Breed profile · Leonberger specialty history

Leonberger specialty history

The full record of the Leonberger’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 (39th annual) — national week in Lebanon, Oregon, at the Best Western Premier Boulder Falls Inn, 505 Mullins Dr, Lebanon, OR. Conformation Saturday, May 9, 2026. AKC event 2026667910, Parent Specialty (National Specialty). Conformation judge: Dr. J Brady. Obedience judge: Mrs. C S Wray. Junior Showmanship judge: Ms. C Cameron. Entries closed Wednesday, April 15, 2026. The entry: 52 dogs, 61 entries (25 dogs – 27 bitches). Event chair: Jim Carretta. Event secretary: Karen Burgess (CAPER). Draft trials off-site at Timber Linn Park. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2026667910; Westminster Kennel Club, 2027 Westminster invitees (National Specialty Winners).)

Results (2026 national). Best of Breed: GCH Lowenhohle’s Golden Glitz N Glimmer. Best Junior Handler: Kaydence Hempel. High in Trial (obedience): CH OTCH RACH Kalahari’s Intrepid Explorer UDX3 OM3 BN RM2 RAE2 OAP ACT2 CGC TKI (J Woodruff). 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 2026667910.)

Regional specialties

Four regional specialties verified for 2026 so far:

LCA Regional Specialty — Friday, May 8, 2026, Lebanon, Oregon: at the Best Western Premier Boulder Falls Inn, 505 Mullins Dr, the day before the national. AKC event 2026667907. Judge Dr. W V Spediacci. The entry: 50 dogs, 56 entries (23 dogs – 27 bitches). Obedience judge Mrs. C S Wray. Best Junior Handler: Kaydence Hempel. High in Trial (obedience): CH OTCH RACH Kalahari’s Intrepid Explorer UDX3 OM3 BN RM2 RAE2 OAP ACT2 CGC TKI (J Woodruff). (Source: AKC event search, event 2026667907.)
Tarheel Leonberger Club Specialty — Saturday, July 11 – Sunday, July 12, 2026, Concord, North Carolina: at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center, 4751 Highway 49 North. AKC events 2026727101 (Saturday) and 2026727102 (Sunday). Saturday: 8 entries (3 dogs – 5 bitches), judge R V Horn; Sunday: 10 entries (4 dogs – 6 bitches), judge Mr. C de Giuliani. Entries closed Wednesday, June 24, 2026. Superintendent: MB-F Inc. (Source: AKC event search, event 2026727101.)
Leonberger Club of the Northwest (LCNW) Regional Specialty — Saturday, August 15, 2026, Enumclaw, Washington: at Nolte State Park. Judge Linda Sebastiani (regular conformation and Best in Show). Entries closed Wednesday, July 29, 2026. An LCA-sanctioned Traditional Club Show — judged with written assessments, not an AKC event. (Source: Leonberger Club of the Northwest.)
LCA Parent Specialty — Friday, August 28, 2026, Lexington, Kentucky: at the Kentucky Horse Park, 4089 Iron Works Pike. AKC event 2026667918. Judge D A Johnson. The entry: 14 dogs (5 dogs – 9 bitches). Entries closed Wednesday, August 12, 2026; entry limit 100. (Source: AKC event search, event 2026667918.)

2025

National specialty

The 2025 National Specialty — national week in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, at the AllStar Events Complex, 2638 Emmitsburg Rd, Gettysburg, PA. Conformation Saturday, May 10, 2025. AKC event 2025667934, Parent Specialty (National Specialty). Conformation judge: Ms. D Anderson. Obedience judge: Ms. Sandi Atkinson. Junior Showmanship judge: Ms. Anne D O’Reilly. Sweepstakes judge: Ms. Julie Schaffert. Entries opened Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 8:00 a.m.; closed Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. The entry: 77 dogs, 88 entries (44 dogs – 33 bitches). Event chair: Jim Carretta. Event secretary: Karen Burgess (CAPER). (Sources: AKC event search, event 2025667934; CAPER, 2025 LCA official results.)

