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NEW YORK, Jan. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- GCHP CH Pinnacle Tennessee Whiskey, a Whippet known as "Whiskey," triumphed over more than 5,000 entries to earn a $50,000 cash prize and the title of Best in Show at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, held December 15-16, 2018 in Orlando, Fla. "Whiskey," owned by Justin Smithey & Dr. Ken Latimer and bred by Justin C. Smithey and Yvonne Sovereign, was crowned "National Champion" by Best in Show judge Mr. Elliott B. Weiss after a weekend of intense canine competition.

Combined with other weekend events including the AKC Agility Invitational, the AKC Obedience Classic, the AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes and the Junior events, the overall show totals topped 9,023 entries, making this the largest dog event in North America.

The AKC National Championship evening live stream is available for replay at AKC.TV alongside on-demand coverage of the Bred-By Exhibitor groups, Junior Showmanship Finals, Best Miscellaneous, Agility and Obedience competitions.

The winners:

Reserve Best in Show and Group Winners

Reserve Best in Show: GCHS CH Sammantic Querida, a Samoyed known as "Querida," owned by Barbara Bruns and Wolfgang Stamp and bred by Barbara Bruns and Wolfgang Stamp.

After winning Best of Breed competitions the following top dogs went on to win in their respective groups and compete for Best in Show:

Sporting: GCHS CH Nani Breica N Crosswinds Aloha, a Weimaraner known as "Kevin," owned by Derek Beatty & Suzanne Burns & C. Grisell & J. Doud and bred by Jessica L Mendez Cervera and Brenda B. Doub.

Hound: GCHP CH Pinnacle Tennessee Whiskey, a Whippet known as "Whiskey," owned by Justin Smithey & Dr. Ken Latimer and bred by Justin C Smithey and Yvonne Sovereign.

Working: GCHS CH Sammantic Querida, a Samoyed known as "Querida," owned by Barbara Bruns and Wolfgang Stamp and bred by Barbara Bruns and Wolfgang Stamp.

Terrier: GCHG CH Roserock's My Eyes Adored You, a Norwich Terrier known as "Isaac," owned by Ellen Lucas and bred by Ellen Ford.

Toy: GCHP CH Hill Country's Puttin' On The Ritz, a Pug known as "Biggie," owned by Carolyn Koch of and bred by Kristy Ratliff and Kevin Ratliff.

Non-Sporting: GCHP CH Le Petit Prince De La Bete, a French Bulldog known as "Princeton," owned by Alexandra Geremia & Blake Hamman & Peter Photos of and bred by Peter Photos and Blake Hamman.

Herding: GCHP2 CH Majestic Elite Clever Endeavor PT, a Border Collie known as "Slick," owned by Ricki Johnson, J. Frank Baylis, and Ronni Delay and bred by Ronni Delay.

Other top dogs awarded during the two-day event included the following:

Best Bred-By-Exhibitor in Show
GCHP CH Pinnacle Tennessee Whiskey, a Whippet known as "Whiskey," owned by Justin Smithey & Dr. Ken Latimer and bred by Justin C Smithey and Yvonne Sovereign was awarded Best Bred-By-Exhibitor in Show.

AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed PUPPY/JUNIOR of the Year
Aperture I Think I'M Going To Like It Here, a Whippet known as "Lizzie," owned by Amy Reynolds and bred by Julie Poole, won Puppy of the Year.

AKC National Owner-Handled Series Finals Best in Show
GCHG CH Lamz Strike A Pose RN CAA CGC TKN, a Bedlington Terrier known as "Vogue" owned by Laurie Zembrzuski & Gabrielle Gilbeau and bred by Laurie Zembrzuski & Gabrielle Gilbeau, won the AKC National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS) Finals Best in Show, prevailing over an invitation-only entry of 737 dogs.

Best in Miscellaneous Group
Starfire's B' Anya, an Azawakh owned and bred by Jose Cabrera, won the Miscellaneous Breeds competition.

Junior Showmanship
In the Junior Showmanship competition, for handlers from between 9 to 18 years of age, Mary Claire Ctibor with her Irish Setter GCHS CH Beaubriar's Best Kept Secret was awarded the coveted title of Best Junior Handler, along with a $2,000 scholarship. 

Agility and Obedience Competitions
The 2018 AKC Obedience Classic and the AKC Agility Invitational were held in conjunction with the AKC National Championship. The two events demonstrate the highest level of training and teamwork between dog and handler. Obedience and agility competitions for junior handlers were held for the eighth year, and an AKC Rally^® Junior competition was held for the fifth year.

AKC Obedience Classic
Four obedience dogs and their owners – one dog/handler team in each of the four classes – were crowned at the AKC Obedience Classic, which brought together 243 dogs from across the country and Canada. 

