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Judge Hadley George shares insights on evaluating Juniors at the 2024 National Dog Show, their talent, and the sport’s bright future.
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Hadley George: Being invited to judge at The Kennel Club of Philadelphia was an honor. It is a highly respected club and a prestigious show that many look forward to attending each year. I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to promote the next generation at that high caliber.
Hadley George: I always review the breeds I have entered to double-check how the Junior should present their dog appropriately. Each breed has its own unique ways of being shown and I believe the appropriate presentation is important for the kids to learn.
Hadley George: With every class, from Novice Junior to Open Senior, the kids are asked to go straight down to the corner and come straight back into me. Wording the instructions this way immediately will show who can follow basic instructions in the ring, by seeing whether they come straight back or flip their dog to show its profile. Aside from listening to instruction, I also look at smoothness, confidence, posture, poise, any excessive movement that may take away from showcasing their dog, and their ability to handle versus their ability to show a perfect dog that could show itself.
Hadley George: Before judging even began, there was a huge crowd outside the ring. Parents, Juniors, spectators, club members, and handlers all took time to stop and watch for a moment. There was a great energy in and out of the ring, but not nerves. If any of the Juniors were nervous, they did a great job of keeping their disposition calm and collected.
Hadley George: As I said in the previous question, everyone did a great job at keeping any nerves at bay. They were focused on their performance, and you could tell that it was a big and competitive show for them. One of the last things I did as a deciding factor was ask the Juniors to go around to the center of the ring and present their dog as appropriate for the breed. Some breeds are a free-baiting breed while others should be hard-stacked. In my older and more experienced classes, almost every handler did what was appropriate for their dog and it was evident they knew how to present the breed.
Hadley George: Going into this, I expected difficulty in my Open Senior class because of how large the group was and their experience level. But when my Open Intermediate class walked in, I realized I was going to have a challenge choosing my top four in a class sooner than I’d expected. Even in the last seconds of placing multiple classes, it was small things that made the difference between first and second. So many of the handlers were amazing and I had to be incredibly picky to make my decisions.
Hadley George: Don’t hesitate to ask questions, never turn down a little constructive criticism, and don’t stop learning (even when you think you know it all). Continue to work hard and you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Good things never come easy, and anything easy is never half as rewarding as the things you pour your heart into. You are the future of this sport, and that isn’t to be taken lightly.
Hadley George: The handler I gave Best Junior to was competing in her last weekend before she turned 18 and aged-out of Juniors. She had every quality needed to successfully continue in this sport. Quiet hands, confidence, poise, drive, and passion for the sport, to name a few. I truly think she will continue to do amazing things in dogs. The only advice I would offer her is to always keep her passion for this alive. She so evidently loves the sport, her dog, and the work she does. I was certainly honored to watch it all come together and only hope she never loses that quality.
Hadley George: I truly believe that the biggest part of this sport is the work put in outside the ring. Training, conditioning, cleaning, walking dogs, and grooming are all crucial to being a “professional” in any sense, whether that’s an assistant, breeder, pro handler, or owner-handler. But if all those Juniors put that work in outside the ring, along with the talent they showed in the ring, this sport is going to be well taken care of, undoubtedly.
Meet the Junior Handlers
