The key to capturing a Best In Show award is a simple and self-referential adage.
And it also describes what Soleil, a black Belgian Sheepdog, did with stunning grace, perfection and poise to win the 2025 National Dog Show.
“I’ve got an old-time dog show judge that I always quote who said, ‘It’s a dog show, and you’ve got to show!’ ” said National Dog Show co-host David Frei, who was working his 51st major dog event broadcast as an expert analyst. “And that’s what Soleil did. She was looking around confidently. She owned the ground she stood over. She moved beautifully at totally the right speed as presented by the handler, and that helps make it all happen.
“Not that the other dogs weren’t on, but she, in particular, was on.”
Being “on” was mentioned multiple times as the reason Soleil was named Best In Show during the Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s National Dog Show at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.
“Today, that dog was on,” judge Charlie Olvis said about his choice for overall winner of the prestigious event’s 24th edition. “Didn’t put its foot down wrong. Didn’t miss a beat. And it is in drop-dead gorgeous condition.”
“On” also was the descriptor used by Daniel Martin, Soleil’s handler from Princeton, North Carolina. “Soleil loves the energy, and she feels it,” Martin said. “That’s her magic. She’ll do whatever we ask of her. She’s a winner.”
With the AKC National Championship and Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show looming, there could be more big wins ahead for Soleil, who is co-owned by Connie Jasinski of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Pat Snow of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and Nancy Maye of Towanda, Kansas.
The Belgian Sheepdog defeated one of the most formidable collection of group winners in National Dog Show history. Every dog who advanced to the Round of Seven final was ranked No. 1 in their breed nationally.
“We always have nice lineups, but it doesn’t always end up that they’re the No. 1 dog of their breed,” Frei said. “ Because sometimes not all of the Nos. 1 in their breeds are entered at our show. And for that to happen to us and have them all in the final, it goes unsaid that it makes for a nice lineup.
“You have seven group winners there that are all great specimens of their breed. Something else has got to make the difference, and that usually is something like showmanship, charisma, attitude or personality. What I really love is to see a female do that well in a field that’s usually dominated by the males. And that’s what makes it so well-deserving for her.”
Though Soleil was a past Best in Show winner as a breed that Frei said is “just starting to hit its prime,” the Belgian Sheepdog’s achievements were dwarfed by some of its accomplished opposition.
Comet, a Shih Tzu who won the Toy Group, has 143 Best In Show titles and two group wins at Westminster. Neal, a Bichon Frise who won the Non-Sporting Group, has 42 Best In Show awards and a Westminster group win. Baby Joe, a Miniature Schnauzer who won the Terrier Group, is the top-ranked all-breed dog in the United States.
“There were three dogs that have been around longer and have more (wins) in their records than the Belgian Sheepdog does, but Soleil looked very much a part of what was going on,” said Frei, who co-hosted the broadcast with John O’Hurley. “It wasn’t out of place at all. It’s out there with a dog that has 143 Best In Shows, and it looks right at home. It fit right in.”
Frei, a successful breeder and handler who also has judged internationally, said Soleil’s win wouldn’t necessarily be classified an upset because the subjectivity of dog shows adds an appealing layer of unpredictability.
“(The best dogs) can’t win every day,” he said. “The sport would die if the same dog won every day. We leave that up to a person that is going to be different from day to day. I know that if I’m showing my dog, and today’s judge dumped my dog, tomorrow’s judge might like my dog, so I’m going to show it well. So that’s what kind of keeps the sport alive is that judging subjectivity. I know that just because this judge didn’t like my dog, it doesn’t mean my dog isn’t going to win under another judge.
“Tyrese Maxey from the 76ers isn’t going to score 50 points every time like he did the other night. It’s the same with dogs. They were going to have good days and bad days. No dog will be perfect every time out.”
Yet this time, Soleil delivered a virtually flawless performance, and her handler said her attitude and movement made the difference.
“She’s the professional out of all of this,” Martin told National Dog Shows sideline and feature reporter Mary Carillo. “She loves to do it. She loves the crowd. She loves this big arena.”
• **Best in Show** Herding Group winner: Soleil the Belgian Sheepdog
• *Reserve Best in Show* Hound Group winner: George the American Foxhound
• Non-Sporting Group winner: Neal the Bichon Frise
• Working Group winner: Dino the Giant Schnauzer
• Terrier Group winner: Baby Joe the Miniature Schnauzer
• Toy Group winner: Comet the Shih Tzu
• Sporting Group winner: Tyler the English Setter
There were 1,994 competitors across 201 breeds, marking the largest entry list at the National Dog Show since 2019 and the second time (and second year in a row) with more than 200 breeds judged across 13 rings at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. The Golden Retriever was tops with 46 entries.
Frei believes the event will draw more than 2,000 entries next year. “I think we’re trending that way,” he said. “We’ve gotten more each year since the pandemic years. And I think 200 is a good number of breeds. That doesn’t happen in very many dog shows.”
Related: Every Breed at the 2025 National Dog Show
The National Dog Show was televised on NBC after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the 24th consecutive year (and also streamed on Peacock).
“People see us on TV and know they’ve got a chance to be on television if they win,” Frei said. “There are a lot of breeds that maybe don’t go to a lot of dog shows. We had 10 or 12 breeds that had only one dog entered. If that’s the case, you know that unless you fall down in your judging, you’re going to get on TV because you’re the only one of your breed there. And because we’re a national show seen by 25 million people, the competitors show up from all over the country and the world. So I think that’s a tribute to our excellence of being a great dog show.
“People know that every dog show person in the country is watching our dog show. Of the 25 million people watching, 99% of them have never been to a dog show and may never go to a dog show, but that other 1% of 25 million is a lot of people, and there’s a lot of dog show judges in that percentage that are going to see a dog on TV and say, ‘Oh, that’s a beautiful dog, I’ll be watching for it.’ ”
In 2024, Toy Group winner Vito, a Pug, beat 1,941 dogs representing 205 breeds. Verde, a Welsh Terrier, won Reserve Best in Show after winning the Terrier Group.
Since the inception of the National Dog Show in 2002, two breeds have won Best in Show twice, both in consecutive years. A Wire Fox Terrier finished first overall in 2011-12. In 2020-21, Claire, a Scottish Deerhound, made history by winning Best in Show and the National Dog Show twice, becoming the first dog ever to do so.
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