On June 10, 2026, the Kangal Dog Club of America held its 2026 National Specialty in Kalamazoo, Michigan, under judge Gregory Wessel, in conjunction with the UKC Premier.

We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who volunteered, supported, and attended the event. The specialty drew a total of 10 entries, including two in Junior Showmanship.

Winners:

• Best in Specialty Show (BISS) – BLK Appa (19-month-old female), owned by Dennis Vega and bred by Chasity Corriveau.

• Reserve Best in Specialty Show (RBISS) – CH Turkmen Tasi's Nuri (16-month-old female), owned by Leah Berecz and bred by Tamara Taylor.

• Best Veteran in Specialty Show – UKC, Intl Ch Pr EMCC Lexington Bell @ Sunburst, owned by Karen Gray and bred by Elisabeth Jensen.

• Altered Best in Specialty Show – UKC, Intl Ch Pr EMCC Lexington Bell @ Sunburst, owned by Karen Gray and bred by Elisabeth Jensen.

Junior Showmanship Winners:

• Best Junior Handler – Levi Berecz (8 - 13 year class)

• Reserve Best Junior Handler – Anaiah Berecz (4 - 6 year class)

Special thanks to Rachel Prince for her tireless efforts and ensuring every winner received a beautiful rosette to commemorate their achievement. We also gratefully acknowledge the Kangal Dog Club of America and Babette Turk for donating a stunning Turkish Kangal Dog Collar for Best in Specialty Show; Janet Vorwald Dohner’s book Animal Predators for Reserve Best in Specialty Show; and her Farm Dogs book for Best of Winners.

The excitement continued throughout the weekend at the UKC Premier, where Appa and Nuri remained dominant. Appa earned Best of Breed twice more, while Nuri took Best of Breed once.

The following week in Connecticut, both dogs kept up their impressive performances. Nuri won Best of Breed once and earned a Group 4 placement. Appa secured Best of Breed three times, two Group 1 placements, and capped off an outstanding run by winning Best in Show (BIS) completing her UKC Championship title in just two weeks.

Congratulations to all the winners, owners, breeders, and handlers! We look forward to celebrating even more Kangal excellence at our next National Specialty.

Dennis Vega

Show Chairman

Leah Berecz

Show Secretary

2026 National Specialty