AWC 2026 National Specialty
National Specialty Conformation Judge: Mary Dukes

Mary Dukes has been involved in purebred dogs for nearly 50 years, initially as a breeder and then as a professional handler. She was then an Executive Field Rep for the American Kennel Club for 18 years and is now retired and is currently an AKC judge.

As a breeder, Mary bred Whippets under the “Delacreme” prefix and bred over 50 champions including 5 all-breed Best In Show winners and 2 National specialty winners. She also was the breeder/owner/handler of the multiple specialty winner Ch. Delacreme de la Renta, ROMX who is one of the top sires in the history of the breed, siring over 115 champions to date.

As a professional handler, she showed primarily the Sighthound breeds and Italian Greyhounds, but also a smattering of breeds in other groups and has handled various dogs to over 30 Best In Show wins and has won groups with dogs in all 7 groups.

Mary has been retired from the AKC since December 2023 and is currently an approved AKC judge and judges all hound breeds as well as breeds in the Sporting, Non-Sporting and Toy groups.

Futurity/Maturity: Kimberly Pritchard

My first experience in purebred dogs began when I was 8 with an English Setter. After that; an English Golden Retriever. Meanwhile my parents bought their first Whippet from Max Magner. It was then that my relationship with Whippets began.

I started showing Whippets for my Mum and to my surprise fell in love with the breed. She had a couple of beautiful Whippets incorporating Terry Taft and Allan Pepper’s dogs into her breeding program. This was my introduction to breeding Whippets.

Terry Taft became a great friend to both my Mum and myself. As well as one of my greatest mentors. In 1990, my Mum and I bought a beautiful bitch from David Gibbins. Am. Can. Ch. Shilo’s Cariad. My Mum and I became good friends with David and we remain friends today.

Sadly, my Mum died in 1995, giving me the Whippets along with her kennel name “Cariad”. Cariad, a Welsh name where my Father is from, means “loved” or “dear one”. And there I was on my own. But I was happy to be surrounded by Whippets.

Even now, I continue to learn from wonderful people in this breed. One of my favorite things to do is gather with breeder friends and talk Whippets after ring time.

I have been breeding Whippets for 35 years and have proudly bred some beautiful dogs that have done well in the show ring and my breeding programs. I am thankful to say I have bred and handled Specialty winners and 2 Top 20 winners.

I am honored and grateful to have been chosen to judge the 2026 Futurity. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for this opportunity.

Veteran Sweepstakes: Sue Vernon

I have been involved in purebred dogs since childhood. I have been a breeder/owner/handler of Summit Whippets since 1989 having bred and finished over 220 champions. I have been a member of the American Whippet Club for the past 30 years.  In my professional life I was a Nurse Practitioner at Loma Linda University Medical Center for 30 years. I am no longer working and have more time to devote to the world of dogs.

I am the show chairperson for the American Whippet Club (AWC) Western Regional specialty. In 2020 we held a successful independent specialty in which we safely hosted an entry of over 100 Whippets. It was the only post COVID Whippet Specialty in California that year. I serve on the AWC Top 20 executive committee. I have served one term on the board (currently) and really enjoy working with my fellow board members. I am also the chairperson for the newly formed Breeders Education committee. I am also on the Judges Education committee. I have also served in various other categories for our parent club. I am a member of our regional Whippet club, the Southern California Whippet Assn. I am on their board and have served on the judge’s selection committee, as assistant specialty show chair and also as trophy chairperson for multiple events.

Non-Regular Multiple Entry Classes (Stud Dog, Brood Bitch, Brace, Team): Gail Boyd

I’ve been involved with the sport of purebred dogs for 50+ years. My original breed was Gordon Setters and over the years I’ve owned and bred Dachshunds, Dobermans, French Bulldogs, and American Cocker Spaniels. We purchased our first Whippet in 1994 from Kachina/Anndra Whippets, Connie Alexander and Anne Taylor, mainly for a Juniors dog for our daughter, Jenny. A year later our second Whippet arrived, this one intended for the show ring. Whippets soon took over our lives and my Gordon Setters took a back seat. We’ve never looked back! The versatility of the Whippet is paramount and we’ve made it our goal to make this our focus in our breeding program. Having owned a top producing sire and dam in Gordons and producing many champions, the challenge of selecting quality sires to compliment our Whippet girls with hopes of creating a successful breeding program in our new breed – Whippets – was a goal set early on. To date we have bred or co-bred 125+ champions, 25+ being AKC Dual Champions.

From our original two girl’s breedings we produced several champions, one being our first Dual Champion, ‘Bert’ – DC Ableaim Artisan, MC FC and our first Top 20 contender, ‘Emily’ – Ch Ableaim Dixie Chick SC. A few years later we were fortunate to purchase a lovely bitch from Tad Brooks of Meisterhaus Whippets, ‘Reese’ – Ch Meisterhaus Goldie Hawnd, SC ROMXX. Reese produced many champions, one being our ‘Patent’ – GCH DC Ableaim Patent Pending, SC ROMXX, himself a top producing sire.

