Young Kennel Club

Stakes Judge - Mrs Jacqui Ward

I have been involved in dogs for most of my life, as a child my father bred racing Greyhounds. Before being involved in the show world, I owned and worked Labradors. It was at a Game Fair in 1979 that I first saw a Weimaraner and was determined to own one. I started showing in 1982 and I judged my first set of CC’s in Weimaraner’s in 1992. I am now passed to judge CC’s in all of the gundog group. I am also passed to award CC’s in three Terrier breeds. I have judged all breeds at Open Show level, and I have judged in numerous countries around the world including Italy, Sweden, Norway Germany, Czech Republic and Gibraltar to name a few. I feel honoured and privileged to be invited to judge The YKC stakes at Crufts 2025 and I am really looking forward to this wonderful appointment.

Handling Judge – Charlotte-Louise Page

I joined the Young Kennel Club when I was nine years old and started showing when I was eleven years old. My first show dog Ch Winflash Spring Angel SHcM taught me everything I needed to know and I was fortunate to make her into my first Champion. I have since owned, bred and shown Dalmatians under the Winflash affix making up eight champions in total. Alongside this I have awarded CCs in Dalmatians twice and sit on the North of England Dalmatian Club previously acting as Treasurer before stepping down into at Committee role in the past year. I have been fortunate to have grown up with parents who were dedicated to the breed and encouraged me to participate in the breed classes and YKC classes thanks to them I have been lucky enough to have owned and shown some of the best examples of the breed.

The YKC is hugely important to me as it provided more than can sometimes be described. It is more than just a club or competition you can enter, it provides young people with an opportunity to build friends and spend time with their dogs. It was some of the best years of my life being apart of this community, from the lifelong friends I have made to the opportunities it presents. I wouldn’t have joined The Kennel Club as a career if it wasn’t for Young Kennel Club and I probably wouldn’t have flown across the world to train young handlers in Japan. I have been very fortunate in my time in the Young Kennel Club to have won some of the most prestigious titles, from Young Kennel Club Stakes winner overall in 2016 and 2017 to the UK Junior handler of the year in 2010. I also won the Young Kennel Club Outstanding Young Person in 2016 and went on to write a book ‘Handling to Success’ that The Kennel Club published for me. It’s a fantastic community and I am very honoured to be judging the handling classes at Crufts 2025 especially in its 40^th Anniversary. My advice to any of the handlers who have qualified is enjoy the day with your dog, regardless of what happens on the day it’s a honour to be there so make the most of moment.

Assistant Agility and Jumping Judge - Mariann Bayliss

I have been competing in agility for almost fourteen years and have been judging for three years. I have competed for Team GB, Team England and at Crufts over the past ten years, brining home three Gold and two Bronze medals, as well as winning the YKC Agility Dog of the Year competition in 2022. I am absolutely honoured to be judging at Crufts and am looking forwards to judging and supporting the next generation of young handlers. The YKC has been such a fundamental part of my journey to where I am today. It has allowed me to make lifelong friends, have access to fantastic training sessions, develop everyday skills and improve my dog training abilities, but most importantly have fun with my dogs!!

If you know someone aged 6-24 years, the Young Kennel Club is an ideal place to make new friends, develop your love of dogs and acquire new skills. The annual membership fee for the Young Kennel Club is just £20, includes:

• A membership pack

• Membership number so you can compete with your dog in YKC Crufts Qualifiers held at a variety of dogs shows throughout the year.

• Opportunities to try out different disciplines at YKC training days and weekends.

• Opportunities to attend YKC events and camps

• Fetch magazine for members, which is issued twice a year.

• Free Crufts ticket (one day pass)

• A YKC member-only ring at Crufts, where members qualify and compete at the highest level

Sign up today!

Make sure that you bring any youngsters or young adults (aged up to 24 years) along to see us at the show as we have our very own stand and ring, jam packed with competitions and displays over all four days. If you are new to the club, this is the perfect opportunity to come along and find out firsthand from members about the activities you can become involved with. If you’re an old hand, the show is the ideal occasion to catch up with your friends.

Dog showing, or exhibiting as it is known, is the most popular canine activity in the UK. In the Young Kennel Club stakes finals, the judge will compare each dog against the official Kennel Club breed standard (which is a guide for the characteristics for that breed, including health and temperament). The dogs which come closest to the breed standard receive the top places.

YKC handling competitions let members compete against one another to find out who is the best at showing their dog. The competition is held in exactly the same format as a breed ring, but it isn't the dog being judged, it's you! 

Dog agility is an action packed and hugely exciting sport for you and your dog. It involves loads of obstacles for your dog (not you!) to run through, jump over, and weave in and out of – and all against the clock! Not only does agility test your dog’s fitness, you can also show off your skills as a handler, directing your dog around the agility course.

Training your dog for competitive obedience is fun, challenging and an interesting activity for you to enjoy together. Competitive obedience shows take place all over the country throughout the year, and are open for competitors of all levels to enter. 

Heelwork to music is obedience training with a twist! Your dog has to show its understanding and knowledge of training commands - but the great part is that your dog can show off their obedience skills within a dance routine with music, which has been created by you.

There are two types of HTM classes, freestyle and heelwork, and most shows stage official classes in both categories.

Flyball competitions involve two teams of handlers and their dogs racing against each other. These competitions are great for making new friends, while enjoying time with your dog and competing.

Our annual award is the chance to celebrate young people who are transforming the lives of others. We seek to recognise young people who have overcome huge challenges, or who go above and beyond to demonstrate their love of dogs, and encourage others to become a part of the dog world.

The YKC offer lots of ways for young artists to practice and enter competitions. We hold one main competition a year. The winner will receive a range of prizes and have their work on display at Crufts.

Even if you own a short-haired breed, grooming is an important part of dog care in the show ring as well as with pet dogs. Regular grooming is also a good way of checking the general health of your dog.