Event Recap
What a fantastic way to kick off the new year! The Doberman Pinscher Club of Southern California would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our exhibitors, judges, volunteers, sponsors, and spectators who helped make our 2026 Palm Springs Specialties such a success.
Despite the early start and desert conditions, the Empire Polo Fields once again proved to be a beautiful venue for our back-to-back Friday specialties, Puppy Sweepstakes, and Owner-Handled competition. We were thrilled with the quality of dogs entered, the strong participation across classes, and the overall sportsmanship throughout the day. Our judges did an outstanding job, and we sincerely appreciate the care and consideration they brought to their assignments.
The excitement carried through the entire KCPS weekend, culminating in a special moment for the Doberman community when “Penny,” the black Doberman specials bitch handled by Andy Linton (both of whom competed in our Friday specialties) went on to win Best in Show at the Kennel Club of Palm Springs all-breed show on Sunday. It was a proud and memorable highlight for our breed and a perfect capstone to the weekend. Check out this Canine Chronical interview from Friday lean more about Penny & Andy.
We also loved seeing the event shared across social media and are grateful to everyone who helped capture and spread the spirit of the weekend. Your photos, videos, and kind words truly reflect what makes this community so special.
Thank you again to everyone who supported the DPCSC Palm Springs Specialties. We’re already looking forward to continuing this growing desert tradition and hope to see you all back again next year!
The shadow boxes were once again, a big hit.
Shout-outs to our owner-handlers!
Club member Marla Riviera’s red boy took best puppy!
And, here’s an album of photos I took on Friday. Feel free to download and use them wherever you like.
Lastly, here’s the results
It’s time to kick off the new year in true desert style! The Doberman Pinscher Club of Southern California is thrilled to once again host back-to-back Doberman Pinscher Specialty Shows in conjunction with the Kennel Club of Palm Springs weekend – returning for a second year at the beautiful Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California.
Friday, January 2, 2026
Empire Equestrian Park & Polo Field – Indio, CA
Our specialties will be held Friday only, featuring AM & PM shows, both outdoors, and alongside the opening day of the KCPS all-breed cluster. This makes it the perfect way to start a five-show weekend in Palm Springs!
Highlights
- Back-to-Back Specialty Shows (AM & PM)
- Puppy Sweepstakes
- AKC National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS) – both shows
- Fantastic raffles, trophies, and club awards
- A relaxed desert atmosphere with top-quality competition
We’ve been planning this event for months and can’t wait to welcome exhibitors, breeders, owner-handlers, and Doberman enthusiasts for another memorable Palm Springs specialty.
Judges
Friday, January 2, 2026
AM Specialty Show
- Regular & Non-Regular Classes: Joseph Smith (Hemet, CA)
- Puppy Sweepstakes: Maria Arechaederra (Silverado, CA)
PM Specialty Show
- Regular & Non-Regular Classes: Brad Dunn (West Boylston, MA)
Entry
- Entries Open: Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at Noon PT
- Entries Close: Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at Noon PT
(or when the 100-dog entry limit per show is reached)
Entries are handled by DogZibit, and online entry is encouraged.
Whether you’re coming for one show or staying for the whole KCPS weekend, we hope you’ll join us to help continue this growing Palm Springs Doberman tradition. Great dogs, great people, and a great way to start 2026 – we’ll see you in the desert!
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