Breed profile · Bernese Mountain Dog specialty history

Bernese Mountain Dog specialty history

The full record of the Bernese Mountain Dog’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 (51st) — a week of events Sunday, May 10 – Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Rd E, Albany, Oregon. Conformation Wednesday, May 13 – Saturday, May 16, 2026: dogs Thursday, May 14; bitches Friday, May 15; Best of Breed Saturday, May 16. AKC event 2026183411, Parent Specialty (National Specialty). Intersex judge: Ms. Abigail Patrizio (USA). Dogs judge: Mr. Svante Frisk (Sweden). Bitches judge: Mr. Joe Lobb (Canada). Futurity judge: Brenda Calvelage. Sweepstakes & Veteran Sweepstakes judge: Ms. Wanda Tait (Canada). Junior Showmanship judge: Mr. Bryan Martin. Versatility Showcase judge: Ms. Raime Campbell. Superintendent: BaRay Event Services, Inc. Event chair: Linda Dalton. Host clubs (Zone 3): Greater Seattle, Oregon, Inland Northwest. Entries closed Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. PDT. The entry: 259 dogs, 315 entries (115 dogs – 144 bitches). (Sources: Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, 2026 Specialty; AKC event search, event 2026183411; BMDCA, 2026 national specialty premium list.)

Results (2026 national). Best of Breed: GCHS Devael Track The Action. Best Junior Handler: Addison Stabenow; Reserve Best Junior Handler: Serafina Hobbs. Best of Opposite Sex, Winners Dog, Winners Bitch, and sweepstakes/futurity winners not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Sources: Westminster Kennel Club, 2027 Westminster invitees (National Specialty Winners); AKC event search, event 2026183411.)

Regional specialties

Four regional specialties verified for 2026 so far:

BMDCA Parent Specialty — Friday, January 2, 2026, Indio, California: at the Empire Equestrian Park and Polo Field. AKC event 2026183402. Judge Mrs. S L Novocin. The entry: 38 dogs, 43 entries. Entries closed Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Event chair: Bonnie Gould. (Source: AKC event search, event 2026183402.)
Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Southeastern Wisconsin 45th and 46th Annual Local Specialty — Friday, February 27 – Saturday, February 28, 2026, West Bend, Wisconsin: at Washington County Fair Park, 3000 Hwy PV. AKC events 2026606601–2026606606. Friday (45th): 63 dogs, 99 entries; conformation judge Sindi Leo, sweepstakes judge JoAnna Matthisen. Saturday (46th): 69 dogs, 110 entries; conformation judge Joanne Leslie Gerow, sweepstakes judge Julie Siefert. Obedience & rally both days judged by Cindy Pischke. Show chair: Karen Borre. (Source: Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Southeastern Wisconsin, February 2026 marked catalog.)
BMDCA Parent Specialty — Friday, September 25, 2026, Monroe, Michigan: at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, 3775 S Custer Rd. AKC event 2026183423. Judge Mrs. H Couts. The entry: 51 dogs, 61 entries. Best Junior Handler: Brooke Boeske; Reserve Best Junior Handler: Evan Record. Event chair: Brenda Calvelage. Superintendent: MB-F Inc. Entries closed Wednesday, September 9, 2026. (Source: AKC event search, event 2026183423.)
Bernese Mountain Dog Club of the Rockies 27th and 28th Independent Specialty — Saturday, October 3 – Sunday, October 4, 2026, Aurora, Colorado: at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds Event Center, 25690 E Quincy Ave. AKC events 2026631104 (Saturday) and 2026631107 (Sunday). Saturday: 65 dogs, 114 entries; breed judge Dee L McDuffee, sweepstakes judge Addy Cui, versatility judge Anne Summers, junior showmanship judge Kelli Kujawa. Sunday: 63 dogs, 111 entries; breed judge Joyce Siddall, sweepstakes judge Bill Lee, versatility judge Jacquie Hallenbeck. Obedience and rally on Friday, October 2, judged by Patricia L Maynard. Event secretary: Ginger Sammonds, c/o DogZibit. (Source: AKC, Bernese Mountain Dog Club of the Rockies October 2026 judging program.)

