More about Junior Showmanship

Junior Showmanship is a division of the American Kennel Club that allows younger children between the ages of 9 to 18 to compete in conformation events. Children wishing to compete must obtain a junior handler number from the AKC by filling out this form. He or she must also own, co-own, or show a dog owned by his or her parent or legal guardian. Upon receipt of your junior handler number, individuals may enter their first AKC show in Junior Showmanship.

Junior Showmanship classes are broken down into the following classes:

Novice Classes

Novice Junior- Individuals Ages 9-12 who have not won three classes with competition.
Novice Intermediate- Individuals ages 12-15 who do not have three class wins with competition.
Novice Senior- Individuals ages 15-18 who do not have three class wins.

Open Classes

Open Junior- Individuals between the ages of 9-12 who have won their class three times with competition.
Open Intermediate- Individuals between the ages of 12-15 who have won their class three times with competition.
Open Senior- Individuals between the ages of 15- 18 who have won their class three times with competition.

Master Class

Master Class- Individuals between the ages of 9-18 who have ten Best Junior wins over competition. (Eligibility for this class is consistent with eligibility dates for qualifying for the AKC National Championship. Individuals who meet this requirement must move up to the Masters Class the day of the show and once the eligibility dates for the year are over, must move back into his or her respective Open Class).

Why Bedlingtons Make Great Junior Dogs

Bedlington Terriers are not only a great breed themselves, but they make great dogs to be shown in Junior Showmanship as well. Bedlingtons combine both the flashy sparkle of a sporting breed and the determination of the working breeds most juniors exhibit in competition into a perfectly compact dog. The breed is smart, and eager to please which makes it easy to create a bond between handler and dog. Additionally, the uniqueness of the Bedlington Terrier will make a junior handler stand out from other competitors that exhibit the traditional Pointers, Dobermans, Collies, etc.

Junior Showmanship is all about a fun learning experience, and the Bedlington’s coat maintenance is no exception. Although there is a learning curve, once you master the basics of grooming a Bedlington, you can groom basically any breed! You will be able to master not only hand scissoring, but clippering as well which are wonderful skills to help you get into the world of dogs and grooming.

As always, it is important to find a dedicated teacher or mentor that is willing to help you understand the breed and grooming. Take a look at our recommendations on grooming under the Resources tab called Grooming the Bedlington or click the link. If you are interested in finding a Junior Showmanship Mentor near you, please reach out to our Junior Showmanship Committee Chair, Morgan Miller via the Corresponding Secretary at correspondingsecretarybtca@gmail.com.

Kids Corner
● Bedlington Terrier Coloring Page (link to attachment pdf coming soon)

2019 Bedlington Terrier Club of America Junior Handlers

Great work for our top juniors for 2019 Iris Green, Carrie Lucas, and Kathryn Markey. Good job, girls! Congratulations to our #1 Junior for 2019, Iris Green.

Meet Iris Green 2019 BTCA Top Junior Handler