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Hadrian Towell shares his Best Junior Handler win at Westminster 2026 with Manchester Terrier “Simon,” and their final show together.
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Hadrian Towell: Yes, it is. I had my hopes, but I didn’t expect to win. It was a huge surprise, and winning it on the 150th anniversary is a great honor.
Hadrian Towell: It was very cold, but I was excited to be there. There was a lot of talent in the Preliminaries.
Hadrian Towell: I heard Lydia Frey scream from across the ring when I won. The first person I went to find was my friend, Adam Kurcera. My brother, Gideon, and my mom were also there to celebrate with me.
Hadrian Towell: I stayed late to watch the Groups with my friend Adam, my mom, and my brother. Simon celebrated with several pup cups before we headed back home.
Hadrian Towell: Manchester Terriers are my favorite breed and Simon has been my most successful partner. He always gives me his all. I love showing him. It was an easy choice.
Hadrian Towell: He means a lot to me. This was our last show together, since he is retiring and heading back to his forever home in Colorado. I am very grateful to Kellie Miller for sharing him with me. I have shared all of my biggest wins in Juniors with Simon. I hope I can raise another dog as great as he is. I want to breed another dog as worthy as Simon and mentor the next kid with a dream, like my mentors did for me.
Hadrian Towell: It’s helped me and my whole family meet and make lots of lifelong friends. We’ve moved from the Midwest to the East Coast since I first started showing in Juniors, but our dog show community has only grown since then.
Hadrian Towell: I really enjoyed this year’s judging panel. It was great to get to show to some very successful former Juniors. I would like to give a huge thank you to Jason Hoke for choosing me as a finalist, and to Michael Faulkner for the prestigious win.
Hadrian Towell: My advice would be to not let your nerves get to you. Just focus on you and your dog, and be in the moment.
Hadrian Towell: I am going to continue to breed and show Manchester Terriers. I haven’t decided what the rest of my time in Juniors will look like yet. I’m still figuring it out. I am raising two puppies this year, hopefully one of them will be able to help me follow in my and Simon’s footsteps. I hope to one day be invited to compete in Juniors at Crufts.
Meet the Junior Handlers
Junior Handler Jemma Panzarino shares her journey in the sport, memorable wins and experiences, and goals for the future with purebred dogs.
