Judges
Intersex - Joe Deleo
Joe DeleoI am incredibly honored to have been selected to judge Best of Breed at the 2026 Samoyed Club of America Nationals. Judging this prestigious event is something I will cherish for the rest of my career in the dog world, and I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the voters for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
I’ve been involved with Samoyeds since 1995, breeding and exhibiting under the Celtic Frost prefix. My love for the breed started in the late 1970s when I took care of my sister’s Samoyed, and it left a lasting impression on me. Since then, my wife Lesley and I have experienced some of our greatest achievements in the dog world, particularly with the Samoyeds we’ve bred and handled.
One of the most significant milestones came in 2000, when our foundation bitch won the Grand Futurity at the Samoyed Club of America (SCA) Nationals in Frederick, Maryland. In 2014, our boy Tucker made history by becoming the first Canadian Samoyed to win the SCA National in Des Moines, IA, breeder-owner-handled. His granddaughter followed suit, winning the 2018 SCA Nationals in Grey Summit, MO, again as a breeder-owner-handler. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to produce multi Best in Show, Best in Specialty Show, Best Puppy in Show, Best Puppy in Specialty Show, and Group-winning dogs across both Canada and the United States.
My involvement in the Samoyed community goes beyond breeding and showing. I’ve served as a director for the Samoyed Association of Canada, President of the Northwestern Ontario Working Dog Association, and Director for the Samoyed Club of Ontario. I’m also a member of the North Shore Dog Club, the Canadian Dog Judges Association (CDJA) and currently serve on the Judges Education Committee for the Samoyed Club of America. More recently, I’ve had the privilege of teaching both beginner and advanced handling seminars at our US Nationals.
In addition to my work with dogs, I’m a Master Electrician and owner of a family business in Thunder Bay, Ontario. In 2019, I took the leap into dog judging, obtaining my Working & Herding Group status, and I’m currently on permit for half of the breeds in the Sporting Group. I’ve had the privilege of judging across Canada and the US over the past six years and look forward to many more years to come.
Bitches-Janet Cherne
Dogs-Tamiko Lynch
Puppy & Veteran Sweeps-Pat Griffin
Working Sweeps-Donna Dannen
Donna Dannen first saw Samoyeds in a sled team as they glided across the open meadows of Jackson Hole, WY, taking their owner to a job at the Jackson Hole Ski resort. It was this team that first attracted Donna to the breed. After searching for a working line of Samoyeds, Donna’s first male Samoyed introduced her to working dog events available at the time. That dog became a Colorado State Champion in his weight category when weight pulls were held after sled dog races in Colorado. Ch. Wind River’s Talkeetna Karibou, CD, WSXM, ROMP, (bred by Lucinda Johnson) was also the first Master Working Samoyed. Of course, it was a sled dog team Donna wanted. That dream was eventually fulfilled. Donna showed and bred Group-placing champions who were members of SCA and OWS top sled teams while accumulating multiple Master Working Samoyed and Working Samoyed Excellent titles. Along with producing Samoyeds doing the work of the original breed, Donna is fascinated with the Samoyed’s versatility and history and was an original member of the SCA Working Samoyed Committee that produced the breed’s working title program. Currently, she is on the Board of the Denver Samoyed Association and recording Secretary of the Rex of White Way Memorial Library. Here Donna is pictured at Loveland Pass, CO with her current WSX Grand Champions.
Futurity - Deanna Salter
Juniors
Adam P. ConnJudge Adam P Conn is deeply honored to be selected as the Junior Showmanship judge for your National Specialty. While raised by the family mutt, he became involved with Bernese Mountain Dogs when Panda joined the household in the mid 1990s. He became a Junior Showmanship judge in 2013, and has judged multiple breed sweepstakes as well.
In addition to showing his Bernese Mountain Dogs to numerous titles in conformation, draft, agility, herding, obedience, and rally, he has earned the Outstanding Service Award from the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America and the Outstanding Sportsmanship Award from Greater Lowell Kennel Club. He has served on the boards of multiple regional breed clubs, town committees, an all-breed club, and a responsible dog ownership group. Additionally, his dogs have appeared in multiple calendars, featured in an episode of Dogs 101, and presented draft at the very first AKC Meet the Breeds in 2009.
He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland College Park, and has been on leave from a doctoral program for 30 years. When not at dog shows, he can be found at various local community theaters in various capacities.
He currently lives in MetroWest Boston with his wife (who grew up with a Samoyed named Tundra) and his Bernese Mountain Dog, Galaxy.