SNOHOMISH — Haley Pemble returned from Long Beach, Calif., with a second-place ribbon, an American Kennel Club T-shirt and complimentary dog eye-and-ear wipes.
During the week she spent in California, she competed in three dog shows, visited Disneyland and watched her Shetland sheepdog, Elliot, bark at a fountain in a park near her hotel. The Monroe High School freshman won second place at a small dog show, but didn’t place in the prestigious AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on Dec. 14.
“It was amazing,” Haley said. “It was a lot bigger than I expected and not as competitive actually. I expected to be all nerves and about to fall apart — and I was a little nervous, but not as nervous as I expected.”
Fourteen-year-old Haley and 4-year-old Elliott have been training for competition since he was a puppy. When they began, neither had any experience in the ring. Qualifying to compete in the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship was the duo’s greatest accomplishment thus far. The well-known show is scheduled to be broadcast on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel on Wednesday.
“With all the cuts, Haley did not make the final 12, but it was an awesome, awesome experience,” her mom Bonnie Pemble said. “She showed her heart out. She did a beautiful job.”
In order to qualify for the junior division, students must have five wins at sanctioned AKC shows and maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average for two semesters.
Haley competed against 156 kids between the ages of 9 and 18 from across the nation. She was the only Snohomish County teen to participate.
AKC spokeswoman Lisa Peterson compared competing in the show to skating in the national figure skating championship.
“It’s really an honor to qualify and it’s just the culmination of their hard work,” she said. “The juniors are really excited to come to Long Beach to compete in this prestigious event.”
Dylan Kipp of Union Grove, Wis., and her Doberman pinscher, Parris, won the junior event, which focuses more on the handlers’ skills than on the dog’s appearance. In the adult competition, which is all about the dogs, a New York City pointer named Cookieland Seasyde Hollyberry won.
Haley had hoped to mingle with professional handlers at the show, but they were all very serious and didn’t have much time for small talk, Bonnie Pemble said.
Competing in the national championship and winning second at a show days before the main event helped Haley realize how much she wants to continue showing for the rest of her life.
“Going into it, I didn’t have much faith in myself,” Haley said. “But coming out of the ring taking second, it made me feel really good. It made me feel like I did belong there.”
Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or kmanry@heraldnet.com.
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