For Bedlington Terrier “Loretta,” one look is all it takes. She’s so attuned to her owner, Nevaeh Stadtfeld, that just the slightest glance is her cue to reposition a foot or shift her weight for a more balanced freestack.
“In Juniors, I’ve learned that judges really look for your connection,” Nevaeh says. Being in sync with her canine teammate is what it’s about for this junior handler — whether she’s showing one of her Bedlingtons, her Doberman Pinscher “Sydnie,” or a dog she’s just met ringside.
“When I take a dog in, my main focus is not winning,” she says. “My main focus is how comfortable the dog is.”
A Fourth-Generation Dog Show Family
Fourteen-year-old Nevaeh, of White Oak, Texas, says the dog fancy is like “one big family.”
As a fourth-generation fancier, she’s carrying on a Bedlington Terrier legacy. It started with her great-grandmother, Annette Gustavson, and continued with her grandmother, Tracey Gustavson. Nevaeh’s mom, Jessica Tate, prefers caring for the dogs and helping with the prep work over being in the ring.
Nevaeh, on the other hand, was smitten from the start. She was only 4 years old when she took her first dog into the ring to help out her grandma.
“I was very happy,” she recalls. “I was like, ‘Wow, this might be something I want to do for the rest of my life!’”
Her First Show Dog
When she was 6 years old, Nevaeh started working with “Stone” (Tracewind’s Stone Cold Stunner). Stone was a Bedlington puppy that her grandmother bred, young at the time.
“He definitely taught me patience,” Nevaeh laughs. “With any puppy, especially with Bedlington puppies, they’re so high energy. They’re little alligators. You have to be very patient.”
But Stone wasn’t able to compete in conformation for long. He developed an underbite as he matured, which is a deviation from their breed standard. Nevaeh couldn’t continue to show him in conformation, but doesn’t mind.
“Now he’s my little pet,” she says, warmly.
Junior Showmanship’s Learning Curve
Nevaeh continued to travel to shows with her grandma and learn about her breed as they looked for a suitable Juniors partner. At 9 years old, she started her Juniors career with a Bedlington named “Willow” (GCH CH Patchwork’s Latest New Fad).
“She shaped me as a Junior more than I could ever imagine,” Nevaeh reflects.
Despite years of showing in the breed ring, Junior Showmanship felt like an entirely new sport to Nevaeh. There were new gaiting patterns, different ring procedures, and larger class sizes. She learned that every move must be deliberate and intentional.
“You have to always, always, always pay attention, and that caught me off guard,” Nevaeh says. “I would be so locked in on what my dog is doing and not focusing on if the judge is looking at me or the people around me, and it took me a long time to adjust to that.”
Dynamic Bedlingtons
Nevaeh rose to the No. 1 junior handler in Bedlington Terriers for two consecutive years before taking a break to breed Willow with another one of their Bedlingtons. When evaluating the litters, she was immediately drawn to one puppy: Loretta (CH Tracewind Coal Miners Daughter).
“Loretta just gave me that look, and I knew that that was going to be my new show dog,” Nevaeh remembers. “She made sure you knew she was there.”
Today, Loretta embodies the qualities Nevaeh loves in Bedlington Terriers. She’s social, outgoing, intelligent, and eye-catching in the ring.
“She’s very intelligent, but when she’s home, her manners evaporate. They grow wings and fly away,” Nevaeh laughs. “She’ll run all over the couch, knock all the cushions down, break stuff. She’s definitely a little wrecking ball.”
Nevaeh says she and her grandma raise “big-time nanny dogs” — Bedlingtons who are great with kids, cats, and chaos. “They will cater to you in any way that you need, but they also know when you need space,” she says.
Branching Out from Bedlingtons
While Bedlingtons will always be Nevaeh’s “heart breed,” she has also embraced the opportunity to handle other breeds.
For about a year, she has shown a Doberman Pinscher named Sydnie (GCH CH Phillmar Something To Talk About). The experience has challenged her to adjust her handling style and connect with a dog that thinks differently.
“Loretta doesn’t think a lot,” Nevaeh laughs. “My Doberman has so many thoughts. She may even think too much.”
She’s enjoyed showing a Working breed and learning how to connect with Sydnie. Working with multiple breeds has helped her become a more versatile and thoughtful handler, too.
Finding Friendship and Family
Nevaeh says she is “beyond grateful” to her mentors. Lucy Heyman, Lori Cobb Easterwood, Dee Dietz, and Ashley Miller, to name just a few, have taught her everything. From grooming Bedlingtons to, evaluating litters and handling new breeds.
For Nevaeh, showing dogs is about connection — with her dogs, other juniors, her mentors, and her family. She most enjoys the opportunity to travel to new places with her grandmother, build lasting friendships with other Juniors, and, of course, share an activity with her dogs.
“I show dogs for fun and for pleasure,” Nevaeh says. “I don’t do it for a ribbon. I don’t do it to win. I do it because it’s something that I love to do.”