Placing first in their class (Novice, Open, Utility and Masters respectively) were:

• Novice: GCH CH Rising Star's Rhinestones and Spurs CD BN RN, a Border Collie known as "Dallas," owned by Lara S. Avery of Somers, Connecticut.
• Open: High Times Quiet Riot CDX PCD BN, a Golden Retriever known as "Riot," owned by Janice and Mark Curran of Titusville, New Jersey.
• Utility: Half Moon Irresistable Impulse UD RN, a Golden Retriever known as "Journey," owned by Brenda Enders of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
• Masters: OTCH Topbrass The Greatest Show on Earth UDX8 OGM BN GN, a Golden Retriever known as "Circus," owned by Annette Sizemore of Greer, South Carolina.

AKC Agility Invitational
Five agility dogs and their owners – one dog/handler team in each of the five height categories – were crowned as the 2018 winners of the AKC Agility Invitational, which brought together 741 dogs from across the country and beyond. 

Placing first in their height division (8", 12", 16", 20" and 24" respectively) were:

• 8" - MACH2 Kayangee Wishing Well Excuse My Dust MXG MJC (Zoom), a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel handled by Anthony Rotelle of Estell Manor, NJ
• 12" - MACH5 PACH2 Tear Em Up Tammy Trinity MXS2 MJG2 MXP8 MXPG MJP11 MJPC PAX2 MFG TQX MFP (Tammy), a Miniature Schnauzer handled by April Johnson-Mozzetti of Dade City, FL
• 16" - MACH16 Hob Nob Mystic Flame MXS4 PDG MJG4 PJG MXF TQX T2B5 (Mysti), a Border Collie handled by Jim Turner of Binghamton, NY
• 20" - MACH7 Bak In Blak's Man In Motion MXG2 PAD MJC2 PJD MFS TQX T2B3 (Decoy), a Labrador Retriever handled by Lori Hebert of Roanoke, TX
• 24" - MACH4 Pm's Grayquest Wild Blue Yonder CD JH MXS2 PAD MJS2 PJS MFB TQX T2B4 (Jif), a Weimaraner handled by Lori Barbee of Huntington Beach, CA

The junior results:

AKC Juniors Obedience/Rally Classic 

Juniors who participated in the AKC Juniors Classic competed in Obedience and/or AKC Rally^®.  In Obedience, Juniors competed in the Beginner Novice, Preferred Novice and Preferred Open classes twice, based on their AKC obedience accomplishments. In AKC Rally^®, Juniors competed in Rally Novice, Rally Intermediate, Rally Advanced or Rally Excellent, based on the dog's AKC Rally^® accomplishments. 

The following awards were presented for the Highest Combined Scores from two rounds of obedience with two Rally classes, plus bonus points.

High Combined

• Beginner Novice plus Rally: Burlynne Mejeris, and Soundtrack's Cooler Nights (Cooler), an Australian Shepherd of Florida.
• Preferred Novice plus Rally: Cassandra Didelot, and Ruby Red Didelot BN RN (Ruby), a Labrador Retriever of South Carolina.
• Preferred Open plus Rally: Abigail Stark, and Drumlin's Fuji Made for Pictures CDX BN GN RE (Fuji), a Shetland Sheepdog of Wisconsin.

Top Combined Obedience & Rally Junior Award
Based on the Highest Single Score from Obedience and Rally plus bonus points.

• Abigail Stark, and Drumlin's Fuji Made for Pictures CDX BN GN RE (Fuji), a Shetland Sheepdog of Wisconsin.

AKC Juniors Agility Competition 
Juniors who participated in the AKC Juniors Agility Competition competed in either the Junior Excellent or Superior Classes, depending on whether they had achieved an agility title.

Placing first in their height division (8", 12", 16", 20" and 24" respectively) in the Junior Excellent class were:

• 8"- CH MACH2 Amoure Beau's In The Quiet Woods MXS MJG MXP2 MJP2 (Fern), a Papillon handled by Danielle Wagner
• 12"- MACH2 Blue Shadow On The Lake MXS MJS NF CGC TKP (Shadow), a Shetland Sheepdog handled by Morgan Vance
• 16"- MACH2 Wyndspell Fireworks UD RAE2 MXS MJS MXF T2B TKA (Spark), a Border Collie handled by Avery Adams
• 20"- Bandit CDX RE AX AXJ OF (Bandit), a Border Collie handled by Ryan Klamm
• 24"- Winthrop Savvy AX AXJ XF (Savvy), a Border Collie handled by Andrew Clark

Placing first in their height division (8", 12", 16", 20" and 24" respectively) in the Junior Superior class were:

• 8"- MACH8 Razi MXC2 MJB3 MFS TQX T2B SWN CGCA (Razi), a Russell Terrier handled by Briana Sterling
• 12"- MACH7 Rhapsody's Enchanting Monster MXG2 MJG2 (Sulley), a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel handled by Carly Kreiser
• 16"- Liberty Hill Emit A Spark RN OA OAJ CGC TKI (Flint), a Border Collie handled by Ryan Ford
• 20"- MACH Orionwildthing CDX MXS MJS XF T2B2 (Harley), a Border Collie handled by Faith Beauchemin
• 24"- Bentlee Sawhney CD BN RE NAP NJP NFP CGC TKN (Bentlee), a Golden Retriever handled by Jada Sawhney

North America Diving Dogs/AKC National Championship.
A record entry of more than 690 dogs entered the NADD/AKC National Championship.

