The Evolution of Junior Showmanship
By Amy Fernandez
Every weekend Junior Showmanship classes are packed with kids from all age groups presenting every breed, all focused on the big prize – qualifying for Westminster. The Junior Showmanship finals long ago came to rival the intensity of that gut-wrenching showdown for BIS.
That’s surprising considering its modest start. Len Brumby is credited with introducing Children’s Handling back in 1932. Then one of the country’ top professional handlers, he was all too familiar with the growing numbers of bored children that had become a standard feature of every weekend show. His idea was to provide some structured activity to keep them entertained and out of trouble.
At first it was a pretty free-form event held in the first empty ring of the day, with professional handlers recruited on the spot to judge. The only restrictions banned unruly dogs and limited entries to children under 14 competing in two classes divided by sex. Free candy was promised to all entrants as an added enticement. As it turned out, that was unnecessary. It was an instant hit with children, parents, spectators, and George Foley who superintended many shows of the era, and regularly dealt with the ongoing problem of inquisitive, unsupervised children.
Generations of fanciers are familiar with the Foley dog show organization. Born in 1882, Foley started out showing Bostons and Bull Terriers from his Preston Kennel. His experiences attending shows as a breeder/exhibitor encouraged him to try his hand as a superintendent in 1899. Foley was soon superintending shows throughout the east and Midwest, including his first Westminster in 1928.
Foley was all about management, and Junior Showmanship became his pet project. It soon became a regular event at all Foley superintended shows. He was responsible for many of the subsequent innovations to its format. In 1933, the first entry requirement was introduced when JS became part of Foley’s centerpiece event, Westminster.
Foley superintended Westminster until 1969, a year before his death. And during those decades Junior Showmanship was gradually transformed from a casual stopgap diversion into a polished showcase of professional skills. Its name was officially revised to Junior Showmanship in 1950, and trophies and scholarships have added additional luster to the achievement.
A Junior Showmanship win at Westminster is a coveted honor that has launched countless successful careers in every facet of the dog world. For instance, in 1934 Percy Roberts judged the finals, awarding Best Junior to Joseph Sayers handling an Irish Terrier. Unlike his father and brothers, Joseph didn’t become a professional handler. Instead he became a veterinarian. He remained devoted to Irish Terriers throughout his life, as both a breeder and as an officer in the national club.
It’s unlikely that any of its early promoters envisioned this event in its present incarnation. But one thing hasn’t changed. Then and now, Junior Showmanship offers an incomparable opportunity for children to learn and perfect grooming and presentation skills and gain confidence to compete with adults – and frequently defeat them at every level of this game.
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