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Bebe Mathews reflects on winning Best Junior Handler at the 2024 National Dog Show, her mentors, and her journey in Juniors.
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Bebe Mathews: Yeah, I am definitely still on Cloud 9! This was such a special win under a judge/handler that I look up to and admire so much. Wizard (my Juniors dog) performed incredibly and I couldn’t be happier with our performance. I hadn’t gone to any shows for a little over a month after our win at Montgomery County Kennel Club in Juniors, and we were able to jump right back into it.
Bebe Mathews: This was my first time attending The National Dog Show, and I always heard very high praise for it. I had always known it was a big deal to win Juniors at this show, and I am shocked that Wizard and I were able to make it happen.
Bebe Mathews: This weekend was my last weekend showing in All-Breed Juniors. I did not care about winning or losing, I just wanted to enjoy it and have fun with my pet. Winning was a bonus! The environment was extremely positive and all of the other Juniors were very kind and supportive for my last weekend in Junior Showmanship.
Bebe Mathews: Yes. The show in general always has very large and competitive entries (this year being 50-plus Juniors). Competing against that many incredibly talented Juniors is very difficult, and winning truly does mean a lot.
Bebe Mathews: There are too many people to mention! Angela Chase, CJ and Lisa Favre, and Diane Harrison helped me start in dog shows back in 2021. They guided me through the ropes, from how to enter a show to teaching me how to groom Kerry Blue Terriers. Tracy Szaras and Luiz Antonio Abreu guided me further and helped me succeed in Junior Showmanship with helpful tips that changed my Junior career. I have been working for Michelle Jones over the past year and she is a true inspiration for me. There are so many Juniors that I looked up to when I first started, and they have helped me tremendously throughout my career and will be lifelong friends. Just a few are Juliana Palmer and Lenore Hedemark, but there are so many more!
Bebe Mathews: I hope so. I want to be someone who young or new Juniors can come up to and ask for advice, because I love helping others.
Bebe Mathews: There are so many, but mainly my previous and current mentors and handlers that I have worked for. I have always been in awe by Dana Bryson-Benn’s handling and grooming for my heart breed, Kerry Blue Terriers.
Bebe Mathews: Junior Showmanship has opened many doors for me and has taught me sportsmanship and other valuable lessons. It has also earned me many scholarships that will be put to good use for college, which is my next step. I have met lifelong friends who I can’t imagine not having in my life. Junior Showmanship is much more than showing dogs and a hobby. It has changed my life.
Bebe Mathews: I hope that it continues growing and more kids get involved. I do think that the program could be improved with a more variety of judges, like more handlers judging Junior Showmanship!
Bebe Mathews: I only started showing dogs in December of 2021, so I only had about three years in Juniors. As I look back, I wish I was able to start sooner, but I really didn’t know they existed until my good friend through photography, Lenore Hedemark, told me about them. I am so grateful for the dogs I was able to work with and the people I have met through dog shows. I wouldn’t change my short time in Juniors for the world, and I encourage any kid who wants to show dogs to show in Juniors!
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