|
Junior
Showmanship Page
by: Katy and
Kim Harth
Getting Started and Hints
Junior Showmanship is a fabulous way to learn,
polish, and demonstrate your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel handling skills!
It is also a great way to meet kids who enjoy dogs as much as you do.
|
Katy and Harmony win Best Junior Handler
at the Blackhawk Kennel Club show.
|
Hi, I am Katy Harth, (age 13). I started showing my Cavalier, Harmony (Ch. Torlundy Maramond
in Harmony), in July of 2001. I received
Harmony as a gift from our breeder and dear friend, Patty Kanan. Harmony
was actually a co-bred by Patty Kanan and Martha Guimond. Patty has been
my constant mentor and biggest fan!
At the time Harmony and I started showing, I was the only Junior in California showing a CKCS.
We worked very hard for several months.
We had our share of placements, but not too many firsts. Then we moved to Illinois in May of 2002.
Harmony and I had been a team for almost one year.
Then, BAM! We hit our
streak. A streak for a Toy dog, especially a CKCS, is getting high
placements (1st or 2nd) in a large class.
A large class is ten or more kids. By
July of 2002, we qualified for Eukanuba and received a Best Junior.
However, it took until the first week in November 2002 to qualify for
Westminster! Let me tell you, we
worked hard! Harmony and I finished
the year as the #1 Junior’s Cavalier team in the USA!
We even ranked 16th for all Toy dogs in the country.
Now it’s your turn!! Set a
goal for yourself and go for it!!
To begin showing in Junior Showmanship, you
must be at least ten years old. Juniors
“age out,” meaning you may no longer compete in Juniors , the day you turn
eighteen. To compete, you must
first have a Juniors number. This
number is obtained through AKC. Check
out their website (www.akc.org) and follow the
links to the Juniors' page. You
will find instructions there.
|
Competing at Westminster in front
of thousands of onlookers.
|
To enter an AKC show, you must fill out the
entry forms and turn them into the superintendent before the show quits
accepting entries. This is called the closing date.
Shows usually close two and a half weeks before the show date.
Shows usually close on Wednesdays at 12:00 noon. Closing dates are listed
on Dog Show Premium Lists. A Premium List gives information about a
specific upcoming dog show. It will list the date, location, the hosting
Club, and the judges. It will also tell you the closing date and time.
You can pick up Premium Lists for upcoming shows at the superintendents desk at
dog shows OR go online.
(Hint: If you turn in
entries to the superintendent at a show, or make changes to an entry at a show,
the Junior needs to turn in the paper work...not mom or dad.) You may also enter a show online through the
superintendent’s site. There is a
fee over and above the class fee for each entry, if you enter online.
You will need your dog’s AKC number, breeder information, sire and dam
names, along with your Juniors number. Also,
the dog must belong to you or an immediate family member for you to be able to
show in Juniors. The
AKC has a way of checking this, so make sure this is taken care of before
you enter the ring.
Now you are at the show!
Juniors will be divided into four classes. Two Novice and Two Open.
The Novice classes are Novice Junior (ages 10 to the day you turn 14) and
Novice Senior (14 to the day you turn 18).
Novice classes are for those Juniors who have just entered competition
and have not secured three wins with competition present in your class.
Once you have obtained your third Novice win, you are moved up to the
Open class. Open Junior (ages 10 to
the day you turn 14) and Open Senior (ages 14 to the day you turn 18).
The order of the classes for showing is USUALLY
Novice Junior, Novice Senior, Open Junior, Open Senior, followed by Best
Junior.
|
Katy and Harmony win Best of Breed
at the Stone City Kennel Club show.
|
You will receive your entry confirmation and
Juniors number in the mail about a week before the show.
Check the judging schedule. Get
to the ring at least ten minutes before your class begins to get your arm band
from the steward. KNOW WHICH CLASS
YOU ARE ENTERED IN AND WHAT NUMBER YOU ARE before going to the steward.
“May I have arm band number 17 for the Novice Junior Class please”
and, of course, always thank the steward!!!
Take the few minutes before ring time to focus yourself and your dog, and
remember to have some fun in there!
TIP#1:
Since you will be showing a smaller dog, you will USUALLY
be placed towards the end of the line.
Judges will often rearrange dogs (after you have entered the ring by
Arm Band order) into size order. You
can take advantage of being placed near the end by observing the Judge’s
ring procedure. You should always
pay attention to how you are presenting your dog during this time as well, but
“peek up” every once in a while to see what the judge is doing and what
she is looking for. Observe where
she is looking and always have your dog presented to its best
(unless you have a large class and the judge tells you specifically to
“relax your dogs.”) DON’T
daydream in the ring and don’t chat with others outside of the ring.
TIP#2:
Practice showing your dog in your yard, or park, or family room in
the outfit and shoes you will be showing in.
TIP#3:
Juniors are supposed to groom their dogs by themselves.
At the show, especially by the Junior’s ring, make sure it is you who
is doing the last minute primping, not mom, dad, or breeder.
|
Practice makes perfect!
|
TIP#4:
In your mind, you must believe that you have the world’s best dog at
the end of the lead when you enter the ring.
TIP#5:
Practice gathering up your lead at home.
Gathering up your lead is something an experience handler must demonstrate to you. It is a method of "gathering" the lead into one hand, quickly and neatly. You will need to do this after taking your dog from the table after the judge's examination.
The problem is that you can't have the end of your lead dangling out of your hand, nor can you have it simply bunched up in a big ball in your hand. If you see me at a show, just ask me!
You should really practice this a lot. Do it while you are watching TV, while you
are riding in the car... practice - practice - practice.
It seems small thing, but it is the little details that often set apart
a first placement from others. Also, make sure you have the proper lead on your dog. Again, any Cavalier handler can show you, or any one of the vendors who sell leads at a show will point one out to you.
TIP#6:
It is all about attitude. Some
Juniors will get a bad reputation because they misbehave, whine, or complain.
If you feel like you didn’t get a fair deal in the ring, you must
still congratulate the winner. You may want to vent your feelings, but wait until you are
alone with mom or dad in your car or where others will not hear you. There will be days, even weeks when you will win.
Likewise, there will be days, even weeks when you won’t win.
There are ups and downs in Junior Showmanship, just like everything
else. When it stops being fun for
you, it is time for you to stop showing.
But, if you stick with it, it can be a tremendously rewarding
experience.
|
Winning is hard work, for both you and your dog!
Have fun and I hope I'll see you at a show!
|
To qualify for the
Eukanuba Classic you will need five Open Wins with competition present
and a GPA for the past two semesters of 3.0 or higher...check the Onofrio/Eukanuba
Website for more details. The three main superintendents that work the dog shows
in the Greater Chicago area are Roy Jones Dog Shows (www.royjonesdogshows.com),
Onofrio Dog Shows (www.onofrio.com), and MBF
or Infodog.com (www.infodog.com). Log onto their site and check the links for upcoming shows. Superintendents accept entries by mail, fax or online.
To
qualify for Westminster, you will need eight Open Wins with competition
present. Check INFODOG website
(www.infodog.com)
or AKC website
(www.akc.org) for
more details.
You
can contact Kim or Katy with your questions about Junior Showmanship by clicking
here!
 |
Remember - the most important part of
Junior Showmanship is to
HAVE FUN!
|
|
