporting: Jogoso’s Virtuoso, a Shiba Inue, owned by Jeri Burnside, John Burnside, Lisa Sakashita, Susanne Ozasa and bred by Susanne Ozasa, Lisa Sashita, Li Chuan Huang
- Herding: Remedy’s Perfectly Paired, an Australian Shepherd, owned by Katie Knudtson and bred by Katie Knudtson and AJ Tavares
- Miscellaneous: Benchmark On Y Va My Sunshine, a Biewer Terrier, owned by Whitney Aronson and bred by Barrie Wood
To enter, participants had to submit a video that included:
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- Dog in stack from the front and side
- Breed appropriate display of the bite/mouth
- View of the dog gaiting (moving) down and back in a straight line
- Dog presented in free stack
- View of dog moving in profile around in a circle
For more information about the competition, please visit here.
