She’s just inches taller than the tips of her dog’s ears, but in the ring, she’s larger than life.
10-year-old Olivia Betancourt and her Great Dane, “Lexus,” glided onto the blue carpet with the grace and harmony of two ballroom dancers, despite their size disparity. Olivia’s shoulders are level with Lexus’s forehead, and when she bent down to hand-stack him, she nearly disappeared behind his towering silhouette.
Competing for Best Junior
Olivia was one of nearly 160 young handlers vying for the coveted title of Best Junior at the 2025 AKC National Championship, presented by Royal Canin. These talented juniors qualified for the show through their achievements in the ring and the classroom.
“[It was] very exciting, and at the same time, I was also a bit nervous,” Olivia says. “I figured that there were going to be lots of kids in my class, because it’s a very competitive place for Juniors.”
But Olivia’s determined expression masked any nerves she might have felt that day. Although she’d only recently aged into Juniors — and this was her first year showing at the ANC — her poise and performance come from a lifetime of experience.
From the Womb to the Ring
A third-generation fancier, Olivia is the daughter of Rosario Piñeiro Betancourt and Elyadas Betancourt, breeder-owner-handlers of Great Danes and Smooth Fox Terriers in Brooksville, Florida. When Rosario was Olivia’s age, she started showing her mother’s Danes in Argentina, where she grew up. Elyadas showed Danes as a young adult in Cuba, where he lived. The couple met at a dog show in Florida, and before long, they were married and had Olivia.
“We would have her stroller, and we would put it ringside,” Rosario says. “If my husband was showing, or I was showing, she was there and always watching.”
Watching and Learning
Even as a toddler, Olivia was observant. When her parents evaluated litters and practiced stacking puppies, Olivia asked questions and gave her own input. Rosario recalls one day when young Olivia took the leash of a 4-month-old puppy and confidently started walking her. “She was doing exactly the same things that I do — you know, stacking the dog and freestacking. I was like, ‘Wow!'”
Olivia first stepped into the ring at 3 years old to help her dad show a client dog, and hasn’t slowed down since. She started showing her family’s Smooth Fox Terriers, often going up against her parents in Best of Breed competition — and winning.
“It’s fun to beat my mom and dad,” Olivia quips. “They’re proud of me.”
As handlers themselves, Rosario and Elyadas sometimes give Olivia guidance on handling, but Rosario says Olivia is a perceptive learner on her own. When she’s not showing, Olivia likes to stand ringside and watch other handlers show their dogs, so she can learn from their technique.
She’s also got a natural, intuitive way with animals, Rosario says. “She is that kind of person that has the touch — that you can handle any dog, and they will be good with you. It’s something special that I think that you have to be born with. It’s not something that you learn.”
Going Big
When she turned 9, Olivia was finally eligible to compete in AKC Junior Showmanship, although she didn’t start right away. There were new considerations she’d have to learn for Juniors — like different gaiting patterns and entering the ring according to your dog’s size instead of armband number.
She earned a few Reserve Best Junior awards with her family’s terriers, but Olivia enjoys a challenge. Her dad suggested Olivia try 5-year-old Lexus (GCHP EB The Relentless Pursuit Of Perfection), their top-winning Great Dane special.
“It’s not a breed that most Juniors use, because they’re pretty hard to show,” Olivia says. “They’re strong and big, and you need to have a bit of strength in order to control them and stuff. And I like showing them, because they’re kind of fun.”
Learning With Lexus
Olivia and Lexus took Best Junior on their first day as a team — and several more after that. Of the 11 Best Junior awards Olivia’s earned, 10 have been with Lexus.
“He is a very fun dog to show, and he is very experienced in showing, and I feel like we have a bond together,” Olivia says. “He’s pretty easy, he listens to me, and he’s sweet and always happy.”
At 10 years old, Olivia has a bright future ahead. She loves to challenge herself by branching out with different breeds — like her Pointer, “Nellie,” and a client’s Afghan Hound. She hopes to one day show at Westminster for Juniors (she’s already won an Award of Merit there on one of her terriers) and return to Orlando for a chance to show in the Juniors finals.
Until then, Olivia continues to watch, observe, and learn: “I get better and better every year.”