Gabriella Gebhard hits the big time. (Photos courtesy Stephanie Gebhard)
Coupeville took a sizable bite out of the Big Apple.
CHS sophomore Gabriella Gebhard and her English setter, Walker – Set’r Ridge’s Legend in the Making, competed Tuesday at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
The duo competed for the Junior Showmanship title and landed in the top half of the 89 competitors.
Luke Waters of Indiana, showing a Wire Fox Terrier known as Claypools Make Your Mark, claimed top honors.
Westminster, now in its 147th year, is the premier dog show in America, and you have to earn your ticket to compete.
For Gebhard and her rivals, that meant earning Best Junior Handler status in “a minimum of two competing classes at seven or more AKC dog shows in the previous year.”
Getting limbered up for their big-city debut.
Gebhard, who was making her debut appearance at Westminster, is well on her way to qualifying for a repeat trip in 2024.
In Junior Showmanship, judges evaluate the handler on “how they present their dog and how they enhance their dog’s qualities.”
They need to “be able to demonstrate to the judge knowledge of their breed and appropriate ways to present the dog,” with judges looking at “control of the dog, presentation of the dog, and teamwork between the junior and their dog.”
Gebhard and Walker aim for that perfect angle.
While Gabriella was aiming for the crown, showing strongly in her big-time debut is a huge positive.
“The judge looked at her and Walker until the very end,” mom Stephanie Gebhard said. “Impressive on her first try.”
Congrats to a top-notch doggo.
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