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The Deeper Education Value behind Juniors
By Whitney Perry
Just about any incident can be “thrown your My first year competing at the age of 10. I was
way” in competition at dog shows. When I was ranked the number one Terrier junior handler.
just 10 years old my first time competing in Each year since then I have continued to climb
junior showmanship was at an outdoor in the ratings all the way to being the number
Dalmatian specialty. Anxious, nervous, and two junior in the country in 2003. Obviously it
excited could all be used to describe my mood. has taken many shows and competition for me
There was great anticipation of wanting to win to achieve such an award. One of my greatest
my first time competing in Juniors. achievements occurred in 2003, when out of 188
other juniors I was chosen to be one of the eight
It was a hot humid June day; needless to say junior finalists at the Westminster Kennel Club,
I needed a way to keep my dog cool from the only at the age of l5.
heat. There was no sign of a wet-down coat
anywhere, but I needed something. In panic, As a member of the future of the sport being
we quickly found a red towel, dipped it in the recognized with such an accolade is proof that
ice water and placed it on the dog’s back. Just my future in the sport of purebred dogs holds
as I was entering the ring, I took the towel great promise.
off, only to find that the color from the towel
had run and the dog had turned pink, literally! As a third generation dog fancier, this sport has
Because I was so distraught over the color of very positively impacted my life. I have attended
the dog I didn’t present my dog as smoothly as dog shows almost every weekend, competing in
I would have liked to and I didn’t receive first various parts of the country. My travels have
place. From that day forward, I quickly learned presented me with a great educational
that anything could happen and that there were experience that not all people are able to endure.
deeper educational values to take away from When possible, I always take the time to visit
competing in jrs, like remaining calm at all historic landmarks that help me to understand
times! the world that I live in.
It seems to be a common perception that For Juniors, dog shows can also serve as a
competition in the sport of purebred dogs is all “tutor” for school work. Winning is a driving
about winning. While we all love to win, my force behind success for everything. If someone
first juniors experience taught me about the life receives a better grade in school, it makes me
lessons that were not only meant for dog shows, want to work harder so that I’m the one with
but for life in the “real world”. the highest grade the next time . If I was to get
The educational experiences of the juniors who a question wrong on a test, I analyzed what
helped me climb my way to the top. was incorrect to see what could be done the next
time to avoid making such a mistake.
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