Tacoma Kennel Club – July 18, 2026

On July 18, 2026, Silken Windhounds competed in an AKC Open Show for the first time since entering the Foundation Stock Service. The breed’s debut could hardly have been more successful. Winsome’s Lomei Sky “Freyja” became the first Silken Windhound ever awarded AKC Best in Open Show.

The following account was written by Freyja’s owner, Rachel La Vigne, and is published unchanged with her permission.

For the first time in history, a Silken Windhound is awarded AKC Best in Open Show.

Under Judge John Ramierez, “Freyja” Winsome’s Lomei Sky, was awarded best of breed, FSS Group 1, and ultimately Best in Open Show. This occurred in Tacoma, WA on July 18, 2026.

What is the significance of this event?

Silken Windhounds were accepted into the American Kennel Club in April 2026. The first step of full AKC recognition is the acceptance into the Foundation Stock Services (FSS). The second step is being accepted to the Miscellaneous (Misc) group. The final step is full AKC recognition. This process can take several years.

For conformation, FSS dogs and Misc dogs are shown at AKC events in a seperate “AKC Open” show. Silken Windhounds are currently able to show in the FSS group. The best of each breed are put up against each other to receive group placements. The Group 1 dog from FSS and the Group 1 dog from Misc are then judged against each other for Best in Open Show.

In the Tacoma, WA show there were 6 other FSS breeds and 2 Misc breeds. A total of 26 dogs were entered in this AKC Open Show. Freyja the Silken Windhound represented the breed well and was awarded Best in Show in the AKC Open division.

Freyja is proudly owned by Rachel and Logan La Vigne who reside in Independence, Oregon.

She was bred by Winsome Silken Windhounds in Washington.

Pedigree link: https://db.isws.org/pedigree/45221

Hover/tap the red dots to see the names of the dogs on the photo below at the Meet the Breeds