It is an honor to judge the Stud Dog, Brood Bitch, and Extended Generation classes at this years National. For me evaluating our litters has always been a highlight of being a breeder. Evaluating Stud Dogs and Brood Bitches along with judging their get you’ve chosen to represent them will be both exciting and educational.

Junior Showmanship: Courtney Hynes-Robinson

My love for purebred dogs runs deep in my family. My grandmother began showing dogs in the 1960s and founded Rosmoor Shetland Sheepdogs, a tradition later carried on by my mother. Growing up in this legacy, I developed a strong foundation in responsible breeding, training, and the daily care and commitment it takes to raise happy, healthy dogs. At eight, I received my first Whippet, Abby, sparking a lifelong connection with the breed. I found my stride in Juniors and the breed ring, gaining a deep appreciation for the dedication behind successful presentation. For nearly a decade, I’ve been an active member of the American Whippet Club, focusing on junior mentoring and public education. I’ve learned the importance of preserving breed integrity while encouraging the next generation to pursue excellence with kindness and sportsmanship. I have also bred multiple litters under my family kennel name Rosmoor, producing Top 20 and group-winning Whippets. Today, I’m honored to serve as your Junior Showmanship judge. Best of luck to all the juniors—have fun and enjoy every moment with your dogs!

Altered Classes: Rhonda Gifford

I saw my first whippet in 1978 and decided it was the breed for me. I love the beauty, symmetry and wonderful temperament of these exceptional dogs. I have had many years of fun and success with my whippets along with an Afghan hound and several greyhounds. My husband, Dan, and I currently have 3 whippets. I show in conformation, both AKC and UKC, when time permits.

I have been an active member of the American Whippet Club since 1998. I have served the AWC in various capacities, as the Catalog Advertising Chair for the National Specialty for many years and as Show Chair for the 2005 and 2010 AWC National Specialties held in Arizona. It was my honor to serve as the Futurity Chair from 2013 until I retired from my position in 2024. I was a founding member of the Arizona Whippet Association in 2001 and have held several Board positions and am currently a member of the club.

It has been my great pleasure to judge many puppy and veteran sweepstakes over the years including for the Greater Chicago Whippet Club, the Cascade Whippet Club, the Arizona Whippet Association, The Northern California Whippet Fanciers Association, the National Whippet Club of Canada and the CWA National Fun Match. I was also asked to judge the Altered classes at the 2013 AWC National in Eugene, OR.

My sincere thanks to the 2026 American Whippet Club Specialty committee for inviting me to judge the Altered classes at the National. I am looking forward to watching and judging these beautiful whippets.

Triathlon and Versatility Conformation : Cydney Petit

Since getting my first Whippet from Ableaim in 2012, I’ve been impressed with the versatility of the breed. I’ve titled my own dogs in Conformation, Lure Coursing, Agility, Obedience, Rally, and Dock Diving, had multiple Top 20 qualifications, MBIF, BISS and RBIS, an AWC Obedience High in Trial, and campaigned my first bred-by as #1 AKC Coursing dog the same year she also qualified for the AWC Top 20. I’ve participated regularly in Triathlon and Versatility, with multiple Top 10 placements and two Triathlon wins and I’m the current AWC Award of Versatility chairperson. I know the amount of training and connection that goes into each team participating in these events and the adaptability of this breed is close to my heart. It’s easy to say that I love AWC Triathlon and Versatility and am honored to be a part of them this year.

Breeder Sweepstakes: Linda Buchholz

Whippets have been my passion for over 50 years.  I started as a Junior Handler in conformation and obedience with a neighbour’s dog.  Our foundation dogs were gifts from Of Course (Turpin) and Marial (Arthur).  Thus began a strong foundation of multi-purpose whippets.

Since 1975 with my husband, Steve, I have been fortunate to have bred/owned/handled multi-BIS, Specialty and National Specialty winners in the show ring.   We are best known for our solid red brindles, most notably would be “Gilly”  –  SBIS Am.Ch. MNSBIS MBIS MSBIS Can.Ch. Swiftsure Out of Africa (#1 Whippet in Canada, BIS winner, SBIS Can. National twice from Veterans class, multiple group and specialty winner in the US).   We have continued that tradition of top Specialty winning brindles thru several generations to our double Gilly descendant, “Gator” – MSBIS NSBIS Am Can GChB Surrey Hill Mariner Smooth Hoperator TKN RATN ROM.  Performance events are of equal importance and we have been fortunate to have bred/owned multi-BIF winning field champions, race meet winning ARM and ARX champions and two CWA #1 Conformation winners.   We were founders of lure coursing and CWA racing in Canada, and are founding members of the National Whippet Club of Canada, Racing For Fun and the Lower Mainland Whippet Association.

No longer breeding, we are still actively hosting and participating in whippet events on both sides of the border. We enjoy retired life and our happiest times are spent enjoying our acreage or on the road in the RV with our two whippets.

I am thrilled and honored to be invited to judge this important event and look forward to seeing many beautiful, athletic Whippets.

