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Breed profile · Border Terrier specialty history

Border Terrier specialty history

The full record of the Border Terrier’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 — Wednesday, June 3, and Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Cheshire Fairgrounds, 247 Monadnock Highway, Swanzey, New Hampshire. Entry: 148 entries / 131 competitors in conformation. Entries opened March 11, 2026; entries closed May 6, 2026. Event Chair: Holly Woodward. Superintendent: Jim Rau Dog Shows. The national closed a week of events running May 30–June 4, with puppy and veteran sweepstakes on Tuesday, June 2. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2026205113; 2026 BTCA National Specialty Judging Program (Jim Rau Dog Shows).)

National specialty judge: Ms. Julie LaFreniere — conformation. Sweepstakes judge: Mr. Duane Pulford — puppy sweepstakes and veteran sweepstakes (Tuesday, June 2). Junior Showmanship judge: Ms. Lori Pelletier. Judging program counts: 80 Border Terriers on Wednesday, 75 on Thursday, with 55 in Best of Breed competition. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2026205113; 2026 BTCA National Specialty Judging Program (Jim Rau Dog Shows).)

Results (2026 national). Best of Breed: CH Dobereich’s Hawthorne at Foxrun JE (dog, owner Jen Holder). Best of Opposite Sex: GCHS CH Duskland’s Dress Has Pockets at Cedar Run (bitch). Winners Dog: Duskland’s Rockin’ My Harris Tweed Jacket; Winners Bitch and Best of Winners: Jewetthill Princess Ahleia at Bandersnatch. Select Dog: GCH CH Steel Ridge You Got Another Thing Coming; Select Bitch: CH Hideaways Mum’s The Word. Awards of Merit: GCH CH Tilted Kilt Bada Bing, Bada Boom; GCHP2 CH Roschel Foxrun Thistle Do; GCHB CH Coldstream’s Livin’ The Fairy Tail Life At Dewey; GCHB CH Greywoode Inca Dove JE; Full Throttle’s Crown Jewel!; GCHS CH Bridan Highland Toddy At Thistle Do; CH Sunkist Starry Starry Knight. Best Junior Handler: Samantha Michel; Reserve Best Junior Handler: Mary Dominik Zharova. (Sources: BTCA 2026 National Specialty Conformation Results; BTCA 2026 results.)

Regional specialties

Eleven regional Border Terrier specialties verified for 2026, from the Border Terrier Club of America’s show schedule:

  • Orange Coast Border Terrier Club specialties — January 2–4, 2026, Indio, California: with the Desert Empire Terrier Club of Southern California and the Kennel Club of Palm Springs. Judges: David A. Alexander, Gayle Denman, Colin Bohler.
  • Border Terrier Club of Central Arizona specialties — January 29–31, 2026, Phoenix, Arizona: with the Sun Country Terrier Club and the Sahuaro State Kennel Club.
  • Border Terrier Club of America specialty — Saturday, January 31, 2026, Phoenix, Arizona: with the Sahuaro State Kennel Club. Judge: Duff Harris. Sweepstakes judge: Gail Harlamoff. Superintendent: Onofrio Dog Shows.
  • Border Terrier Club of St. Louis independent specialties — March 6–8, 2026, Wentzville, Missouri: Judges: Peggy Beisel-McIlwaine, Stuart Cairns, Meghan Barnes.
  • Border Terrier Club of Dallas independent specialties — March 27–28, 2026, Azle, Texas: Judges: Terri Cournoyer, Gayle M. Denman.
  • Barbary Coast Border Terrier Club specialties — April 9–10, 2026, Lodi, California: with the Northern California Terrier Association. Judges: Gayle M. Denman, Pete Blair.
  • Golden Triangle Border Terrier Club specialty — April 24, 2026, Morgantown, West Virginia: Judge: Glenn Snyder.
  • Border Terrier Club of Philadelphia specialty — May 16, 2026, West Friendship, Maryland: with the Ann Arundel Kennel Club. Judge: Dale R. Schuur.
  • Border Terrier Club of Metro Detroit specialties — July 3–4, 2026, Monroe, Michigan: Judges: Alison Ibbitson, Luis Manuel Benitez. A designated specialty ran July 4 at the Ann Arbor Kennel Club (Rebecca P. Poole).
  • Border Terrier Club of Canada regional specialty — July 18, 2026, Welland, Ontario, Canada: Judge: Paula Pressler-Tash.
  • Border Terrier Club of America specialty — Thursday, October 29, 2026, Louisville, Kentucky: Judge: Humberto Lara.

