NOBLEDAL JUNIOR HANDLER ARWENIt takes a lot of work and commitment to get invited as a junior to Westminster.
NOBLEDAL Junior Handler Arwen was the youngest in 2016. Prior to that, she put NOBLEDAL Archer's Grand Champion title on him. In Ohio, the two won Best Junior In Show at the DCA Nationals in 2015. At local shows in Ohio, Arwen freely helped show other breeds for different handling experiences and to learn about them. Junior handling is always fraught with the unexpected. It is what helps young people develop confidence to make decisions under pressure and make peace with their decisions. In 2021, the last year Arwen could qualify to show as a junior handler at the DCA Nationals, her showy and beautifully moving young "Arrow" came into season and therefore could not be shown in Junior Showmanship competition. Arwen was offered a handsome young male to show in place of Arrow. She could also choose her Archer. After giving it much thought, she chose to risk her last competition with the dog she knew rather than a younger dog some thought more would be more appealing to the judge. She chose her veteran Archer with whom she began her junior show career when she was 9. He would be her teammate for her last junior competition at the Nationals. He was 9 years old. She made him look like he was young again. She won her Master class, then she won it all. Sometimes dreams do really come true. The experiences juniors have honing their abilities to care for and work with their dogs in the show ring provide a wealth of beneficial, lifelong skills. Arwen in 2024, is a pre-med student at Ohio State University (OSU). Her dedication and commitment to her goals are paying off, especially in studying for organic chemistry exams. She is doing well she says because she "lives" at the library. Her chemical reaction equations are left up on the white boards there. She used to keep her eye on the judge's reactions; now, she keeps her eye on chemical reactions. NOBLEDAL encourages other young juniors and makes our Dalmatians available to them whenever we can. |