The official newsletter of the AKC Junior Organization | October 2015

A Message from Mari-Beth O'Neill

October 7th, 2015 was the end of the qualifying dates for the AKC Eukanuba as well as the date that the following revisions went into effect for Junior Showmanship:

1) A club may now offer Reserve Best Junior. The Junior awarded second place to the Junior awarded Best Junior is to come back into the ring to compete for this award. The ribbon color is Rose and Gray. The points for this award is the total Juniors competing minus two.
2) The criteria for the Master Class is now 10 Best Junior wins with competition.
3) A judge eligible to judge Limited Status Junior Showmanship for all the breeds in a group may now judge Juniors at a Group show for those breeds.

The close of entries for the AKC Eukanuba Conformation is Wednesday, November 11, 2015. Click here for the Premium List.

All Juniors attending the AKC Eukanuba are invited to attend the annual awards reception on Saturday afternoon following the completion of Junior judging. The exact time and location will be posted at ringside.

Anyone involved in a 4H Group may contact the Juniors Department at Juniors@akc.org for applications to sign up members of the group for Junior numbers and either PAL or Canine Partner numbers for dogs.

Looking for interesting holiday stories about you and your dogs and how you celebrate. Please forward with photos to Juniors@akc.org.

I wish you all the best for a happy, healthy holiday season.

By Karissa Groves

What a thrilling dog show weekend at the Terry-All Kennel Club dog show in Brighton, Colorado.

The Juniors in my area are truly fabulous and most of them are my dog show friends. Honestly besides my family, the Juniors ring is where I get most of my support in the sport. We are a fun group and we all know each other’s dogs and parents, often we have dinners together or pizza in the hotel pool area.

By Michaela "Hope" Matkins

Hello, I am Michaela "Hope" Matkins, age 14 of Louisa, Virginia. My Juniors dog Grizz (GCH AKC/UKC CH Northwind Singin' The Blues) and I have been working together since he was a puppy, but he did not officially become my Juniors dog until about one year ago. Grizz and I have really done well this past year because together we figured out how to be successful in Juniors and the Breed Ring.

By Celeste Morelli

Hello, my name is Celeste Morelli and I am in Juniors. I am in Open Intermediate and I have Standard Poodles! I have been practicing since I was seven years old and I have been showing since I was nine years old. My breed is harder than most, but it is really fun to work with! With my breed there is a lot more coat conditioning and grooming than most breeds. You also have to shave their faces, their feet and their tail area. Poodles are fast runners and an energetic breed! I also have experience with Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers and Wire Fox Terriers.

Poodle Club of America Juniors

By Tabatha Waters and Gina Wieser

What a GREAT TIME for PCA Juniors! While entries around the country statistically show a slow decline, the Junior entries at the 2015 PCA Nationals were greater than 90% of Parent Clubs in the United States. Juniors participated in several disciplines, as well as two new attendees that joined us at our annual Juniors Round Table luncheon. It was exciting to welcome new faces seeking a mentor, and expressing great interest in the PCA Junior Education Program. Once again, Michael Knight came through with the contribution of the hospitality room for this event. Thanks, Michael!