Junior Showmanship 4H / UKC / AKC – Input on the 3 Models From Junior Katie Sorensen

Junior Showmanship 4H / UKC / AKC – Input on the 3 Models From Junior Katie Sorensen

My name is Katelyn Sorensen and I am 12-years-old. I was a Pee Wee when my older brother was involved in our county 4-H project. I was hooked at an early age. I first got involved with Junior Showmanship when I was eight years old. I started first in my local 4-H club in Elbert County, Colorado, then progressed to United Kennel Club (UKC) and American Kennel Club (AKC) shows.

I belong to several dog organizations, including the German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America, the Australian Cattle Dog Club of America, High Plains Kennel Club, and I’m so excited to be part of the Colorado Junior Foundation’s Best of the Best Event. My family currently has multiple dogs. We own German Shorthaired Pointers, a Labrador Retriever, and a German Wirehaired Pointer. We have bred and raised one litter of German Shorthaired Pointer puppies and it was a fun experience. Although all of our dogs are purebred AKC registered dogs, their role in our home was never to show; they were pets and hunting companions. In addition to Junior Showmanship, I enjoy showing dogs in several Breed rings.

My experience also includes participating in a variety of sports. I enter every dog show that I can. My German Wirehaired Pointer, Stache, is my first true “show dog.” I got her as a puppy, and she has earned both her UKC and her AKC Champion titles. My Lab, Cleo, is my all-around dog. She is who got me started. We’ve done Showmanship, Obedience, and Rally, but her favorite event is Agility. She has also participated in altered Conformation with UKC and achieved her altered champion title. I also show our German Shorthaired Pointers, and had a judge tell me that I showed better than my Mom did. In addition to my own dogs, I co-own an Australian Cattle Dog, Marnie, with Amy Turner, and a Belgian Tervuren, with Andrea Wojciechowski (Wojo). I have shown them in both Junior Showmanship and their Breed rings, even taking Breed and making it to Groups. Other breeds that I have been mentored in and shown are the Belgian Sheepdog, Black Cocker Spaniel, Siberian Husky, Schipperke, Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier, Rat Terrier, Leonberger, Bernese Mountain Dog, and a Danish-Swedish Farmdog, AKC’s newest Working breed. I love learning new dog breeds!

My Mom is a leader for our Elbert County Colorado 4-H dog project, which includes Showmanship, Obedience, and Rally, and has been instrumental in the development and success of our Agility program. As a member of our 4-H club, I help behind the scenes as a Junior Leader. I help by demonstrating skills and whatever I can to provide support to our club. What I like most is that we have a great community that will always support you regardless of winning or losing. The goal is to enjoy and learn with your dog. The knowledge that I get in 4-H is extensive, as we are required to take tests in addition to showing. The tests focus on basic dog knowledge, anatomy, dog health, and overall show knowledge based on a national curriculum. I think Juniors who do 4-H learn more about dogs because of this requirement. In AKC, there is not really a focus on dog education. The 4-H knowledge helps me understand the Breed Standards.

I went to my first United Kennel Club (UKC) show approximately three and a half years ago. We got invited to go by a local club that came to our 4-H club to invite us. In addition to inviting us to show, they gave us the opportunity to ring steward and help their club as a way to help raise funds for our 4-H program. I participated in Junior Showmanship, Obedience, and Rally. What is unique about UKC is that Junior Showmanship judges can ask you more questions, and there is no study guide. These judges expect you to know your dog anatomy. They also give you tips and are very open to providing feedback to you after the class. When I have seen judges at other shows, some have even remembered me answering questions right or because I have taken their tips and improved my showing. UKC is a little more casual than AKC, but I still dress up. It makes both me and my dog look good. I have also won the “Top Junior” award and “Total Dog” titles at UKC shows. These ribbons show that my dog has been successful in Showmanship/Conformation and a performance event like Obedience or Rally.

My first AKC show was a large event based in Denver. The club did not do anything additional for Juniors. I entered Obedience and Rally with my Lab and entered Junior Showmanship with an Australian Cattle Dog. AKC was more competitive than UKC and there were more Juniors. I really enjoyed the Junior Showmanship portion but there were a lot of difficulties with ring schedules and changes with many of the ring stewards who were not kind or helpful to me as a new Junior trying to figure out where to be at the right times. This was a very difficult time not knowing anyone who could help me at such a young age.

I would like the AKC judges to be able to ask more questions about dog knowledge, even if they were based on the Breed Standard for my dog. I would like to be able to get feedback from the judges in AKC, which is harder than in 4-H or UKC, so that I can continue to improve. Finally, I miss the ability of a Junior to be able to show their own dog, even if it was a mixed breed, in Junior Showmanship. Although I have done well, many of my fellow 4-H members are excluded because they do not have access to a purebred dog. It seems like we should have a way to ensure that more kids who are interested in dog events are supported and able to get involved.

