AKC NATIONAL OWNER-HANDLED SERIES DO YOU CHECK THE BOX? by Pat Bullard
I am one of those owner-handlers and my breed is Maltese. I started showing my own dogs ten years ago when NOHS was still in its first years of existence. Since its beginnings, the rules of the series have slightly changed, allowing dogs co-owned with professionals to be shown by their non-professional owner, and now we don’t see as many judges par- ticipating in the series today as in the earlier years. Make no mistake, the competition is much more fierce in NOHS today than it was in its begin- ning years, and the experience that a new owner-handler can gain from the series is even greater now, since al- most every show offers NOHS. The series also means longer days if you win the coveted brown ribbon for NOHS Best of Breed, but it gives you the chance to spend the day learning more by watching the performances of the pros you admire. I used to teach ballet, so it’s natural for me to think in terms of dance for performance, and each step and movement means so much while you’re in the ring. For in- stance, learning when to rest your dog during Group judging is just as impor- tant as a flawless table exam. In fact, it was through showing in the NOHS Group that I finally learned what a re- ally good table exam feels like in our performance dance. The excitement of that first NOHS Group placement, first Group win, and the overwhelming joy of your first NOHS Best in Show is something you will cherish for the rest of your life, and it is the biggest step you can
W e stand side-by-side with the most famous and experienced professional handlers and breeders in the country almost every time we step into the confor- mation ring as owner-handlers, and many of us are beginners. How do we gain the presentation experience to compete with those professionals?
AKC has given us the most powerful and free tool that we could possibly hope for in the National Owner-Han- dled Series (NOHS). To compete in this series, all we have to do is check the box for each day’s entries when we enter the show. This gives us a chance to win NOHS Best of Breed and a trip to the NOHS Group ring.
T op N otch T oys , N ovember 2021 • 19
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