The BTCA also supported the Border Terrier entry at Hatboro (October 2) and Devon (October 3) — supported entries, not specialties. AKC event numbers for these 2026 regional specialties were not verified as of November 2026.

2025

National specialty

The 2025 National Specialty — Tuesday, July 1, and Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at the Cowlitz County Fairgrounds, 7th & Washington, Longview, Washington. Entry: 157 entries / 150 competitors in conformation. Entries opened May 7, 2025; entries closed June 11, 2025. Event Chair: Caleb Campbell. Event Secretary: Lorraine Yu. The national closed a week that also included scent work, Fast CAT, and agility at the same fairgrounds. (Source: AKC event search, event 2025205109.)

National specialty judge: Ms. Amanda M. Pough — conformation (breeder-judge). Junior Showmanship judge: S. L. Russell. Best Junior Handler: Autumn Dian; Reserve Best Junior Handler: Madison O’Rourke. The sweepstakes judge was not confirmed in an official source as of November 2026. (Source: AKC event search, event 2025205109.)

Results (2025 national). Best of Breed: GCHS Gemstones Guns ’N Roses at Ups ’N Downs — “Rosie,” a 9-year-old veteran bitch, owned by Linda Steinhoff, who won from the Veterans class. Best of Opposite Sex, Winners Dog, and Winners Bitch not confirmed in an official source as of November 2026. (Source: Richard Reynolds, “Everything’s Coming Up Rosie’s” (Dog Writers Association).)

Regional specialties

No regional specialties recorded for 2025.

2024

National specialty

The 2024 National Specialty — Tuesday, March 19, through Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the Hill Country Youth Exhibition Center, 3785 Highway 27, Kerrville, Texas. Entry: 146 entries / 139 competitors in conformation. Entries opened January 17, 2024; entries closed February 28, 2024. Event Chair: Catherine Meyer. Superintendent: Onofrio Dog Shows. (Source: AKC event search, event 2024205106.)

National specialty judge: Mrs. B. S. Dalane — conformation. Junior Showmanship judge: Ms. A. M. Pough. Best Junior Handler: Emma DesLauriers. The sweepstakes judge was not confirmed in an official source as of November 2026. (Source: AKC event search, event 2024205106.)

Results (2024 national). Best of Breed and the other winners not confirmed in an official source as of November 2026.

Regional specialties

No regional specialties recorded for 2024.

2023

National specialty

The 63rd National Specialty — Thursday, June 15, and Friday, June 16, 2023, at the Purina Farms Event Center, 500 William Danforth Way, Gray Summit, Missouri, closing a national week that ran June 10–16. Entry: 279 entries / 237 competitors in conformation. Entries closed May 17, 2023. Event Chair: Kathleen Henning. Superintendent: Foy Trent Dog Shows. The judging program counted 310 dogs / 524 entries across the specialty week, with 97 in Best of Breed competition. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2023205102; 2023 BTCA National Specialty Judging Program (Foy Trent Dog Shows).)

National specialty judge: Mr. Graham A. Pickering (Picer Kennel, UK) — conformation. Sweepstakes judge: Elizabeth Crisp Blake (Wednesday, June 14). 4–6 Month Beginner Puppy judge: Karen Fitzpatrick (Thursday, June 15). Junior Showmanship judge: Caleb Campbell. Best Junior Handler: Grayson Garcia. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2023205102; 2023 BTCA National Specialty Judging Program (Foy Trent Dog Shows).)

Results (2023 national). Best of Breed and the other winners not confirmed in an official source as of November 2026.

Regional specialties

No regional specialties recorded for 2023.