Junior Showmanship (often called simply "Jrs.") is an AKC
sanctioned, highly competitive sport for junior handlers, ages 10-18. It
is the skills of the handler that are judged in this case, not the dog's
conformation, though it is very helpful to
have a typey, conformationally
correct dog. The original purpose of Jrs. was to prepare young handlers
for the "big bad scary breed ring," but over the years, it has grown
into a sport which is every bit as competitive and sometimes cut throat as the
conformation ring. National rankings are highly sought after for invites
to prestigious shows. These rankings are based on a points system the same
as conformation rankings.
There are six classes in AKC Jr. Showmanship: Novice Junior, Novice Intermediate, Novice Senior, Open Junior, Open Intermediate, and Open Senior. Theses six classes are judged individually, and then the winners from each class compete for the award of Best Junior Handler (BJH).
I competed in the Jrs ring when I was young. The only breed I ever showed
in Jrs was the Pharaoh Hound, so its hard to rate how they compare to other
breeds in this respect. On the one hand, Pharaohs are obvious standouts in
line, very flashy and attention grabbing--this is the original reason that I was
drawn to the breed as a juniors dog. There is relatively little grooming
to be done to make a Pharaoh "ring ready," which is another plus to
me. The Pharaoh is a very "hands off" breed to show, favoring
quiet handling and utilization of free-stacking over busy handling. Some
judges appreciate the natural presentation, and others prefer the business
required to show a sporting breed, for example. Another drawback to the
Pharaoh as a Jrs. dog is that some Open classes can run upwards of an hour--even
more than the average conformation group. Before the end of that hour, my
Pharaohs would usually decide that they'd had quite enough and quit showing.
A bored Pharaoh who sees no reason to put his ears up is not too impressive in
the Jrs. ring.