My Dog Leader, Sarah Lindauer, was my first mentor. Her support includes teaching me to be a better owner and handler. When I became involved in UKC, I met Amy Turner and her Australian Cattle Dogs. Amy has provided me with support in all things dog. She has mentored me in my skills, my caretaking of dogs, Breed Standards, and breeding. She has provided me the opportunity to co-own dogs with her as well as to support me in my first co-bred litter. Amy has also introduced me to other key mentors who have been the “village” that keeps me safe and supported. The Wojciechowski family (Andrea, Joe, and Mary) have all helped to encourage me. They also allow me to co-own a Belgian Tervuren which I show in Junior Showmanship frequently. Sherry Holt has provided me with the opportunity to own my German Wirehaired Pointer and she is my breed mentor. We also have a strong professional handler community in Colorado. There is a core group of professional handlers that has supported me or has allowed me to ask questions. There are too many to name each one who has helped me in some way. I do have a couple of “favorite” judges, both UKC and AKC, who have made an impact. Judges Ron Horn and Matthew Proctor have both seen me show and provided me with important feedback, which has helped me to become a better handler. They both have positive attitudes and are encouraging to Junior Handlers. With the support and encouragement from my “village,” in addition to my family’s support, I am able to show in many different venues, loving and growing my passion for dogs.

My proudest achievement was getting my first Best Junior Handler award at an all-breed show in October of 2024. I was competing against some older Juniors who have won multiple Best Junior Handler awards in the past. Because of this win, I was able to qualify for the Colorado Best of the Best Junior competition to be held in August of 2025. This was my first qualification, and I am so excited.

This was the start of me setting a realistic goal that I do want to make it to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in Junior Showmanship. I have set multiple goals for myself, starting with getting closer to my dog, learning the breed, and becoming a better handler in all venues. My German Wirehaired Pointer, Stache, is the first show dog that I have had and the first dog that I have owned that I have been able to achieve titles with. I want to continue to train her and grow her abilities in more venues and sports. I also want to continue to work with my other dogs and identify what they love and get them involved in those sports.

I set the goal to qualify for Royal Canin 2025. I think that I may have already achieved this goal, but will wait for official results before I get too excited. I also would like to qualify for Westminster in 2026. I am working hard to try to achieve that goal this year. I still need more Best Junior Handler wins, but with the support I have I am going to go for it!

I show dogs to enjoy it and have fun. I try to be kind and friendly to new Juniors, knowing how hard it was for me to switch from the 4-H and UKC shows to the AKC shows. I love my dogs, my family, and my extended dog show family!

A Few Comments From Katelyn’s Mom

I am very thankful for the opportunities that Katelyn has been able to experience as a result of her love for dogs. I appreciate the strong foundation that has been provided by our excellent Elbert County Colorado 4-H program. I am thankful that our rural Colorado county has dedicated time and resources to the kids of our county with their backyard dogs. They have provided strong education, mentorship, and decision-making which has allowed Katelyn to grow into the dedicated and caring handler she is today. It is because of this foundation that she has a solid understanding of concepts beyond ring procedures. She is learning about canine anatomy, common health issues, grooming, Breed Standards, training tips, and overall canine knowledge.

There have been struggles moving from a 4-H program into AKC programs, especially with acceptance and being welcomed into the “group.” We are not a family that has a long history of breeding dogs. We have no professional dog handlers in the family and have no known ties to the dog show community prior to our kids choosing to love dogs and start in 4-H. Although it was initially a negative experience for us in AKC, it has grown positively. We understand how hard it was for us, so we try to be more welcoming to new Juniors or handlers we meet along the way. We want others to feel welcome and know they have someone who can help them when they need some support. We would have greatly appreciated that in the beginning too.

In the ideal world, I would like to see a Junior program that is more inclusive than just showmanship ring performance. I appreciate a judge’s inquisition and asking dog knowledge-based questions in the ring to help gauge the overall Junior, not just the ring performance. I also appreciate the ability of judges to provide constructive feedback. If we want to encourage well-rounded, educated, responsible handlers as adults, we need to cultivate their experiences as Juniors so that we get the outcome we desire. Additionally, I would like to see flexibility in the ability of Junior Handlers to be able to enter Obedience and/or Rally classes in addition to their Junior Showmanship and Breed classes without the fear of forfeiture of the run due to ring conflicts. This would encourage more dogs to not only be conformationally correct but have a sound mind that would support the overall progression of each breed. This is similar to the Total Dog/Total Junior Handler award in UKC, rewarding overall form and function.

We are very thankful for the opportunity for Katelyn to be growing within our dog show community. Thanks to Marlene Groves and the Colorado Junior Foundation for such dedication to Juniors. Thank you to all of Katelyn’s mentors and show family for the encouragement and support you provide. Finally, thank you to SHOWSIGHT magazine for your ongoing support of Juniors!