JUNIOR SHOWMANSHIP
Junior Showmanship competition is for children ages 9-18 years of age . In this competition , the young people are judged solely on their handling skills , independent of the dog ’ s traits . The competition promotes proper training and animal care to prepare future generations for responsible dog ownership , sportsmanship , and the opportunity to bond with one ’ s dog .
These young handlers must demonstrate breed knowledge in the presentation of the dog and the economy of motion . The judge considers how well the handlers present their dogs regarding control , teamwork , composure , and unexaggerated movement . Like the best adult handlers , the goal for the Juniors is to enhance their dog ’ s qualities to the judge without using distracting , unnecessary motions .
Since 1934 the Westminster Kennel Club has offered a Junior Showmanship competition ( formerly known as Children ’ s Handling class ). Today , Junior Showmanship at Westminster is a limited class for young people who have won Best Junior Handler awards seven times or more at AKC dog shows over a specific oneyear time frame . The competition has a preliminary judging round where nearly 100 Juniors from across the country are judged , with eight finalists selected to move on to the Finals competition . The competition concludes with awarding of a Best Junior Handler and 2nd , 3rd , and 4th place winners . This exciting finale for the youth of our sport is judged at the center court of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday evening , May 9 , 2023 , before the evening ’ s Group judging .
Since 2010 , the Westminster Kennel Club has offered Junior Showmanship Finalist Scholarship Awards to the eight Finalists : First place $ 10,000 , Second place $ 5,000 , Third place $ 4,000 , and Fourth place $ 3,000 . Each of the other Finalists receives a $ 500 scholarship award .
LEFT AND CENTER : CHRISTINA FRAUSINI , RIGHT : JACK GRASSA
40 WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB 2023