Over 20 prizes won at the Dutch Taxidermy Championships!

De Museumwinkel.com highly successful at the Dutch Taxidermy Championships 2026

De Museumwinkel.com from Nijmegen once again delivered an impressive performance at the Dutch Taxidermy Championships 2026, held on April 11 at the Missie Museum Steyl. Rick, Sophie, Marshall, Daphne, Lucas and Ilvy form a close-knit team of taxidermists who made a strong impression across multiple categories. The team won more than 20 awards, including a Best of Show, a People’s Choice Award, and multiple first, second, and third prizes.

Months of dedication result in pieces that are of the highest artistic and museum quality.

“We are extremely proud of our team’s achievements,” says Nicolette Naphausen (general director). “The level of craftsmanship, time, and dedication that goes into these pieces is enormous. To have this recognized at a national level is a wonderful reward.”

De Museumwinkel.com is internationally known for its broad taxidermy expertise. From mounting small songbirds to larger mammals and mounting pets: each piece requires patience and in-depth knowledge of technique and anatomy.

Dutch Championships

The championships provide an important platform every two years for inspiration, knowledge sharing, and innovation within the field. The submitted works demonstrate how strong and versatile contemporary taxidermy continues to develop.

Strong tradition of awards

De Museumwinkel.com has now won awards eight times in a row at both Dutch and European championships. Previous successes include multiple national titles, Best of Show awards, and various European distinctions. This consistently places the team among the top in the field.

Pets

Within De Museumwinkel.com, demand for pet taxidermy is also growing, a specialization in which taxidermists Sophie and Daphne have further developed in recent years. “Mounting a pet requires a great deal of empathy and precision,” says Sophie Kiela. “You are not just reconstructing an animal, but also a memory.”

On display for the public

The award-winning pieces can be viewed until June 28, 2026, at the Missie Museum in Steyl. After that, they will be on display at De Museumwinkel.com in Nijmegen. Visitors are given a unique opportunity to experience these exceptional works up close.

About De Museumwinkel.com

De Museumwinkel.com is the largest taxidermy and natural history store in the world. From Nijmegen, we work on preserving natural history heritage. In our shop and museum collection, you will find a unique selection of mounted animals, skeletons, curiosities, and rare objects.

The company’s mission: to make nature tangible and accessible in a responsible way, and to raise awareness about the vulnerability of biodiversity. All of our mounted animals have died of natural causes in zoos or breeding facilities; they were never killed for taxidermy.

Overview of awards won:

People’s Choice Award
• Sophie: full mount fox

Best All-Round Taxidermist
• Sophie

Best of Show
• Daphne: golden lion tamarin

Big mammals
• Sophie: 1e prijs - fullmount fox

Small mammals
• Daphne: 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize, toque macaques & golden lion tamarin

Small birds
• Rick: 1st prize, black-breasted thrush
• Sophie: 2nd prize, flamingo chick
• Rick: 3rd prize, willow warbler

Honorable mentions
• Rick: jack snipe
• Sophie: Alexandrine parakeet
• Marshall: Spotted woodpecker

Pedestals
• Daphne: 1st prize, tamarins
• Sophie: 2nd prize, flamingos

Beginner category
• Ilvy: 1st prize, Arctic fox cub

Large birds
• Marshall: 2nd prize, desert buzzard

Biological groups
• Daphne: 1st prize, tamarins
• Sophie: 3rd prize, flamingos