The sun shone brightly for a 5½-year-old female Belgian Sheepdog named “Soleil,” who won Best in Show at the 24th annual National Dog Show Presented by Purina, and was handled by Daniel Martin of Princeton, North Carolina.
Soleil (MBIS/MBISS GCHS CH Prairewind’s Sxongs Of Summer At La Neige) outperformed nearly 2,000 dogs to win, including both the No. 1 all-breed dog in the country and the top-winning Toy Group winner in history. The sheepdog, whose call name means “sun” in French, captured her seventh Best in Show, a record for the breed.
Soleil is the 15th consecutive Best in Show winner of the famous Thanksgiving Day televised dog show that is fed Purina® Pro Plan® dog food. The show, which follows the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC, is the most widely viewed dog show in America with nearly 20 million viewers. The National Dog Show is a holiday tradition for many families who love the excitement of the event and share the enthusiasm commentators of David Frei and John O’Hurley, who have co-hosted the show since it began in 2002.
This year’s Best in Show judge Charles L. Olvis of Lake Wales, Florida, a past owner of a Belgian Sheepdog, said after the show he chose Soleil because “she has dream breed type and moves beautifully. She has a gorgeous head and perfect tail set.”
“Soleil has a great temperament, and she loves to please us. She stands out with her attitude, and she loves the crowd,” says Martin, who, along with his wife, Amanda Giles, has handled the Belgian Sheepdog since December 2024. The couple knew little about the breed but were willing to learn after her owners asked them to campaign Soleil.
The No. 6 Herding dog and No. 1 all-systems Belgian Sheepdog, Soleil, handled by Martin, won Herding Group First at the 2025 Morris & Essex Kennel Club show. She was the first bitch of her breed to place at the Westminster Kennel Club show when she took Herding Group Fourth in 2025 with Giles handling.
Martin started showing dogs 13 years ago to help his mother with her new show dog, a Vizsla. He met Giles, a professional handler who introduced him to herding dogs. He handled the Herding Group winner of the 2024 National Dog Show, a Berger Picard named “Rupert” (GCHG Eclipse Ace In The Hole), the top-winning Picard of all time. The couple became smitten with Picards and now breed them under the Sporting Fields kennel prefix.
Bred by co-owner Nancy May of Towanda, Kansas, Soleil is also co-owned by Patricia Snow of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and Constance and Timothy Jasinski of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She was sired by GCHG Doerun’s Sxong Of Stratham out of an Italian-bred dam, CH Nala Dell’ Alta Via-G. Snow began in the breed nearly 45 years ago, and May and the Jasinskis have been in the breed nearly 20 years.
The beautiful Best in Show winner is fed Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula dog food.
Besides Soleil, the Herding Group winner, the National Dog Show Group winners are:
Reserve Best in Show and Hound Group Winner
“George,” a 3-year-old male American Foxhound, handled by Tristen Lawrence of Mechanicsville, Maryland, a third-generation dog fancier who has campaigned him since mid-2024.
George (MBIS/MBISS GCHG CH Lost Heritage Time Bandit At Kiarry) returned to the National Dog Show where he took second in the Hound Group in 2024 and earned his career 11th Best in Show win. He is the No. 7 Hound and No. 1 American Foxhound all systems.
An early bloomer, George captured his first Best in Show at 14 months of age at the Cherokee Rose Cluster in Atlanta. In 2025, his wins took place at the Upper Potomac Valley Kennel Club in August and Old Dominion Kennel Club of Northern Virginia in November. The powerful male won Hound Group First at the 2025 Morris & Essex Kennel Club show.
Named after George Washington, the first U.S. president and passionate foxhound enthusiast credited with developing the American Foxhound, George’s pedigree robustly represents relatives from Lisa Miller’s famous Kiarry foxhound kennel in Mechanicsville, Maryland. A distant relative is Miller’s female, “Jewel” (GCHS Kiarry’s Pandora’s Box), the top-winning American Foxhound in breed history with 68 Best in Show wins and the No. 1 Hound in 2012 and 2013.
“George has magnificent movement and, combined with his breed type and power, naturally captures attention,” says Miller, adding that the foxhound runs a lot at home, contributing to his excellent fit condition.
Stephen Grossman and Kristen Lawless, both of Columbus, Kentucky, are George’s breeders. The male is owned by Ellen Charles of Washington, D.C., Robert Whitlow and Alaina Moutlon of Lutz, Florida, and Miller.
George is fed Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula dog food.
Terrier Group Winner
“Baby Joe,” a 3-year-old male salt-and-pepper Miniature Schnauzer, handled by Jorgé Olivera of San Marcos, California, who campaigned his dam, “Twink” (GCHP Carmel Sky High Wish Upon A Star), the top-winning Miniature Schnauzer in breed history until her son surpassed her record.
Baby Joe (MBIS/MBISS GCHP CH Carmel Mr. Joe Adamis CGC) is the No. 1 all-breed dog in the country, No. 1 Terrier and No. 1 all-systems Miniature Schnauzer. Baby Joe, whose campaign touts he is “Not Your Average Joe,” has lived up to his reputation. His Specials career took off in January 2025, and through mid-November, he tallied 84 Best in Show wins including two in 2024 with owner John Constantine-Amodei.
The Schnauzer’s success is tied to his “beautiful breed type, and he absolutely loves to show, which makes him a great show dog,” Olivera says.
Among his wins, Baby Joe won Best in Show at Woofstock’s Contra Costa County Kennel Club in June, Santa Barbara Kennel Club in August and the Columbiana County Kennel Club in August at Canfield, Ohio. He won the American Miniature Schnauzer Club National Specialty in 2025 and the Roving Specialty in 2024 and 2025.
