A Junior’s Journal – Skylar Acebedo

A Junior’s Journal – Skylar Acebedo

1. Where do you live? Where do you go to school?

Skylar Acebedo: I live in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and go to NLR High School Center of Excellence (a charter school inside the high school).

2. Do you have any hobbies or interests apart from purebred dogs? Do you have a job?

Skylar Acebedo: I am in the theater at high school and have done The Wizard of Oz and Hamlet, and was most recently the actress who played Sven in the Broadway Frozen. I don’t have a job, but I just passed the CNA (certified nursing assistant) license and plan to work part-time when I head to college.

3. Have you grown up in a doggy family? What is your breed(s)?

Skylar Acebedo: My Mom started showing when she was 10, so I have grown up in the dog show world. We have English Setters and the token Border Collie. My Great-Grandfather raised field trial English Setters and Pointers, and my Great-Great-Grandfather raised Border Collies to work cattle farms.

4. How were you introduced to Junior Showmanship? When did you start competing?

Skylar Acebedo: My Mom was a Junior too, and so, I couldn’t wait to start showing in Juniors too! I actually started showing in Breed before I was old enough to be a Junior, but my Mom and her friend found me a show the week I turned 9 so that I could finally show in Junior Showmanship!

5. What do you remember about the first time you showed as a Junior?

Skylar Acebedo: I kept telling my Mom I wanted to show a specific dog she had finished and found out I was going to get to show Confetti. I was so happy and I won my class! And then to celebrate, we went to the beach! I will always remember that weekend.

6. How do you prepare your dog and yourself for the ring? Any rituals? Any good luck charms?

Skylar Acebedo: We just play outside the ring. My Junior dog, Lela, is super-happy to just be with me, so we just spend time together. I also wear a charm I was given when my first dog passed away from cancer a few years ago. It makes me feel like he’s always with me.

7. What’s it like in the ring when the pressure is on? Do you have a secret for handling the nerves?

Skylar Acebedo: I used to get really nervous in the ring and then I just decided it was hard on my dog. I would get nervous and it bothered her, so now I do a lot of deep breathing and just go in and do my best.

8. Do you have a mentor in the sport? Have you assisted any Professional Handlers?

Skylar Acebedo: I have some people I really admire who help me show: Catlin Cahill, Jay Lee, Sandra Garner, and of course, my Mom! I have assisted a few handlers at shows and they have helped me learn. Catlin Cahill, Chase Waddell, Billy Huntington, Meg & Baylie Smith, Aly Bell Lytle, Jay Lee, David Williams, and Alexis Hectorn, they have all played a part in my dog show life. And of course, I found the breed I love so much with David Williams and his boy Potter.

9. Are there any wins for which you are particularly proud? Any memorable losses?

Skylar Acebedo: My favorite wins are back-to-back Best Juniors with my English Setter Panda, who I bred, Best Junior with Spencer the Ibizan Hound the first time we got to show after I missed the National being in the hospital, and showing Potter the Podengo every time! The most memorable loss was when I ignored my Mom because I wanted to show my puppy and she told me it would be bad; he didn’t have enough attention span or training to show well in a large class of Juniors and by the end he was over it. I left the ring in tears, and the judge was so upset. He didn’t understand why I was upset because I got the placement I deserved. My Mom made me go back to the ring and talk to the judge after and explain. I learned that what you do in the ring reflects directly on you as a competitor, and also, sometimes what you want isn’t what you need!

10. How do you accentuate your dog’s breed type in the ring? How do you try to stand out?

Skylar Acebedo: Even though I grew up with Sporting breeds, I have fallen in love with the sighthounds! And on top of that, a little scruffy one! I want to show the judges and other Juniors how cool Podengos are! They have a definite outline and energy level that I like to showcase!

11. Are there any breeds that you haven’t yet shown but would like to some day?

Skylar Acebedo: Because of My mom and friends, I have really gotten to show a lot of different breeds. One I have never gotten to show is a terrier and I would love to some day!

12. What can be done to encourage more young people to participate in Junior Showmanship?

Skylar Acebedo: I love the Junior Showcase in St. Louis in March. They love Juniors and make it about them and their families. They have events, Juniors-only grooming, etc., and they bring in a seminar for Juniors and former Juniors to judge.

13. Have you bred or co-bred a litter? If so, can you share what you’ve learned from the experience?

Skylar Acebedo: I have co-bred a couple of English Setter litters and helped raise them from birth to the ring. The experience of whelping a litter before heading to school to take a math test and then showing that same dog as a special a year and a half later was so rewarding! I have also learned that sometimes breeding breaks your heart too.

14. Is breeding something that you’d like to pursue? Is breed preservation important to you?

Skylar Acebedo: I will continue with the setters with my parents, but now my goals are in Portuguese Podengo Pequenos. I love the breed and can’t wait to see what happens in the next few years!

15. What are your goals for the future? Do you see yourself continuing in the sport once you’ve aged-out?

Skylar Acebedo: My time of showing as a Junior is quickly approaching the end. My friend from Juniors, Sela Cooper, and I are already planning to get our Junior judging license next year! Maybe we will get a chance to judge at the Junior showcase!!

16. Can you share a word or two about your relationship with your current dog? What does s/he mean to you?

Skylar Acebedo: My current Junior dogs are Lela the PPP and Panda, my English Setter. Lela is cute and she knows it and I cater to her whims. I LOVE her enthusiasm in everything! And Panda is my first champion that I bred, and I finished her Grand Championship. I slept in the whelping box with her for three weeks and we survived the anxiety and change from COVID together.

17. Is there a funny story that you can share about experiences as a Junior Handler?

Skylar Acebedo: Most people don’t realize that I have drastic hearing loss and actually spend most of the time in the ring reading lips. This has led to some interesting moments in the ring.

Meet the Junior Handlers

Meet the Junior Handler: Jemma Panzarino

Junior Handler Jemma Panzarino shares her journey in the sport, memorable wins and experiences, and goals for the future with purebred dogs.