About Junior Handling (UK)

What is junior handling?
Junior handling is the dog sport which focus' on how well a junior handles a dog in the show ring. It is just like what you see at Crufts however it isn't the dog which is being judged; it is judged on how well the handler shows off the dog.

There are two main associations in the UK which hold junior handling competitions, which are the Young Kennel Club and the Junior Handling Association.

Young Kennel Club
The YKC holds shows and training across every dog sport, not just handling. Each year, there are qualifiers at various dog shows across the country where many members of the club compete for the much-wanted prize - a 1st place and qualification for Crufts dog show the next year. To enter qualifiers your dog must be entered into a breed class (where the dog is judged) at the same show, however there are also a couple of training days where members can handle crossbreeds and non-show dogs and still get the chance to qualify. There are three categories for handling in the Young Kennel Club - 6-11 year olds, 12-16 year olds and 17-24 year olds.

Junior Handling Association
The JHA is a separate association for junior handlers. Unlike the Young Kennel Club it doesn't hold shows which qualify for Crufts, however it holds qualifiers for semi-finals. If you come 1st in any one of the fourteen semi-finals that year then you qualify for the final, which is held at Discover Dogs and the winner of that is crowed UK Junior Handler of the Year. This means that you get the opportunity to represent the UK in the International Junior Handling Competition in the main arena at Crufts. There are two age categories in junior handling with the JHA - 6-11 years and 12-16 years.

Videos of junior handling
Junior Handling Association Final 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q72AHr7ym4I

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