The gorgeous male was bred by the late Carma Ewer of Salt Lake City, Utah, Marilyn Lande of Mesa, Arizona, Marilyn Jacobs of San Franciso, California, Silvia G. Soos-Kazel of Syracuse, New York, and Susan Coulter of Syracuse, New York. He is co-owned by Lande, Jacobs, and John and Lloyd Constantine-Amodei of Sarasota, Florida.
Baby Joe is fed Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula dog food.
Non-Sporting Group Winner
“Neal,” a 51/2-year-old male Bichon Frise, handled by Lisa Bettis of Goshen, Indiana.
Neal (MBIS/MBISS GCHG CH Top Speed Neal) is the No. 13 all-breed dog in the country, No. 2 Non-Sporting dog and No. 1 all-systems Bichon Frise. With 18 career Best in Show wins, Neal’s 2025 wins include at the Kenilworth Kennel Club of Connecticut in July and back-to-back wins at the Catonsville Kennel Club and National Capital Kennel Club in October at West Friendship, Maryland. The spunky male won the Non-Sporting Group at the 2025 Westminster Kennel Club.
Bettis, who has shown the breed since 1985, fell in love with Neal at the 2023 AKC National Championship and persuaded owner Fan Yang of China to let her campaign him in this country. “Neal is the best Bichon I’ve ever shown,” she says. “He is an amazing mover because he is so good on his legs, and he has excellent breed type.”
Neal was already a champion and Best in Show winner in China, his native country, and Korea when he began his Specials career in the U.S. in January 2024. He won the Non-Sporting Group at the AKC National Championship in 2024 and the Bichon Frise Club of America National Specialty in 2024 and 2025.
Neal was bred by Cuibin Xie of China, and is co-owned by Ellen Charles of Washington, D.C., Fan Yang of China, Nancy Brown of Plano, Texas, and Glen Lajeski of Cloverdale, California.
Neal is fed Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula dog food.
Toy Group Winner
“Comet,” a 5-year-old gold-and-white male Shih Tzu, handled by his breeder and owner Luke Ehricht of Monclova, Ohio.
Comet (MBIS/MBISS GCHP2 CH Hallmark Jolei Out Of This World) is the top-winning Toy dog in history with 143 Bests in Show wins, a record that was set in August at the Steel Valley Cluster in Canfield, Ohio. A two-time Westminster Toy Group winner who won in 2024 and 2025, Comet won Best in Show at the 2023 AKC National Championship as a 3-year-old.
“Comet has lived up to his name, ‘He’s Out of This World,’” Ehricht says. “We are so proud of him.”
Comet was the No. 1 all-breed dog in the country in 2023. Shown sparingly in 2024 and 2025, he attained all-breed rankings of No. 3 and No. 5, respectively. The No. 1 Toy dog in 2023 and 2024, Comet has been the No. 1 all-systems Shih Tzu since 2022 and is the winner of five American Shih Tzu Club National Specialties. In 2025, he has earned 44 Best in Show wins.
The regal male represents the sixth generation of No. 1 Shih Tzu bred by Hallmark Jolei breeders Luke and Diane Ehricht. His grandsire, great-great-grandsire and his great-great-great grandsire have a combined total of 353 Best in Show wins.
Comet is fed Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Oat Meal Formula dog food.
Sporting Group Winner
“Tyler,” a 7½-year-old orange belton male English Setter, handled by his breeder and co-owner, Lindsey Cook of Pemberville, Ohio.
Tyler (MBIS/MBISS GCHG CH Kaska’s Meant To Be CGC TKN) began his Specials campaign with Cook in February 2024 and since then, has been awarded Best in Specialty Show 28 times. He is the No. 1 English Setter in breed rankings and No. 2 in all-breed. At the 2025 Morris & Essex Kennel Club show, Tyler placed fourth in the Sporting Group.
Cook, who has bred and shown English Setters for nearly 20 years says, “Tyler has beautiful breed type, and his movement is excellent. He is living up to his name, ‘Meant to Be.’”
The gorgeous setter was bred by Lindsey Cook, Mary Coldiron, and the late Lee Gancer of Cedarburg, Wisconsin. He is owned by Donnah Brnger of Canton, Georgia, and Cook.
Tyler is fed Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance 30/20 Salmon & Rice Formula dog food.
Working Group Winner
“Dino,” a 5½-year-old male Giant Schnauzer, handled by Esteban Farias of Pittsboro, North Carolina.
Dino (MBIS/MBISS GCHG CH SpiceRacks Not Gonna Letem Catch The Midnite Rider RI CGCA CGCU TKN ATT) is the No. 1 all-breed Giant Schnauzer and No. 2 in breed. In 2025, Dino has won more than 20 Working Group Firsts. He won the Giant Schnauzer Club of America National Specialty this year, as well as the breed at the Morris & Essex Kennel Club show. Farias has campaigned Dino for four years and handled the statuesque schnauzer to three career Best in Show wins.
The powerful male was bred by Robin Henderson of Ocala, Florida, a second-generation Giant Schnauzer dog fancier who has been involved with the breed since 1972, and Marcia Adler of Delray Beach, Florida. Henderson co-owns Dino with Joy Carr of Miami, Florida.
“Dino has great breed type and the correct harsh coat. He is balanced in his angles, which translates to his correct movement,” Henderson says.
Dino was sired by “Ty” (GCHG Ingebar’s Tynan Dances With Wildflowers), the No. 1 all-breed dog in the country in 2017 who achieved 87 career Best in Show wins and twice won the Giant Schnauzer National Specialty. Ty is also the sire of the 2025 Westminster Best in Show winner, “Monty” (GCHG Heartmore’s Wintergreen Mountain).
Dino is fed Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance 30/20 Beef & Bison Formula dog food.
Congratulations to these Pro Plan-fed 2025 National Dog Show winners!
