When Adam Kucera was 12, all he wanted was a puppy. The Crownsville teen got that and a passion for one of the country’s oldest hobbies: showing dogs on a grand stage.
To keep the Irish setter named Stryker, Kucera agreed to regularly enter it in dog shows, something his grandmother, Linda Layfield, did. Years later, he and Stryker are in the junior competition of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York. This is their second time competing in the televised event and they take the stage Monday.
Kucera, 15, grooms, trains and shows Stryker, meaning the dog has never competed with a full-time professional leading him. In his three years in the sport, Kucera has won several awards, including some from the nation’s largest shows.
Last year was the duo’s first time competing at Westminster and they took home the title of “select,” or second place, for the Irish setter breed. Dogs are judged on how closely they fit the breed’s general traits and characteristics, said Linda Layfield, Kucera’s grandmother and a former Irish setter dog handler.
Kucera and Stryker won Best of Breed in the Irish setter round at the National Dog Show in New York on Thanksgiving, advancing to the televised sporting group competition against other breeds in that category, where they were among the top finalists.
“He’s been winning almost since day one, not all the time, but enough to where people have noticed,” Layfield said.
Off the show floor, Stryker is a playful and sociable dog who loves to run outside in the yard. However, when it’s time to show, Stryker appears to know to be serious.
“I would say, if I didn’t know I had an absolutely amazing dog, I would probably be more intimidated than I am, but I know I have a really good dog, [so] I don’t have much to worry about,” Kucera said.
He is one of about 50 members of the Kennel Club of Anne Arundel County, which was founded in 2007 for people who enjoy showing dogs.
“Most people in an Annapolis sail. There are a lot of people who have beautiful dogs whose hobby is showing their dogs and ethical breeding,” said Nancy Almgren, a former dog handler and board member of the club.
Kucera and Stryker are slated to compete in the Junior Division and Best of Breed competitions at Westminster. In the junior division, for handlers between the ages of 9 and 18, the focus is less on Stryker and more on Kucera’s skills as a handler.
“It’s a training program for young people who are interested in showing their dogs. It’s not so much about the dog, although it does help that you’ve got a beautiful dog,” explained Almgren, who has owned prize-winning dogs.
Kucera and Stryker will compete Monday for a chance to advance to the finals Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Information on how to view the competitions is available at westminsterkennelclub.org
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