Grand American Judges for 2020

Submitted by David McKee

November 6, 2019

Grand American is the first major event of the year, taking place in early January in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The dates for 2020 are January 2-4. View complete Grand American details.

Andi Emory

Andi will be judging the Friday show!

Andi and Keith have been married for five years and live in Lake Lure, NC. They have three girls, Hannah, Jessie, and Payton who all love Coonhounds as well.

Andi has been involved with hounds all her life, 30 plus years. She is a 3rd generation coon hunter, breeder and handler. She has shown and won with her own hound or ones she has handled at every major event including Autumn Oaks and the World Championship. She has enjoyed a 13-year career as a veterinary technician. Andi stated, "Ive had the honor of judging other events such as Winter Classic, Youth Nationals, multiple National Breed Days, State Championships and a previous Grand American. I am looking forward to judging another great event!"

Curtis Peace

Curtis will be judging Saturday's show!

Curtis was born in 1961 on a farm in New Kent, Virginia where he thought everyone had hunting dogs. His dad owned fox dogs, deer dogs, bird dogs and Coonhounds. In 1980 he purchased his first Black and Tan Coonhound.

In 1982 he met Doc and Chirpie Birdsall and started going to hunts and shows with them. He started showing their dogs in 1982 and traveled around the country. In 1985 he did his apprenticeships for show judge under Doc, BW Steele& WA Loving. He judged shows around Virginia and some in West Virginia. Curtis said, "Here lately I have enjoyed studying dog skeletons, muscle flow and angulation. I love to watch dogs move on the floor."

In 2017 he judged the Friday night show at Virginia State. In 2018 he judged the Bluetick Sectional in Charlottesville Virginia. He also won Best Female Black and Tan at the UKC World in 2018 with Cindy Lou. In 2019 he has judged the Dixie Jubilee, a Plott Sectional, the Saturday show at Black and Tan Days in Flora Illinois.

Tiffany Schmersal

Tiffany will be judging the Youth Show on Saturday!

Tiffany & her husband Damien have been married since 2016. They live in New Straitsville, Ohio with their son Tucker. She is a Certified Veterinary Assistant but currently is a stay at home mother. Damien is an Officer with the State Corrections System.

She was born into Coonhounds, growing up with Plotts & English Coonhounds. She started showing Beagles when she was 10 and quickly moved in to the Coonhounds and has owned them since 1999. She has her Dad to thank for teaching her & allowing her to continue their family tradition of coon hunting. She tries to be involved in as many events as possible from bench & conformation shows to nite hunts & field trials.

Her biggest highlights would be winning the 2014 Lee Crawford Invitational Show, 2015 TWBF&A High Point Bench Show Handler of the Year, 2017 National Grand Show Champion Treeing Walker Male, 2018 Ohio State Championship Overall Show Champion, 2018 Pink Event Overall Show & Hunt winner, & competing for the first time at the 2018 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Her most memorable Treeing Walkers she has owned are CCH GRCH CH CSG 'PR' Stackem Up Hes How Pros Play & GRCH CSG 'PR' Buckeye Valley Sheza Barbie Girl.

She tries to be actively involved in as much as she can with our sport. She is the Event Coordinator for the Trimble Twp. Coon Hunters Club in Glouster, OH, as well as the Secretary & Youth Program Coordinator for the Ohio Sportsman & Sporting Dog Association. She helps with the Pink Event at the Tuscarawas Co. Coon Hunters Club and is on the board of directors for the Treeing Walker Breeders & Fanciers Association. She been a bench show judge with the UKC since 2010 for Coonhounds & Beagles. She is also a licensed bench show judge for AKC, WTDA, & CHKC.

"My goals would be to continue supporting the next generation of coon hunters & doing all that I can to keep them involved in our great sport & pushing to implement more youth & educational programs & events. As well as bettering the Treeing Walker breed by breeding for correct type, movement, & hunting ability," Tiffany said.

We're pleased to have this great judging panel join us for the 2020 Grand American Coon Hunt!

A Kalamazoo, Michigan-based company founded in 1898, United Kennel Club is the largest all-breed performance-dog registry in the world, registering dogs from all 50 states and 25 foreign countries. Celebrating the unique Total Dog philosophy, UKC events highlight the instincts and heritage of dogs that look and perform equally well, as more than 60 percent of its annually licensed events are tests of hunting ability, training, and instinct. United Kennel Club prides itself on its family-oriented, friendly, educational events, welcoming both purebred dogs and dogs of unknown ancestry.