CGC, CGCA, Trick Dog: Helen Sause

I started in dog sports when I acquired my first show dog in 2011, a Wirehaired Dachshund named Pippin. I quickly fell in love with the community I soon found myself surrounded by. Dipping my toes into conformation, juniors, rally, and agility classes. I found my love of tricks when I purchased my current whippet Freddie in 2018. His mischievous nature and short attention span needed a low stress behavior with a high pay off. Together we have set out to try any sport we have available to us. Throughout my professional career as a dog trainer, I have seen the partnership between my clients and their dogs strengthen when they can stop, take a breather, and do something fun with their dog. As well as being a CGC Evaluator, I am a certified dog trainer through the Karen Pryor Clicker Academy, and a Permitted AKC Juniors Judge.

Obedience (Regular, Optional Titling, Preferred): Donald Rennick

I began showing Rottweiler’s in the Conformation ring more than 40 years ago.  Shortly after earning a Conformation championship with my first show dog, I decided to take on a new and exciting challenge with Obedience training. It didn’t take long after beginning training with a few of my dogs, before I was hooked. I finished my first Utility Champion dog in 1991. Since then, I have continued to train and title many Rottweilers in the Performance and Conformation rings, along with Herding and Agility throughout the years.

My enjoyment of the Obedience ring in my earlier years led me to pursue Judging. I began Judging for AKC in 2001 and have loved every minute of it. I was honored in 2021 with an invitation to judge the Classics and in 2023 Judge the National Obedience Championship and in 2024 the National Rally Championship. I understand the work and dedication training dogs involves; not only from a personal perspective but also from the perspective of my fellow competitors.

Currently, in-between judging assignments, I am training my three dogs in Obedience and Rally. I have an 9year old GCH Rottweiler named “Hobo”, 10year old French bull dog named “Annie”, and an 2year old Rottweiler “Cello”. Hobo has his UD and has Rally Excellence title.  Annie is retired has CDX and has her Rally Excellence title. Cello is just getting stated in her showing.

In the past, I served as the AKC delegate for Washington State Obedience Training Club. I am currently involved with multiple Obedience and Conformation clubs in Washington State.

Rally: Chip Taylor

I began showing and training dogs more than 50 years ago when I got my first Weimaraner.  I was in the Air Force in Nebraska at the time and there was a new local Obedience club just starting up – the Bellevue Dog Obedience Club and I became hooked!  In the intervening years I have bred, raised, trained and shown Weimaraners in conformation, obedience, field trials, field tests, tracking and others.  When Agiilty first began with the American Kennel Club, I trained for that as well and had the first Weimaraner in the Pacific Northwest with Agility Titles.  Naturally, when Rally began in 2005, I trained for that as well!  I had found my true passion in dog sports.  Long time judge Sue Cox had been encouraging me to become and Obedience and Rally judge for many years and so in 2010, I became a Rally judge.    I can think of nothing more fun than to watch a handler and dog team working together in a Rally trial and having lots of fun doing it, no matter what the level.

I have also been a 4-H dog project leader for 50 years, helping youth to learn a wide variety of life skills by learning to care for and train their dogs.

Agility: Gillian Crawford

My name is Gillian Crawford. I have been involved in agility and obedience since 1988. I was one of the founding members of Rainier Agility Team, one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest agility clubs, serving many times as President, Officer, Board of Director(s) and Training Advisor(s). I have trained and competed with several breeds in my 35+ years of agility in the United States. Aslan, my first Samoyed was one of the original Sammies in the Country competing in agility (USDAA, NADAC and AKC). I have had the privilege of rescuing two dogs a Pomeranian MACH “Cowboy” the “Parti-Pom” and a Sheltie “Connor.” I have had the privilege of training and competing with 12 dogs in agility – my breeds … here we go – Pomeranian, Sheltie, Samoyeds (3 of them, yes 3 of them), 2 Golden Retrievers, and 3 border collies.

I have been judging AKC agility since 1997 and enjoy both my time as a competitor and the constant learning experience of an agility judge. I was selected to judge the AKC Nationals in 2003 in Long Beach, California, which was an incredible honor. When not working as a trainer at Run Wild Dog Sports and Training Center in Auburn, Washington, I pay my bills by working for a large law firm in downtown Seattle as a litigation specialist.

One of the things that I love about Agility is there is a place for all of us to have fun and compete with our pet(s) – whether it is to aspire for World Team, goals of achieving a MACH or winning your specific breed’s national” we all are embraced and supported in this sport!

AKC Lure Coursing, Mary Hermon

I am a life long Alaskan, born and raised in Palmer. Having gotten my first whippet in 2003, I got involved with ASFA lure coursing in 2005. I assisted in creating the Alaska Hound Group Association in 2006, and in 2008, AKC lure coursing became a primary interest and event. We hold 4 – 6 trials a year. I became a judge in 2012 and have been invited to several states to judge the coursing event, each of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve owned whippets, Ibizans, Cirnechi del’Etna and IGs, coursing them to some degree (those that wanted to run). Luring coursing is still a primary love of mine and I hope to continue far into the future.