The Championship winners include:

• Open Class Elite Division: Sounders, a Whippet owned by Laurel Behnke (Score: 33')
• Open Class Master Division: Duke, a Belgian Malinois owned by Michelle Filler (Score: 24'6)
• Open Class Senior Division: Zoey, an English Springer Spaniel owned by Edward Johnston (Score: 20'3)
• Open Class Junior Division: Milo, a Flat-Coated Retriever owned by Sherin Denny-Jenkins (Score: 15'9)
• Open Class Novice Division: Bentley, a Golden Retriever owned by Michele Ann Novak (Score: 11'2)

• Veteran Class Elite Division: Storie, a Labrador Retriever owned by JD McKnight (Score: 27'6)
• Veteran Class Master Division: Lexie, a All-American Dog owned by Janice Costa (Score: 23'6)
• Veteran Class Senior Division: Tara, a Labrador Retriever owned by Rhonda Taylor (Score: 20'2)
• Veteran Class Junior Division: Lindy, a Labrador Retriever owned by Dolly Mueller (Score: 14'10)
• Veteran Class Novice Division: Nala, a All-American Dog owned by Karleen Brown (Score: 9'6)

• Lap Class Elite Division: Grudge, an All-American Dog owned by Barbara Mahony (Score: 22'6)
• Lap Class Master Division: Mabel, an All-American Dog owned by Tory Waxman (Score: 16'9)
• Lap Class Senior Division: Bandit, a Rat Terrier owned by Rochelle Fugate (Score: 12')
• Lap Class Junior Division: Olive, an All-American Dog owned by Alysha Riel (Score: 8'3)
• Lap Class Novice Division: Dudley, a Russell Terrier owned by Kelly Cooper (Score: 4'9)

• Air Retrieve Open Class Elite Division: Spitfire, a Whippet owned by Sydney Mackey (Score: 26')
• Air Retrieve Open Class Master Division: Siri, a Belgian Malinois owned by William Bilzing (Score: 22')
• Air Retrieve Open Class Senior Division: Okey, a German Shepherd Dog owned by Tammy Elza (Score: 18')
• Air Retrieve Open Class Junior Division: Sheldon, a Labrador Retriever owned by Raena Latina (14')
• Air Retrieve Open Class Novice Division: Storm, a Border Collie owned by Jessica Edgerly (12')

• Air Retrieve Lap Class Elite Division: Grudge, an All-American Dog owned by Barbara Mahony (Score: 15')
• Air retrieve Lap Class Master Division: Rufus, a Jagdterrier owned by William Burns (Score: 13')
• Air Retrieve Lap Class Senior Division: Cash, a Parson Russell Terrier owned by Bri Benton (Score: 11')
• Air Retrieve Lap Class Junior Division: Pip, a Smooth Fox Terrier owned by Bonnie Jane (Score: 9')
• Air Retrieve Lap Class Novice Division: Fizz, a Boston Terrier owned by Stacey Clear (Score: 6')
• Junior (under 17 yrs old) Handler: Duke, a Belgian Malinois owned by Zak Filler

AKC Breeder of the Year
Kent Boyles and Liz Oster were presented with the 2018 AKC Breeder of the Year Award for Kenlyn/Marquis German Shepherd Dogs at the AKC National Championship on Saturday, December 15, 2018.  The annual award honors breeders who have made an impact on their breed and dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs.

AKC Meet the Breeds^®
The Keeshond booth won AKC Meet the Breeds^® Best Booth in Show.

Click here to download images from the AKC National Championship.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function.  Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog.  For more information, visit www.akc.org.

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ABOUT ROYAL CANIN USA
Royal Canin USA is a leader in science-based cat and dog health nutrition. Founded by a veterinarian in 1968, Royal Canin has more than 40 years of experience in delivering individualized nutritional solutions. In collaboration with an expert team of nutritionists, breeders and veterinarians from around the world, Royal Canin places cats and dogs at the central point of the innovation process. The Royal Canin product line offers a range of diets based on size, age, breed, lifestyle and therapeutic requirements. Royal Canin diets are available at veterinary hospitals and pet specialty stores nationwide. Royal Canin is a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. To learn more about Royal Canin, visit www.royalcanin.com and "LIKE" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/royalcanin.us.

SOURCE American Kennel Club