2013 BEST JUNIOR HANDLER
EMILY MONTOYA
My Junior Career began with Billie and will be ending with her son Baxter. Along the way I have had the opportunity to show several Springers and English Setters in Juniors. My favorite will always be Jaryd Kay. He always challenged me and forced me to think inside and outside of the ring. I will be forever thankful to my dog show family and friends that have offered their advice and support. Even when I thought I knew all the answers. There are too many to name but they know who they are.
Competing in Juniors gave me an opportunity to make many friends and learn about their dogs. I will miss the fun we had helping each other and welcoming new Juniors but I look forward to continuing to compete in the breed ring and my new adventure in Agility.
Stats: 267 Points
2013 RUNNER-UP TO BEST JUNIOR HANDLER
LILI MANCINI
With help from AKC professional handler, Kathy Kirk, and breeder, Dorothy Cherry, of Cerise English Springer Spaniels, I started showing dogs when I was only 9 years old. At first, I thought it as the coolest thing! I just did it for fun and something different to do. I enjoyed being with animals, traveling all over the East Coast every weekend, and meeting new people. I learned a lot about Springers such as, health clearances, breeding, grooming, showing, training, and caring for them. Being a Junior Handler also helped me learn about sportsmanship, responsibility, and dedication. After working with various dogs, I found the perfect match, "Ava," GCH Cerise Barefoot Contessa. I look forward to many more years of showing with Cerise.
Stats: 257 Points
