News
At the club's open show on 23rd Oct, Miss Amy Brickell judged the Junior Handling classes, the results and report are as follows:
 Best Junior Handler Ashley Weighill, Judge Amy Brickell, Res. Best Handler Ellie Anne Lomas |
At the N. & M. C. B. C. Open Show I was delighted to be asked to judge the junior handling. I really enjoyed judging both classes, and felt everyone worked hard with their dogs. Just remember practice makes perfect, if you are unsure of how to stack your dog to make sure it looks its best, a good idea is to practice in front of a mirror, and then you can see your dog from the judge's perspective.
1st Class up to 13yrs.
1st. Ellie Anne Lomas.
2nd Rhiannan Lomas
Both handlers had a very good go, just need a bit more practice at stacking your dogs and gain some more experience in the ring. I felt my (1) managed to settle her dog better, so her final presentation was a bit better.
2nd Class 13 - 16 years
1st Ashley Weighill, handled very well, he worked hard to keep his dog moving nicely and presented his dog very well at the end. Just needs to practice showing the teeth.
2nd. Rebecca Morrison, very close behind 1, she worked really well with her dog and showed the teeth nicely, final stack wasn't quite as polished.
3rd Rhiannan Morrison, handled well and also showed the teeth well, just need to watch that you don't come between the dog and the judge.
Overall winner was Ashley Weighill who's experience showed in the final challenge for Best Junior Handler.
We would love to hear about anything you’ve been up to with your dogs, email amy_brickell@hotmail.co.uk with all your news and pictures!
RICHMOND SEMI-FINALS 2010.
Firstly, well done to all the beagle handlers who qualified for the JHA semi-finals at Richmond this year, it was great to see so many beagles in the handling rings. Sadly this was my last year of competing at Richmond, but it was a fantastic day as always.
Hounds 6-11
3rd: Sophie Williams
4th: Albert Fairall
6th: Alicia Haynes
Congratulations to these 3 handlers, who were all complimented on their neat pattern work and their rapport with their dogs by Judge Georgina Ferguson.
Hounds 12-16
3rd: Ellen Fairall
Also competing were Charlotte Norridge, Lucy Anna Maria Hankey, Ellie Minshall and myself.
Well done to Ellen for being placed in a very difficult class. Judge Gavin Robertson was impressed by her ability to free stand her beagle, who was by far the happiest dog in the ring!
BEAGLE HANDLER OF THE YEAR 2010
At the Beagle Association Championship show judge Mrs. Wendy Hall chose Lucy Anna Maria Hankey as Junior Handler of the Year.
Congratulations to Lucy, this is her 3rd consecutive year of winning the award!
Basic Pointers
The main difference between Junior Handling classes and breed classes is that, in junior handling, your ability is being assessed and not the quality of the dog.
The classes tend to be judged in the same way as a breed class, the judge will look over each dog on the table and watch them move. At the end all handlers will stack their dogs for the final line up.
There are, however, a few additional requirements:
· You may be asked questions about your dog, such as what it was bred for.
e.g. the beagle was bred to hunt hare, and be followed by the hound masters on foot.
· You may be asked to show the judge the dogs teeth, rather than the judge doing it themselves.
· THE GOLDEN RULE
This is the most important rule, which means that the handler must never come between the dog and the judge, so that the judge always has a clear view of your dog. As the judge moves, the handler may be required to swap hands and have the dog on the right, or even move around the dog whilst it is stacked (this is known as shadowing). You must not break this rule the whole time you are in the ring, as it could move you from first to last in the class.
The most important thing to remember is to enjoy yourself. If you have fun, then your dog will have fun. It doesn’t matter where you are placed as long as you do your best. It is a good idea to ask the judge how you can improve, so that you can do better next time.
You can find out more from the websites, books and DVDs listed under useful information.
Useful Information
The YKC and JHA
These are the two main organisations involved in junior handling and other activities. It is a good idea to become a member of both.
YKC
The Young Kennel Club
Ages 6-24
The YKC hosts many activities as well as handling, including Agility, Obedience, Grooming and many more.
In terms of handling, they host their finals at Crufts, and a winner is selected from each age group, for the groups on the day. E.g. Hound and Terrier, 6-11.
There are qualifiers at certain shows throughout the year, and you have to be a member to compete.
To find out more visit:
JHA
Junior Handling Association
Ages 6-16
This focuses only on Junior Handling. Every year in September they hold the semi-finals for the Junior Handler of the Year Award at Richmond Championship show. A winner is selected from each age group within each group, and the 14 winners compete for Junior Handler of the Year at Discover Dogs in November, a very prestigious event. To compete you must be a member of the JHA and have qualified at an open or championship show.
To find out more, contact:
Mrs Liz Cartledge
Ryslip Kennels
Church Lane
Binfield
Nr. Bracknell
RG42 5NL
Tel: 01344 424144