Results (2025 national). Best of Breed: Corleone Navigator At Kalizmar ‘Neville’ (Lee Studholme). Best of Opposite Sex: GCHB Lowenhohle’s Entirely Enticing CGC CGCA ‘Lani’ (Sue Turbow & Julie Schaffert & Sophie Schaffert) — also NOHS Best of Opposite Sex. Winners Dog and Best of Winners: Hillhaven When Irish Eyes Are Smiling ‘Magner’ (Airi Calhoun). Winners Bitch: Newcastle’s Heaven Sent ‘Celeste’ (Patricia A Smith). Best Junior Handler: Jacob Wheeler. Best in Puppy Sweepstakes (bitches): CH Qadira von Alpensee ‘Jovie’; Best of Opposite in Puppy Sweepstakes (dogs): Panthera’s One Too Many ‘Rowdy’. High in Trial (obedience): CH Dragonslair’s Wildflower Of Carmel CD BN RE SWE THDN CGCA TKI (Y Paltin/T Paltin), 184. Futurity winners not confirmed in an accessible official source. (Source: CAPER, 2025 LCA official results.)

Regional specialties

LCA Regional Specialty — Friday, May 9, 2025, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: at the AllStar Events Complex, 2638 Emmitsburg Rd, the day before the national. Judge Dawn Hitchcock. Best of Breed: Corleone Navigator At Kalizmar ‘Neville’; Best of Opposite Sex: GCHB Sforzando’s Mariachi ‘Chi-Chi’; Winners Dog and Best of Winners: JDLeos Galaxy Class Jean-Luc’s Number One ‘Riker’; Winners Bitch: Newcastle’s Heaven Sent ‘Celeste’. Best Junior Handler: Abagail Baker. Obedience and rally judge: Mrs. Debra L Barrows. (Source: CAPER, 2025 LCA official results.)
Leonberger Club of Texas Specialty — Friday, July 18, 2025, Houston, Texas: at NRG Arena, 1 Reliant Center Dr. AKC event 2025775001. Judge A Greendyk. The entry: 8 dogs (4 dogs – 4 bitches). Entries closed Wednesday, July 2, 2025; entry limit 100. Superintendent: Onofrio Dog Shows. (Source: AKC event search, event 2025775001.)
LCA Supported Entry — Thursday, August 14, 2025, Mount Rainier Working Dog Club: Leonberger judge Mr. Jon R Cole (Ms. Nikki Riggsbee also listed in the premium); the Leonberger Club of the Northwest offered rosettes for Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Select, Winners Dog, and Winners Bitch. (Source: AKC, Mount Rainier Working Dog Club premium list.)

2024

National specialty

The 2024 National Specialty — national week Tuesday, April 9 – Saturday, April 13, 2024, at the Sagebrush Inn & Suites, 1508 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur, Taos, New Mexico. Conformation Saturday, April 13, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. (after sweepstakes at 10:00 a.m.). AKC event 2024667908, Parent Specialty (National Specialty). Conformation judge: Andrew Ritter. Sweepstakes judge: Alida Greendyk. Obedience and rally judge: Terry Thornton. Entries closed Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. Central. Event chair: Jim Carretta. Trial secretary: Karen Burgess (CAPER). (Sources: AKC, 2024 LCA National Specialty premium list; AKC event search, event 2024667908.)

Results (2024 national). Best of Breed: Whitehall’s Dazzling Diamond Solitaire. Best of Opposite Sex: Lowenhohle’s Magical Phalin Perrin. Winners Dog, Winners Bitch, and sweepstakes/futurity winners not confirmed in an accessible official source; the conformation entry count was not confirmed in an accessible official source (the judging program lists 33 entries in Best of Breed). (Source: International Leonberger Union, show results.)

Regional specialties

No regional specialties recorded for 2024.

2023

National specialty

The 2023 National Specialty — national week Tuesday, April 25 – Saturday, April 29, 2023, at the QCCA Expo Center, 2621 4th Ave, Rock Island, Illinois. Conformation Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. AKC event 2023667916, Parent Specialty (National Specialty). Conformation judge: Nancy Liebes. Sweepstakes judge: Cindy Stratton. Obedience and rally judge: Suzanne Hemminger. Entries closed Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. CDT. Specialty chair: Jim Carretta. Show/trial secretary: Karen Burgess (CAPER). (Sources: AKC, 2023 LCA National Specialty premium list; AKC event search, event 2023667916.)

Results (2023 national). Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Winners Dog, and Winners Bitch not confirmed in an accessible official source. The International Leonberger Union’s show-results page reports a conflicting show dated March 24, 2023, judged by Kerry Rusby, with Best of Breed CH Bobev’s Invocation of Indigo — that date and judge do not match the premium list (April 29, 2023, judge Nancy Liebes), so those results are not relied on here. (Source: AKC, 2023 LCA National Specialty premium list.)

Regional specialties

No regional specialties recorded for 2023.