Breed profile · Belgian Malinois specialty history

Belgian Malinois specialty history

The full record of the Belgian Malinois’s national and regional specialties, year by year — dates, venues, judges, entries, and winners, with sources. The current year is shown in full on the breed profile; this page is the archive.

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2026

National specialty

The 2026 National Specialty — national week May 9–16, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Conformation Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club, 1575 E North Territorial Rd, Whitmore Lake, Michigan 48189. AKC event number 2026418231. Entries opened Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 8:00 a.m.; closed Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 12:00 p.m. Event chair: Dina Ledger. Superintendent: Executive Dog Shows, LLC (Nina Fetter, Lima, Ohio); on-site show secretary Karen Rockwell. Conformation and 4–6 Month Beginner Puppy: Mr. Sonny Strom (Mjolby, Sweden) — 57 entries (26 dogs, 31 bitches), 68 total entries, 56 competitors. Junior Showmanship: Christine Foster Nethery. Sweepstakes (Friday, May 15, morning): Jim Dagan (Peyton, Colorado). Obedience: Jeanie Thomas (replacing Sharon Redmer, who resigned). Rally: Kathleen Sweet. Entry fees: conformation first entry $37, each additional $30; puppy (6–9 and 9–12 months) and Bred-by-Exhibitor $30; puppy, veteran, and working sweepstakes $30 each; Junior Showmanship only $30, Junior Showmanship as an additional class free; stud dog and brood bitch $30; generations $30; 4–6 Month Beginner Puppy $30; obedience first entry $37, each additional $30; rally first entry $37, each additional $30. National-week schedule: herding Friday–Sunday, May 8–10 (judge Deborah Pollard, SheepSmith Farm, Pinckney, Michigan); agility Monday, May 11 (Anne Lindsley) and Tuesday, May 12 (National Specialty trial); obedience Wednesday, May 13, morning, and rally Wednesday, May 13, afternoon; scent work Thursday, May 14 (Hartland, Michigan), tracking, and the welcome party at Captain Joe’s Grill; sweepstakes Friday, May 15, morning, regional specialty Friday, May 15, afternoon, and the annual meeting Friday evening; Beginner Puppy and Junior Showmanship Saturday, May 16, morning, the national Saturday, May 16, morning and afternoon, the Honor & Rescue Parade after Winners Bitch and before Best of Breed, and the awards banquet Saturday evening. Host hotel: Candlewood Suites, 151 Library Dr, Brighton, Michigan. (Sources: American Belgian Malinois Club, 2026 National Specialty; ABMC 2026 premium; AKC event search, event 2026418231.)

Results (2026 national). Best Junior Handler: Bree Browning; Reserve Best Junior Handler: Sonia Glodowski. Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Winners Dog, and Winners Bitch not confirmed in an accessible official source. One indirect pointer: Westminster’s 2027 national-specialty-winners invitees list names GCHB Belcol Jbels Tuppence HSAdsc HSCs HXCs NF SCN SEN among the Belgian Malinois invited as 2026 national specialty winners — which would mean Tuppence won Best of Breed at the 2026 national — but that is indirect evidence and is not asserted here. (Source: Westminster Kennel Club, 2027 Westminster Invitees.)

Regional specialties

Six Belgian Malinois regional specialty dates verified for 2026 beyond the national itself:

Regional specialty — Friday, May 15, 2026, Ann Arbor Dog Training Bldg, 1575 E North Territorial Rd, Whitmore Lake, Michigan (held with the national): AKC event number 2026418227; judge Betsey Orman; 66 entries. Best of Breed: CH Alouette’s Awesome Pilot Of My Dreams CDX BN PT SCN SIN SEN RATCH CGC TKA FTN (dog, owner Janet Doerer). Best of Opposite Sex: GCH CH Element’s Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This @ Endeavor PT (bitch, owner Allison Bath). Winners Dog: Belcol Aixtra Special PCD BN RE TKI. Winners Bitch and Best of Winners: Belcol Altesse. Junior Showmanship judge Tiffany Holley; sweepstakes judge Jim Dagan (Friday morning). (Source: American Belgian Malinois Club, 2026 Regional Specialty results.)
Regional specialty — Saturday, April 4, 2026, Linn County Fair & Expo Center, Albany, Oregon: entries closed Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Judge and entries not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Source: American Belgian Malinois Club, Belgian Beat, February 2026.)
Regional specialty & sweepstakes — Thursday, June 11, 2026: listed in the club newsletter; venue not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Source: American Belgian Malinois Club, Belgian Beat, April 2026.)
Regional specialty & sweepstakes — Saturday, August 29, 2026, Amana Colonies Convention Center & RV Park, Amana, Iowa: entries closed Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Judge and entries not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Source: American Belgian Malinois Club, Belgian Beat, May–June 2026.)
Regional specialties — Friday, September 25, 2026, Fairgrounds / Fuji Park, Highway 395 South and Clear Creek Road, Carson City, Nevada: AM and PM regional specialties with Veteran, Working & Puppy Sweepstakes classes, plus the National Owner-Handled Series, hosted by the Pacific Malinois Club. AM event 2026418244, judge L Webb-Tinsley (22 entries, 7 dogs, 15 bitches; 24 total entries, 22 competitors). PM event 2026418243, judge A Dickens (21 entries, 7 dogs, 14 bitches; 24 total entries, 21 competitors). Entries closed Wednesday, September 9, 2026, 6:00 p.m. Event chair Tasha Mesina; event secretary Karen Toth. Results not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Source: AKC event search, event 2026418244.)
Regional specialties — Saturday, October 31, 2026, and Sunday, November 1, 2026, Meadow Event Park, Doswell, Virginia: entries closed Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Judges and entries not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Source: American Belgian Malinois Club, Belgian Beat, October 2026.)

