365 — Junior Showmanship from Competing to Judging
Junior Showmanship from Competing to Judging
Marti Day and Sarah Congleton are a mother-daughter junior showmanship judging juggernaut. Sarah and her brother Tanner started showing in juniors in 2005. Marti was the support person and chauffer. Mother and daughter both judged the huge junior showmanship competition at Orlando before the AKC National championship.
The family traveled to dog shows regularly, putting 250,000 miles on the family Suburban’s odometer. Sarah and Tanner competed in 4-H, juniors and regular breed competition, eventually working for handlers and breeders.
“We were so fortunate to work with top notch breeders,” Marti said. “We had people who offered us dogs and helped the kids learn how to groom. Parents should never do work for the juniors.”
Marti said she was rarely worried about her children traveling with breeders and handlers. The siblings generally were together, Marti said, adding “the Dog show world, in terms of children, really look after each other in an incredible way.”
As a parent, Marti expressed pride for her children’s success.
“The sport has made them outspoken, compassionate, understanding, motivated, organized young adults,” Marti said.
Sarah observed that junior entry numbers are decreased in recent years and throughout the purebred dog fancy “more has to be done than just saying juniors are the future of the sport.”
Mentorship along the lines of “Jody’s Juniors” and building a “dogmanship” program are some of Sarah’s emphasis.
“It’s not just running around the ring in a Saint John’s suit, we need to teach basic animal husbandry,” Sarah added.
Marti and Sarah both emphasized safety in judging junior showmanship, as well as “who would I trusty MY dog to.”
“I like to see the juniors and their dog relax. Everybody on edge isn’t good for either one. And, don’t be a prima donna. I want to see the rapport between you and your dog,” Marti said.
42 – Juniors Speak Out: Listen to the Wisdom – Jr. Showmanship Judges
Juniors are Wise Beyond Their Years
Little did we know when Laura Reeves put the question out on Facebook asking the simple question…
Is there a difference between competing in Junior Showmanship and the regular conformation ring?
We would be overwhelmed with a multitude of intelligent, thought-provoking responses!
Juniors of all ages, aged-out Juniors, and Juniors that are now judging Juniors have a lot to say!
Here is a list of some of the best! Thank You!
Taylor Marshall, Rily DeVos Mars, Kelly Schur, Janelle Chamberlin, Kendyl Schultze, Jess Pearson, Alexzandra Erb, Shahntae Martinez, Cassie Noe, Abbie Marsh, Jeannette Mueller, Hannah Layne Hunyady, Shannon Jimenez, Vienna Yeadon, Lauren Elizabeth Weber, Annika Dechert, Anna Pearson, Caleb Campbell, Kim Bullard, Terri Brennan-Weiss, Kaitlin Derosier, Mallary Ross, Chloe Auld, Sylvia Miller, Gilliam McKim
Per Request
Yes, we will be publishing an article with all the responses! It will also be in our weekly newsletter, so if you aren’t on our mailing list… join us.
18 – Jr Handler to Pro: 10 Tips to Beat the Odds
Junior Showmanship is the training ground for future professional handlers and judges. Laura Reeves, PHA, and second-generation breeder, reveals 10 tips to consider when making the jump from junior to pro.
AKC Breeder of Merit and Member of the Professional Handlers Association, Laura is a second-generation breeder of German Wirehaired Pointers. As a professional journalist, Laura’s weekly column “As the Wheels Turn” can be seen on Best in Show Daily.