2025

National specialty

The 2025 National Specialty (50th) — a week of events Sunday, April 27 – Saturday, May 3, 2025, at the Eisenhower Hotel & All Star Events Complex, 2636 Emmitsburg Rd, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Conformation Thursday, May 1 – Saturday, May 3, 2025. AKC event 2025183411, Parent Specialty (National Specialty). Intersex judge: Ms. Maddalena Manciani (Italy). Dogs judge: Mrs. Sara Karl (USA). Bitches judge: Mrs. Janet Lobb (Canada). Junior Showmanship judge: Mrs. S L Karl. Superintendent: Jim Rau Dog Shows, Ltd. Event chairs: Heather Austin & Jill Shaeffer. Host clubs (Zone 1): Mason Dixon, Potomac Valley, Watchung, Nashoba Valley, Finger Lakes (NY), Central Virginia, Blue Ridge, Chattahoochee Valley, Piedmont, Three Rivers, and Hampton Roads. Entries closed Wednesday, April 2, 2025. The entry: 313 dogs, 361 entries (153 dogs – 160 bitches). (Sources: Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, 2025 Specialty; AKC event search, event 2025183411; Jim Rau Dog Shows, 2025 BMDCA National judging program.)

Results (2025 national). Best of Breed: GCHB BernerGarden’s Buttercup Bayley (“Bayley”). Best Junior Handler: Raini Johnson; Reserve Best Junior Handler: Reagan Lebsock. Best of Opposite Sex, Winners Dog, Winners Bitch, and sweepstakes/futurity winners not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Sources: Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, 2025 Specialty; AKC event search, event 2025183411.)

Regional specialties

BMDCA Designated Specialty — Friday, November 14, 2025, Monroe, Washington: with the Whidbey Island Kennel Club, at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds, 14405 179th Ave SE. AKC event 2025183424, with Sweepstakes & Veteran Sweepstakes, hosted by the Mountain Dog Club of Greater Seattle. Superintendent: BaRay Event Services, Inc. Entries closed Wednesday, October 29, 2025. The designated-specialty judge was not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Source: AKC, Whidbey Island Kennel Club November 2025 premium list.)
BMDCA Supported Entry — Saturday, March 8, 2025, Silver Falls Kennel Club: AKC event 2025183421, with Sweepstakes & Veteran Sweepstakes. Judge and entries not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Source: AKC event search, event 2025183421.)

2024

National specialty

The 2024 National Specialty (49th) — a week of events Saturday, March 30 – Saturday, April 6, 2024, at the Purina Farms Events Center, 500 William Danforth Way, Gray Summit, Missouri. Conformation: dogs Thursday, April 4; bitches Friday, April 5; Best of Breed Saturday, April 6, 2024. Intersex judge: Ms. Satu Yla-Mononen (Finland). Dogs judge: Mr. Jan Herngren (Sweden). Bitches judge: Mrs. Christine Mann (USA). Sweepstakes & Veteran Sweepstakes judge: Mrs. Susan Henderson. Futurity judge: Dalmiro Sirabo (Argentina). Versatility judge: William Matlock. Junior Showmanship judge: William Matlock. Obedience/Rally judges: Mr. James Comunale & Mr. Fred Buroff. Agility judge: Mr. Craig Josling. Superintendent: BaRay Event Services, Inc. Event chair: Dottie Schulte. Entries closed Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at 12:00 noon PST. The main conformation AKC event number, conformation entries, and results were not confirmed in an accessible official source as of November 7, 2026. (Sources: Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, 2024 Specialty; AKC, 2024 BMDCA National Specialty premium list; AKC event search, event 2024183407 (2024 national obedience).)

Results (2024 national). BaRay Event Services did not post results for this show, and the parent club’s results page carries winners only inside result-sheet images. Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Winners Dog, Winners Bitch, and conformation entries were not confirmed in an accessible official source. The national obedience trial (AKC event 2024183407) drew 131 entries and 107 competitors; High in Trial: Stonehill’s Glory Of The Snow CGC TKN (J Krohn). (Sources: BMDCA, Checkerboard Times newsletter; AKC event search, event 2024183407.)

Regional specialties

No regional specialties recorded for 2024.

2023

National specialty

The 2023 National Specialty (48th) — Sunday, April 2 – Sunday, April 9, 2023, in Sacramento, California, at the California Expo & Fairgrounds. Intersex judge: Ms. Maija Heinila. Dogs judge: Ms. Diane Anderson. Bitches judge: Ms. Elin Normannseth. The conformation dates within the week, AKC event number, entries, and Best of Breed were not confirmed in an accessible official source as of November 7, 2026. (Sources: Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, National Specialty Show Results; Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, General Specialty Information.)

Results (2023 national). Best Junior Handler: Isabelle Madland. Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Winners Dog, and Winners Bitch not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Source: Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, National Specialty Show Results.)

Regional specialties

No regional specialties recorded for 2023.