Taylor Johnson Wins Best Junior Handler At The 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Taylor Johnson with her Old English Sheepdog named “Sven” won the title of Best Junior Handler under judge Ms. Elizabeth Jordan-Nelson of Sacramento, CA at the 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show presented by Purina Pro Plan, held at Madison Square Garden, “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” on the evening of Tuesday, February 11.

Taylor, handling their 5-year-old male, officially known as GCHS CH Bugaboo’s Let It Be, took top honors in the Junior Showmanship competition besting a field of 103 entrants, narrowed down to eight finalists. The eight junior showmanship finalists were determined in preliminary rounds by judges Mr. Adam Peterson of Seagrove, NC, and Mrs. Kellie Williams of Riverview, FL.

As the 2025 Westminster Kennel Club Best Junior Handler, Taylor will receive a $10,000 Junior Showmanship Finalists Scholarship Award. All other finalists also receive scholarship awards: Second place $5,000, Third place $4,000, and Fourth place $3,000. The remaining four finalists receive a $500 scholarship award. The scholarships are for their use in post-secondary schooling for the college or technical school of their choice.

Junior Showmanship is a competition assessing the handling skills of children 9-18 years of age, independent of the traits of the dog, which highlights and supports the dedicated youth in the sport of dogs. This competition has been held as part of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show since 1934.