The 2026 Barbet Club of America National:
Saturday November 14th, 2026

Judges

WAYNE CAVANAUGH - 2026 BCA National Specialty Judge

Wayne Cavanaugh is a third-generation dog fancier. His grandfather, John Cavanaugh, bred Kerry Blue Terriers. Along with his father, Raymond Cavanaugh, Wayne bred English Setters and Beagles. Wayne and his wife Cheryl bred and exhibited top winning and top producing Pointers. He finished his first beagle as a young child, competed in Juniors with English Setters, won his first Pointer National in 1980 and owned the Top Producing Pointer and Sporting Dam of the Year in 2001. He has also owned English Toy Spaniels, an Irish Wolfhound, Clumber Spaniel, American English Coonhound, and Border Terrier. Wayne has judged sporting and hound breeds in the USA, Canada, Ireland, Japan, and Mexico. Assignments have included Westminster, the AKC Irish Setter, English Setter, and Gordon Setter National Specialties, and the AKC Pointer National. In addition to AKC events, he’s judged the Irish Kennel Club Saint Patrick’s show, the Irish Gundog Field and Show Society show, UKC’s 50 th Anniversary Autumn Oaks bench show, the largest in Coonhound history, and the Bryn Mawr Hound Show, the most prestigious foxhound event in America which has been held at the Radnor Hunt Club since 1914.

Wayne served as a Vice President of the American Kennel Club and President of the United Kennel Club. He was a Charter Board Member of the AKC Canine Health Foundation and presented for the AKC at the World Congress of Kennel Clubs in Bermuda and Ireland. For more than 35 years, he appeared as a television commentator in the USA and England at major dog events including Crufts for the BBC and the Animal Planet National Dog Championship television series. He wrote and consulted for several dog-related television series, including Animal Planet’s Breed All About It. Wayne currently writes a monthly column, and hosts a podcast, for The Canine Chronicle. He and his wife Cheryl live in Michigan with a beagle and an English Toy Spaniel. Their son, Brody, represents the fourth generation of Cavanaughs with his Onsage Pointers.

Juniors Judge: Daniel Fabelo

My name is Daniel Fabelo, I have been showing dogs in the AKC for over 20 years. I got my start in showing because my father shows, and introduced me to showing. I began showing in Junior Showmanship and competed until I aged out. Some of my accomplishments were being a top English Setter Junior Handler, a top overall Junior Handler and qualified a number of times for both the Westminster Dog Show and Royal Canine Dog Show as well as making the finals at Royal Canine back when it was still sponsored by Eukanuba. Since getting involved in this sport, I have not only continued showing, but have become a breeder as well. On top of my breeding accomplishments of breeding champion English setters and dachshunds, I have continued to handle dogs all as an owner-handler. I have owned and handled breeds from all seven groups.

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