Birmingham Dog Show Society Ltd

National dog show JHA 2026 critiques

Firstly, I would like to thank my two efficient stewards, Bob and Joe, who greeted me with a smile on each of the four days and ensured the ring ran smoothly throughout.

Overall, I was very impressed with the standard of handling across all four days. I truly feel there is a great deal of potential coming through our hobby, and it is so important that we continue to support and educate these young handlers.

Day 1

6–11 Years

1st – Libby Burke. A natural and attentive handler. Libby was aware of my position at all times and ensured her dog was always visible. Her lead work was excellent, and her lines were clean and straight. In this class, she communicated with her dog the most, demonstrating a trusting and effective partnership. A very promising young handler with an exciting future ahead.

2nd – Amelia Blanchard. Another capable handler who demonstrated some lovely examples of presentation. Her lead work was of a good standard, and she moved at the correct pace to show her dog to its best advantage. Her table work was not quite as polished as first place, particularly when positioning her dog and maintaining communication, but overall a strong performance.

3rd – Grayson Affield. This young handler’s first handling class, and it was lovely to see the smile and enjoyment on his face throughout. He demonstrated some good technique on the move, and there was clearly a connection between him and his dog. With continued mentoring, he has every chance of becoming a very accomplished handler.

12–16 Years

1st – Kendra Wilson. The most attentive handler in the class, exhibiting with real confidence. She was always aware of my position and consistently kept her dog visible. Her line work was excellent, and she allowed herself to “disappear” during examination to show her dog to its best advantage. She followed instructions clearly and presented the teeth cleanly. It was also lovely to see how polite she was to both myself and her fellow competitors.

2nd – Layla Uyanik. A quiet but sympathetic handler who showed clear knowledge of breed-specific presentation. She remained attentive to my presence and responded well when I adjusted her dog’s leg on the stack. Another handler who demonstrated neat, clean lines.

3rd – Natalya Bloomfield. Unfortunately, some days our dogs simply do not cooperate, and that was the case today. However, I could still see flashes of quality handling when her dog settled, particularly in her fluid movement and tidy lead work. Just be mindful of following instructions precisely when moving.

Day 2

6–11 Years

1st – Evie Bryson. A handler I have judged previously, and I was blown away by her improvement today. She has come on leaps and bounds since I last saw her. A super young handler who truly makes her dog the star of the show. She was highly aware of my positioning, moved with clean and fluid lines, and presented a breed-perfect stack on the table. She never stopped smiling, clearly enjoying every moment, and her excellent manners were the cherry on top. Well done.

2nd – Elena Stuart. Another star handler who pushed hard for top honours today. She displayed many of the same strengths as first place and could easily change places on another day. Excellent line work and pace of movement throughout. My only critique would be to communicate with her dog a little more.

3rd – Charlotte Wood. Her first handling class, but she took it all in her stride. She showed great potential and gave glimpses of very capable handling. Just be mindful of following the judge’s instructions carefully to demonstrate attentiveness.

12–16 Years

1st– Daphne Bryson. Wow, what a handler. I have judged Daphne previously in the younger classes, and like her sister, she has made huge improvements. Her confidence in the ring shone through, and she moved her dog with purpose and pride. Her lines were clean, her technique for showing teeth was correct, and her lead was kept tidy throughout. A handler I would happily trust with one of my own dogs.

2nd – Mollie Whiskers. Another handler I have judged before, and she has clearly worked hard to improve. Her awareness of my position was spot on, and she showed her dog to its best advantage on the table. My only critique would be the addition of an extra movement not asked for, but overall a very polished performance.

3rd – Isla Lowe-Fisher. Another good handler, though not quite as attentive as the first two today. She demonstrated neat lines and understood the correct pace for her breed. Just take care when asked to show teeth not to present the bite instead.

Day 3

6–11 Years

1st – Konan Maver. A very smart young handler who excelled in both attentiveness and communication with his dog. He moved at a clean, correct pace and remained fully aware of both my position and his fellow competitors. He used the ring space well and ensured his dog remained the star throughout. A handler with great potential and impeccable manners.

2nd – Leah Sharp. Another smart handler who tackled the challenge of presenting a fresh six-month-old puppy well. She maintained good lead control and showed lovely clean lines. Just be mindful of leg placement on the table to show the dog to its best advantage.

3rd – Ruby Trueman. A nice, clean pace for her dog and very good lead work. Her dog was a little excitable today, which affected the overall performance, but the quality is certainly there.

12–16 Years

1st – Evelyn Hardy. A super attentive handler who was always aware of my position. She was dressed to complement her dog, ensuring it remained the star of the show. Movement was clean and at the correct pace, and when stacked, the dog was foot perfect. A tidy lead and very polite throughout. Well done.

2nd – Leilani Fletcher-Elliot. A very close runner-up today, these two could easily swap places on another occasion. She displayed many of the same strengths as first place, with attentive and clean handling throughout. My only critique would be to speak to her dog a little more.

Day 4

6–11 Years

1st – Martha Billinge. The most sympathetic handler in the class. She communicated beautifully with her dog, and this showed during both examination and movement. Her stack was foot perfect, movement clean, and she was dressed smartly to complement her dog. Teeth were presented correctly without obstructing my view. Well done.

2nd – Evie Johnson. Another attentive handler who was always aware of my position. She moved at the correct pace for her breed and presented her dog to its best advantage. Her line work was clean, and she showed the teeth correctly.

3rd – Abigail Twigg. A smart handler with many of the same qualities as those placed above her. Attentive and tidy throughout, with polished lead work. Just be mindful of how many steps away from the judge you finish when completing a movement pattern.

4th – Ellie McGill. A handler who showed great promise and sound knowledge of presentation. Looked very smart with her dog and remained attentive throughout.

5th – Jacob Perfitt-Jones. One of the youngest in the class, yet certainly not lacking in skill. Clearly knowledgeable about his breed, and I was very impressed with his handling.

12–16 Years

A stellar class to end on and certainly the toughest of the four days, with three spectacular handlers, each of whom I would happily trust to handle a dog for me.

1st – Phoebe Johnson. What a quietly sympathetic handler. She truly made her dog the star of the show, fading into the background during presentation while maintaining constant communication. This extra edge in partnership and connection secured her the class today. She was always aware of my position, produced clean lines, and her table work was excellent.

2nd – Gavin Jones. Very close to first, only just losing out on communication. In all other respects, he displayed the same qualities of a strong handler: clean lines, excellent movement, and a lovely stack. Clearly shares a wonderful bond with his dog.

3rd – Chantelle Stuart. Her dog was not entirely cooperative today, but this did not stop her from demonstrating some lovely examples of handling. I could clearly see how hard she worked to keep everything together, which was no easy task.