Breed profile · Japanese Chin specialty history

Japanese Chin specialty history

The full record of the Japanese Chin’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 — Thursday, August 20, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Houston West, 13210 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas. Entry: 68 entries / 52 competitors in conformation. Entries opened May 1, 2026; entries closed July 29, 2026. Event Chair: Burk Hughes, Little Rock, Arkansas. Event Secretary: Cullen Leck, Vagabond Dog Shows. The national ran with the parent specialty the day before and the Southern Japanese Chin Club of Texas specialty that same Wednesday morning, plus a Top 20 competition on Wednesday evening. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2026057903; 2026 JCCA National Premium List (Vagabond Dog Shows).)

National specialty judge: Mr. David Fitzpatrick — conformation, junior showmanship, and 4–6 Month Beginner Puppy. Sweepstakes judge: Mr. Burk Crancer-Hughes — puppy sweepstakes and veteran sweepstakes. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2026057903; 2026 JCCA National Premium List (Vagabond Dog Shows).)

Results (2026 national). Best of Breed: CH Touche Tennessee Whiskey (dog). Best of Opposite Sex: CH Touche Jungle Love (bitch). Winners Dog: Carousel Space Cowboy; Winners Bitch and Best of Winners: Carousel Tammi Miami. Select Dog: GCH CH Touche Impress; Select Bitch: Musashi Small Town Smoke Show. Awards of Merit: GCH CH Touche Vigilante and GCH CH Royalsilk Livin’ La Vida Loca. Best Puppy: Carousel Tammi Miami; Best Bred-By Exhibitor: Carousel Space Cowboy; Best Veteran: Kimiko’s Chip Off The Ol’ Block Royalsilk; Best Owner-Handled: Musashi Small Town Smoke Show. Best Junior Handler: Analeigha Ybarzabal Martinez; Reserve Best Junior Handler: Naydene Martinez. (Source: JCCA 2026 National Specialty Marked Catalog; Best Junior Handler per AKC event search, event 2026057903.)

Regional specialties

Two regional Japanese Chin specialties verified for 2026 so far, both in the national week in Houston, Texas:

Southern Japanese Chin Club of Texas specialty — Wednesday morning, August 19, 2026, Houston, Texas: at the Hyatt Regency Houston West. Judge: Chad Howard. Sweepstakes judge: Cmdr. Pamela Rhyner Hirko. AKC event number not confirmed as of November 2026.
Japanese Chin Club of America parent specialty — Wednesday afternoon, August 19, 2026, Houston, Texas: at the Hyatt Regency Houston West (AKC event 2026057901), the day before the national. Judge: Sharon Masnick. Sweepstakes judge: Lisa Weaver-White. Entry: 63 entries / 49 competitors. Entries opened May 1, 2026; entries closed July 29, 2026; entries limited to 100. Event Chair: Burk Crancer-Hughes. Event Secretary: Cullen Leck, Vagabond Dog Shows. Best Junior Handler: Analeigha Ybarzabal Martinez; Reserve Best Junior Handler: Naydene Martinez.

2025

National specialty

The 2025 National Specialty — Friday, April 11, 2025, at the Wyndham Garden, 415 S. Swing Rd., Greensboro, North Carolina. Entry: 29 entries / 23 competitors in conformation. Entries opened March 1, 2025; entries closed March 19, 2025. Event Chair: Carla Jo Ryan, Snow Camp, North Carolina. Superintendent: MB-F Inc. The national closed a four-show national weekend: the parent specialty on Wednesday, April 9, and two Japanese Chin Club of the Carolinas specialties on Thursday, April 10. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2025057903; 2025 JCCA National Weekend Premium List (MB-F).)

National specialty judge: Mr. Dale R. Martenson — conformation, junior showmanship, and 4–6 Month Beginner Puppy. Sweepstakes judge: Mrs. Jane Martenson — puppy sweepstakes and veteran sweepstakes. Best Junior Handler: Analeigha Ybarzabal Martinez; Reserve Best Junior Handler: Willow Osborne. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2025057903; 2025 JCCA National Weekend Premium List (MB-F).)

Results (2025 national). Best of Breed: GCh Midwood Mumbles at St John (dog). Best of Opposite Sex, Winners Dog, Winners Bitch, and the select awards not confirmed in an official source as of November 2026. (Source: Japanese Chin Club of America, Meet Our Judges.)

