Junior Handling at Iceland
© Auður Sif Sigurgeirsdóttir 2007

In Iceland the first junior handling competition was organized by the Icelandic kennel club (HRFI) in 1992. Since then the interest among young people in junior handling and dogs in general has increased every year and in 2001 a special youth organisation was founded by HRFI.

The purpose with this organisation is to increase interest in dogs among young people. The board of the organisation organizes trainings for junior handlers and showtraining every week almost the whole year around and many other fun events. The agility organisation of HRFI organizes special courses in agility for the young people.

In Iceland the junior handlers compete in two different age groups. In the younger group there are handlers from 10-13 years old. They can begin competing in junior handling the year they turn 10 and stay in the younger group untill the end of the 13th year. In the older group there are handlers from 14-17 years old. They start competing in the older group the year they turn 14 and can compete in junior handling throughout the 17th year.

When entering a junior handling competition in Iceland the junior handler enters his/her personal details but doesn´t have to chose a specific dog or a breed. However the dog shown in the competition has to be 9 months old and registered in a kennelclub recognized by the HRFI.

Usually there are about 25-30 junior handlers entered in each age group every show, so the total of junior handlers can be around 50-60. The judge places the handlers from 1-4. 

Top Junior Handler

The junior handlers collect points during the year and the one with the highest score of points in the older group becomes the Top Junior Handler of the year. He/she goes to the International Junior Handling Final at Crufts as a representative for Iceland.

The four (4) top junior handlers of the year in older group represents the Icelandic national team at the Nordic winner show each year.

The junior handlers in the younger group also compete with the same point-system and the winner becomes the Top junior handler of the year in younger group.

Score-board in Junior handling: