On October 11th 2009, I had won my Regional/Zone Junior Finals (Zone 4A) showing my puppy Lola, Osiris She's A Showgirl. In Best Overall all the juniors were required to switch breeds, a Scottish Terrier was my switch breed. It was great to win my Zone Finals again for the second year in a row. The judges had nothing but wonderful comments towards me- especially how I handled the Scottie on the switch! Thank you judges, David Swartwood, Edgar Rojas, Shirley Bell & Ward Bailey.
The path did not stop there. On December 5th 2009, I competed at the Canadian Junior Handling Nationals competition. The winner of this competition competes at Crufts the following year to represent Canada at the World Finals. It is every junior handlers dream to win the Nationals. This year I had won Best Overall showing Brodie, Am/Can Ch. XO's Invincible. There was 14 competitors all across Canada that were the top in their province/zone. It was an incredible win!!! I never thought I would win Nationals showing my own Pharaoh Hound- it just doesn't happen! We were required to switch breeds at this competition as well, a Shetland Sheepdog was my switch breed. We were also required to answer questions about dog shows and canine anatomy. Thank you judges, Graeme Burdon, Lori-Ann Fischer, Pat Blenkey & Irene Latchford for this unforgettable win!
Now it is off to Crufts in 2010. What a wonderful way to end a Junior Handling career- representing your country at the World Junior Finals.
* None of this would be possible without the guidance and mentorship of Cheryl Pike, MacLaren Shelties (http://www.maclarenshelties.com/). Thank you Cheryl for everything.
