Nevaeh Stadtfeld on Dog Show Connection as Junior Handler

Fourteen-year-old Nevaeh Stadtfeld says a single glance is all her Bedlington Terrier, Loretta, needs. The dog instantly repositions a foot or shifts her weight for a better freestack. For this junior handler from White Oak, Texas, the connection with her canine teammate is everything. Her main focus is the dog's comfort, not winning. This holds true whether showing her Bedlingtons, her Doberman Pinscher Sydnie, or a new dog ringside.

Nevaeh comes from a fourth-generation dog show family. Her great-grandmother, Annette Gustavson, started a Bedlington Terrier legacy. Her grandmother, Tracey Gustavson, continued it. Her mother, Jessica Tate, prefers care and prep work over the ring. Nevaeh was hooked at age four. That's when she helped her grandmother in the ring for the first time.

Her First Show Dog

At six, she began working with a Bedlington puppy named Stone, bred by her grandmother. Stone taught her patience. Bedlington puppies are high-energy 'little alligators,' she says. Stone developed an underbite as he matured. This deviation from the breed standard ended his conformation career. Nevaeh did not mind. Now he is her pet.

Junior Showmanship's Learning Curve

Nevaeh started her Junior Showmanship career at nine with a Bedlington named Willow. Despite prior breed ring experience, Juniors felt like a new sport. It involved new gaiting patterns, different procedures, and larger classes. Every move had to be deliberate. Nevaeh told the American Kennel Club it caught her off guard. You have to always pay attention, she learned. She balances focus on her dog with awareness of the judge and competitors.

Dynamic Bedlingtons

Nevaeh became the number one junior handler in Bedlington Terriers for two consecutive years. After a breeding break with Willow, she chose a puppy named Loretta from the litter. Loretta's look told Nevaeh she would be her new show dog. In the ring, Loretta is social, outgoing, intelligent, and eye-catching. At home, her manners vanish. Nevaeh laughs. Loretta will run all over the couch, knock all the cushions down, and break stuff. She's a little wrecking ball. She and her grandmother raise 'big-time nanny dogs.' These Bedlingtons are great with kids, cats, and chaos.

Branching Out from Bedlingtons

While Bedlingtons remain her 'heart breed,' Nevaeh has handled other breeds. For about a year, she has shown a Doberman Pinscher named Sydnie. This challenged her to adjust her handling style. Loretta doesn't think a lot, she said. My Doberman has so many thoughts. She may even think too much. Working with multiple breeds has made her a more versatile and thoughtful handler.

Nevaeh credits mentors like Lucy Heyman, Lori Cobb Easterwood, Dee Dietz, and Ashley Miller. They taught her grooming, evaluation, and handling. She values the connections formed through showing. These are with her dogs, other juniors, her mentors, and her family. She travels with her grandmother. She builds friendships. She shares an activity she loves. I show dogs for fun and for pleasure, Nevaeh says. I don't do it for a ribbon.