The Pharaoh Hound is a living artifact. Their sleek form is etched on the walls of Egyptian tombs and ancient pottery. These elegant sighthounds exude a quiet confidence in the show ring, with their statuesque free stack and flowing gait. But it takes tremendous skill to present a sighthound in a manner that looks effortless and natural. That’s exactly where Cameron Kerridge shines. The 12-year-old from Vancouver, Washington, has been the top junior handler in Pharaohs since 2024 and in Cirnechi dell’Etna since 2023.
His secret? “Calm hands and movement,” Kerridge says. He presents these ancient breeds with a sort of reverence, standing back to let his dogs’ regal features speak for themselves.
Growing Up in Dogs
It’s no exaggeration to say Kerridge has been in the dog fancy his whole life. He attended his first show at just 12 days old. “I would have him in a front pouch as a baby,” his mom recalls. “He was on me constantly, except when I was in the ring.” His mom, Emily, says that when her number was called, she’d unclip the carrier, hand baby Cameron to a friend standing ringside, show her dog, then put the carrier back on.
His mom is a professional handler and a breeder. She’s the breeder of Nefer-Temu Pharaoh Hounds, and co-breeder of Kr’msun Cirnechi dell’Etna. On the nights she taught handling classes, 2-year-old Kerridge tagged along and practiced running dogs for fun.
Then one weekend, on the last day of a show cluster, his mom found herself without an extra hand to bring her Winners Dog Cirneco back in the ring for Best of Breed while she handled her special. Her son, barely 4 years old, took the lead — he was only a bit taller than the well-behaved pup.
“All he had to do was follow us around with the specials, and he’d seen it so many times,” his mom says. “He did great — and wound up getting Best of Winners!”
Finding His Place in the Fancy
Kerridge got so much practice helping his mom that by the time he was old enough to show in Pee Wee, he was confident he could handle the dogs on his own. “In Pee Wee, they require the parent to go in the ring with them, or an adult. And he was really put out by that,” Emily laughs.
He started Juniors with a Cirneco named “Sparky” (GCHS CH Kr’msun Rocket’s Red Glare JC BCAT) — the same dog he showed as a puppy his very first time in the ring — and later a Pharaoh named “Oliver” (GCHS DC Nefer-Temu Anubis’ Green Lantern MC).
But his first big-winning Juniors partner was “Lyric” (GCHG DC Kr’msun Baby One More Time SC BN BCAT TKN CGC ATT), who was supposed to be Emily’s young up-and-coming special. “Cameron tried her out in Juniors one weekend, and the pair really clicked in a very magical way,” his mom says. He begged to show her in breed, and before long, he had taken over showing her completely.
“The running joke in our region is that he ‘stole’ my special from me,” his mom says. “She was a newly-minted Grand Champion when he took her over, but Cameron has handled her to her Bronze-, Silver-, and Gold-level titles, multiple group wins, and a Reserve Best in Show.”
Growing up in the fancy has also given Kerridge a close-knit group of friends. Many are part of the Clover Rovers 4-H club. These friendships, he says, are his favorite part of showing in Juniors. Early on, an older junior handler, Lila Holberg, took Kerridge under her wing. His mom said he’s “like a little brother,” to her, and has mentored him on handling and ring procedure.
“The kids up in this region have been very supportive and good friends to each other, win or lose,” his mom says. Many junior handlers in the area — Cameron included — are among the top- ranked in the nation, and competition can be fierce. “They maintain friendships regardless of who wins the Juniors class on this day.”
Regal and Rare: Showing Sighthounds in Juniors
Pharaohs and Cirnechi are very rare, respectively placing 180th and 184th in AKC’s 2025 popularity ranking. They’re an even rarer sight in the Juniors ring. Judges who understand sighthounds appreciate Kerridge’s subtle presentation and fluid movement.
“I know how to move a dog to its proper pace or speed,” he says. “I can get good extension out of them.” In the lineup, he stands back with a relaxed lead, highlighting his hounds’ cool confidence and beautiful structure.
He makes it look easy — but that doesn’t mean it is.
“You’re doing a lot of work with a hound to keep them engaged, because if you lose them, they’re gone. They’re distracted by sights, by smells, by sounds,” his mom says. “Kids with sighthounds are doing a lot of work, but it sometimes doesn’t look like that from across the ring, because they’re very quiet and understated.”
These breeds have a mind of their own, Kerridge adds: “They’ll sometimes blow you off.”
Still, Kerridge says, both Pharaohs and Cirnechi make excellent companions. They can excel in multiple sports with handlers who understand their personality and independent streaks. Today, he competes with Lyric and a Pharaoh named “Stilgar” (GCHB DC Nefer-Temu Sietch Tabr MC). They compete in obedience, AKC Rally, and coursing in addition to Junior Showmanship and group-level specialing.
“They’re loyal, they’re funny, they’re silly, they’re high prey-drive, and they love their owners,” he says. For Kerridge, life with these majestic, ancient hounds means stepping back and letting them have the limelight — as it’s been for millennia.