A Message from Mari-Beth O’Neill

The end of the year is rapidly approaching, and we look forward to seeing the Juniors and their families that will be competing at the AKC National Championship, AKC Juniors Classic and the AKC Junior Agility Competition in Orlando, December 16-17. We are thrilled with the growth of Juniors participating in multiple events!!!

Following the Junior Showmanship Competition there will be a reception for all the Juniors participating in events in Orlando. There will be a presentation of the Junior Versatility Scholarships and the Top Ten Juniors for each group at the reception.

Best wishes for a happy healthy holiday season, safe travels.

Junior Clinics

Junior Seminars

Jrs on Facebook

Kaden Byrket

My name is Kaden Byrket, I am 18 years old, and live in Arizona. I compete with my two Border Collies in herding, and we also compete in agility.

When I was three years old, I started to participate in rodeo events. I knew I wanted to work with animals, so when I was 13 I decided I wanted to try something new. I thought agility would be fun, and I also wanted a dog that could help with our livestock. Molly Wisecarver, a trainer, handler, and breeder of Border Collies, helped get me started with the intention of competing in agility. My dog had other plans – When we got him home and he saw our goats, he was hooked, and I realized herding was the way to go. I practiced with my dogs once or twice a week after school and in the summers, and would stay with Molly a few days out of the week to help with the kennel and practice.

Greg Hilarie

Hi there future Junior handlers. My name is Greg and my Black labs name is Rogue. Rogue and I recently received our junior title in September 2021 in AKC Hunt testing. Earning our junior title was our goal for this year as well as to prepare for moving on next year into our senior title, as well as to have a good waterfowl season as well. Along with earning our title I also received the most points by a junior handler in AKC hunt test events. Rogue and I have each learned a lot along the way and have progressed as a team immensely. Throughout this letter I will explain how Rogue and I have prepared to compete in our events.

Lindsay Meyers

In 2009, my family received our first purebred Bernese Mountain Dog, Zack. Zack’s breeder encouraged my older to get involved with Junior Showmanship, leading to my family’s devotion to the breed and sport of purebred dogs. When I turned 9 years old, I began showing in Junior Showmanship with our Bernese Mountain Dog, Juliette. Throughout my Junior Showmanship career, I have had the opportunity to work with a variety of breeds including Rottweilers, Dachshunds, Whippets, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and Havanese. I have had a number of success in the junior’s ring, but the lessons I have learned and memories I have made will always be important to me. Through Junior Showmanship, I have been able to develop my skills as a handler, as well as grow my confidence. I have become a leader in and outside of the dog show community, which can be attributed to my junior handling career.