A JUNIOR’S Secret Strength
BY GAIL MILLER BISHER
I t’s been a minute since I was a Junior Handler, but when asked about how that experience shaped my professional career, the memories came flooding back. Growing up outside of St. Louis, Missouri, my parents and I spent many hours in the car driving to dog shows across the coun- try. My mom was the breeder, dad the chauffer, and I quickly became the family handler, finishing my first champion when I was twelve. Competing in the Junior Showmanship and regular breed rings from elementary school through high school was its own form of education. Participating in the sport and competing as a Junior Handler teaches you how to care for dogs, work with dogs, and compete as a team with a dog. You also learn planning, preparation, dedication, responsibility, and sportsmanship. Almost every aspect of being a Junior Handler can be directly applied to skills needed in the pro- fessional world. Looking back, there are lessons that I walked away with that have given me support over many years and in a variety of undertakings. BANKING CONFIDENCE Handling as a Junior is unlike any other sport in that age is not a factor. Kids and adults compete and are evaluated on the same level. The winner is selected based on the quality of the individual’s dog. The fact that young people can be victorious over adults can help build a tremendous amount of confidence at a young age. You are equal in the ring and, if you have a quality dog and handle it properly, this empowerment can make all the difference to a kid. The confidence built in the ring as a young handler will stay with you for the rest of your life. As you face challenging or intimidating academic or professional tasks, you can recall memories of a difficult dog you handled, staying calm while in a final lineup, or handling a dog to Best of Breed over professional handlers. Those experiences will remind you that “you got this.” You have already learned how to handle pressure. An example of this is when I was completing my master’s degree in communications. When faced with my final oral exam- ination, I had to perform with a panel of professors seated in
PARTICIPATING IN THE SPORT AND COMPETING AS A JUNIOR HANDLER TEACHES YOU HOW TO CARE FOR DOGS, WORK WITH DOGS, AND COMPETE AS A TEAM WITH A DOG. YOU ALSO LEARN PLANNING, PREPARATION, DEDICATION, RESPONSIBILITY, AND SPORTSMANSHIP. ALMOST EVERY ASPECT OF BEING A JUNIOR HANDLER CAN BE DIRECTLY APPLIED TO SKILLS NEEDED IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD.
42 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2022
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