Breed profile · Great Dane specialty history

Great Dane specialty history

The full record of the Great Dane’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 GDCA National Specialty Show: Monday to Saturday, October 19–24, 2026, at the MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center, 1901 Meadowview Pkwy, Kingsport, Tennessee — a full national week, hosted by the GDCA South Division, with agility trials Monday, October 19, obedience and rally trials plus the Futurity Tuesday, October 20, a second obedience and rally trial Wednesday, October 21, and conformation Thursday to Saturday, October 22–24: dog classes Thursday, bitch classes Friday, Junior Showmanship and the Intersex competition Saturday. The Great Dane Club of Middle Tennessee specialty followed Sunday, October 25, at the same venue. Entries closed at noon Central, Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Show Chair: Brian O’Donnell. Club President: Jason Hoke. Superintendent: Foy Trent Dog Shows. (Sources: official premium list; 2026 GDCA National Specialty.)

National specialty judges: Mr. Thomas J. Davis — regular dog classes, Veteran Dogs, Stud Dog, Junior Showmanship. Mrs. Jennifer Bell — regular bitch classes, Veteran Bitches, Brood Bitch. Mr. James S. Remaklus — Intersex, Brace & Team, Best Puppy, Best Bred-by-Exhibitor. Futurity: Mr. Doug Toomey and Ms. BJ Barnhart. Obedience and rally: Ms. Aimee P. Kincaid and Ms. Louann Currey. (Source: official premium list.)

The week also included the GDCA Top 20 competition, parades of champions, titleholders, and veterans, judges’ education, and health-testing clinics. (Source: official premium list.)

Winners from the 2026 specialty had not been published in an official source as of November 2026 and will be added here when they are.

Regional specialties

Illini Great Dane Club — 34th Annual Specialty Shows and Sweepstakes, Saturday–Sunday, March 21–22, 2026, four specialty shows. (Source: Illini Great Dane Club 2026 catalog.)
Great Dane Club of Middle Tennessee — specialty show, Friday, September 11, 2026, Tri-State Exhibition Center, McDonald, Tennessee. Judge: Ms. N. Conneen Holmes (45 dogs). (Source: AKC event search.)
Great Dane Club of Western New York — specialty shows, Friday–Saturday, September 25–26, 2026, Sampson State Park, Romulus, New York. Judges: Ms. Lesa Bastow (Friday) and Ms. Susan E. Yotive (Saturday). (Source: official premium list (AKC).)
Great Dane Club of Southeast Florida — specialty show, Saturday, September 26, 2026, South Florida Fairgrounds, West Palm Beach, Florida. Judge: Mr. G. Griner (26 dogs). (Source: AKC event search.)
Great Dane Club of Middle Tennessee — specialty show, Sunday, October 25, 2026, MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center, Kingsport, Tennessee, the day after the national specialty. Event #2026752415. (Source: official premium list.)