Regional specialties

Three regional Japanese Chin specialties verified for 2025, all in the national weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina:

Japanese Chin Club of America parent specialty — Wednesday, April 9, 2025, Greensboro, North Carolina: at the Wyndham Garden (AKC event 2025057905). Judge: Dr. Geno Sisneros. Sweepstakes judge: Mrs. Carla Jo Ryan. Entry: 31 entries / 24 competitors. Entries opened March 1, 2025; entries closed March 19, 2025. Event Chair: Carla Jo Ryan. Superintendent: MB-F Inc. Best Junior Handler: Analeigha Ybarzabal Martinez.
Japanese Chin Club of the Carolinas specialty #1 (morning) — Thursday, April 10, 2025, Greensboro, North Carolina: at the Wyndham Garden (AKC event 2025666203). Judge: Mr. R Fernandez de Zafra. Entry: 29 entries / 27 competitors. Event Chair: Carla Jo Ryan. Superintendent: MB-F Inc.
Japanese Chin Club of the Carolinas specialty #2 (afternoon) — Thursday, April 10, 2025, Greensboro, North Carolina: at the Wyndham Garden (AKC event 2025666204). Judge: Mrs. D K Ondo. Entry: 34 entries / 25 competitors. Event Chair: Carla Jo Ryan. Superintendent: MB-F Inc. Best Junior Handler: Analeigha Ybarzabal Martinez.

2024

National specialty

The 2024 National Specialty — Friday, October 25, 2024, at the Holiday Inn Portland Airport, 8439 NE Columbia Blvd, Portland, Oregon. Entry: 56 entries / 47 competitors in conformation; 60 conformation entries and 83 total entries across the national day’s events. Entries closed October 9, 2024. Event Chair: Bryan K. Martin, Milwaukie, Oregon. Event Secretary: Bryan Martin, BaRay Event Services. The national closed a three-day national cluster: two Pacific Northwest Japanese Chin Club specialties on Wednesday, October 23, and the parent specialty on Thursday, October 24. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2024057901; 2024 JCCA National Judging Program (BaRay).)

National specialty judge: Mr. Scott Toney — conformation, junior showmanship, and 4–6 Month Beginner Puppy. Sweepstakes judge: Ms. Kathleen Klennert — puppy sweepstakes and veteran sweepstakes. Best Junior Handler: Teagan Baggenstos; Reserve Best Junior Handler: Savannah Rose Skinner. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2024057901; 2024 JCCA National Judging Program (BaRay).)

Results (2024 national). Best of Breed and the other winners not confirmed in an official source as of November 2026. The 2024 Top 20 winner — a separate competition held with the national — was GCHG CH Royalsilk’s You Oughta Know. (Source: Japanese Chin Club of America, Top 20.)

Regional specialties

Three regional Japanese Chin specialties verified for 2024, all in the national cluster in Portland, Oregon:

Pacific Northwest Japanese Chin Club specialty #1 — Wednesday, October 23, 2024, Portland, Oregon: at the Holiday Inn Portland Airport (AKC event 2024744201). Judge: Mr. C Michael Benson. Sweepstakes judge: Mrs. Tammie Wilcox. 49 conformation entries; 75 total entries.
Pacific Northwest Japanese Chin Club specialty #2 — Thursday, October 24, 2024, Portland, Oregon: at the Holiday Inn Portland Airport (AKC event 2024744203). Judge: Mr. Dana Plonkey. 54 conformation entries; 61 total entries.
Japanese Chin Club of America parent specialty — Thursday, October 24, 2024, Portland, Oregon: at the Holiday Inn Portland Airport (AKC event 2024057903). Judge: Ms. S. Marie Cooney. Sweepstakes judge: Mr. Randy Gemmill. Entry: 45 entries / 36 competitors. Entries closed October 9, 2024. Event Chair: Bryan K. Martin. Event Secretary: Bryan Martin, BaRay Event Services. Best Junior Handler: Teagan Baggenstos; Reserve Best Junior Handler: Chloe Klennert.

2023

National specialty

The 2023 National Specialty — Friday, September 15, 2023, at Purina Farms, 300 Checkerboard Drive, Gray Summit, Missouri. Entry: 112 entries / 81 competitors in conformation — the largest national entry of the last five years. Entries opened July 19, 2023; entries closed August 30, 2023. Event Chair: Alice Andrade, Los Angeles, California. Superintendent: Foy Trent Dog Shows. A regional specialty ran the day before, Thursday, September 14, at the same site. (Source: AKC event search, event 2023057902.)

National specialty judge: Ms. L McArthur — conformation. No junior showmanship entries. Sweepstakes offered; the sweepstakes judge not confirmed in an official source as of November 2026. (Source: AKC event search, event 2023057902.)

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

Regional specialties

One regional Japanese Chin specialty verified for 2023, the regional specialty that ran with the national at Purina Farms:

Japanese Chin Club of America regional specialty — Thursday, September 14, 2023, Gray Summit, Missouri: at Purina Farms (AKC event 2023057901). Judge: Mrs. S Norris-Jones. Entry: 105 entries / 85 competitors. Entries opened July 19, 2023; entries closed August 30, 2023. Event Chair: Alice Andrade. Superintendent: Foy Trent Dog Shows. No junior showmanship entries.