2025

National specialty

The 2025 National Specialty — national week May 3–10, 2025, at Purina Farms, 300 Checkerboard Drive, Gray Summit, Missouri 63039. Conformation Saturday, May 10, 2025: Christine Klockenbrink (morning and afternoon). Junior Showmanship: Tiffany Holley. 4–6 Month Beginner Puppy: Klockenbrink (Saturday) and Cathy Daugherty (Friday). Sweepstakes (Friday, May 9): April Albert. Regional specialty (Friday, May 9, afternoon): Cathy Daugherty. Obedience and rally Thursday, May 8; American Temperament Test Thursday, May 8 (events 2025418257 and 2025418258); agility Tuesday–Wednesday, May 6–7 (events 2025418207 and 2025418208, judge Randy Capsel); herding Saturday–Monday, May 3–5; tracking Sunday, May 4, Vogelsang Park, Sullivan, Missouri (judges Inge Suchanek and Darlene Barnard); Fast CAT, dock diving, and barn hunt. The conformation AKC event number and entries were not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Sources: American Belgian Malinois Club, 2025 National Specialty — conformation; American Belgian Malinois Club, 2025 National Specialty — week at a glance.)

Results (2025 national). Best of Breed: CH Avonlea Imagine ‘Ima’ (bitch), owners Sue Haase & Ann Marie MacKay. The Bonanza Kennel Club’s May 2025 newsletter reports Sue Haase’s ‘Ima’ was Best of Breed at the national specialty at Purina Farms on May 10, 2025; the American Belgian Malinois Club’s title record lists CH Avonlea Imagine, owned by Sue Haase & Ann Marie MacKay and bred by Ann Marie MacKay — the registered name is matched from that record. Best of Opposite Sex, Winners Dog, and Winners Bitch not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Sources: Bonanza Kennel Club newsletter, May 2025; American Belgian Malinois Club, title record, November 2024.)

Regional specialties

Four Belgian Malinois regional specialties verified for 2025 beyond the national itself:

Regional specialty — Saturday, April 5, 2025, Linn County Fair & Expo Center, Albany, Oregon: entries closed Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Judge and entries not confirmed in an accessible official source.
Regional specialty — Saturday, August 30, 2025, Amana RV & Event Center, Amana, Iowa. Judge and entries not confirmed in an accessible official source.
Regional specialties — Friday, October 31 – Sunday, November 2, 2025, Meadow Event Park, Doswell, Virginia: entries closed Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Judges and entries not confirmed in an accessible official source.
Regional specialty — Friday, December 12, 2025, Orange County Event Center (North/South Building). Judge and entries not confirmed in an accessible official source.

(Source: American Belgian Malinois Club, Belgian Beat, October 2025.)

2024

National specialty

The 2024 National Specialty — national week May 17–26, 2024, at Horizons Edge Sports Campus, 325 Cornerstone Lane, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22802. National Specialty Thursday, May 23, 2024, judge Janina Laurin (Ms. J K Laurin), AKC event number 2024418218 (4–6 Month Beginner Puppy event 2024418220). Entries opened Friday, March 1, 2024, 8:00 a.m.; closed Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Chair: Lisa Knock. Secretary: Rhonda Toren. 63 entries (32 dogs, 31 bitches), 81 total entries, 62 competitors; Junior Showmanship 0 entries. Sweepstakes (Tuesday, May 21): Tasha Mesina. Regional specialty (Monday, May 20): Patricia “Tish” Gaffey (events 2024418215 and 2024418219). Rally event 2024418216; tracking events 2024418242 and 2024418243 (Oatlands Plantation, Leesburg, Virginia, Friday, May 17); agility events 2024418209, 2024418214, and 2024418239, Friday–Sunday, May 17–19; herding Friday–Sunday, May 24–26, Caisson Farms, Catlett, Virginia. (Sources: ABMC 2024 National and Regional premium; AKC event search, event 2024418218.)

Results (2024 national). Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Winners Dog, and Winners Bitch not confirmed in an accessible official source.

Regional specialties

No regional specialties recorded for 2024.