Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: Plainfield teen and her Saint Bernard to compete
PLAINFIELD – A 15-year-old girl from Plainfield and her Saint Bernard will compete Tuesday in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City.
Saint Bernards might be gentle giants known for drooling and shedding, and Mikala Seymour sees that, but she sees so much more in her beloved, 185-pound pet, Ellington.
The pair's strong bond and hard work make it possible for Mikala to compete for the title of Best Junior Handler and a $10,000 scholarship at the New York show, which starts Monday.
Mikala, a freshman at Almond-Bancroft High School, is one of six junior handlers from Wisconsin and 102 junior handling teams nationwide to qualify for the Westminster show.
Mikala met Ellington three years ago, when he was just 12 weeks old, and they've been inseparable ever since. Their journey has taken them to competitions in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Oregon. They've won many titles along the way.
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Two years in a row, Mikala and Ellington have qualified for the two biggest dog shows in the country: the American Kennel Club National Championship in Orlando, Florida, and the Westminster show.
At the Saint Bernard Club of America National shows in 2017 and 2018, Mikala won the title of Best Junior Handler. With the points the pair accumulated in American Kennel Club-sanctioned competitions, Mikala and Ellington finished 2017 and 2018 as the No. 1 Saint Bernard Junior Handling team in the country.
The duo's success is particularly meaningful as Mikala is responsible for all of Ellington's grooming, training and handling. Mikala's mom, Nadene Seymour, provides support and backup in a pinch.
Mikala has been around Saint Bernards her entire life, and she started showing dogs when she was 6 years old. Nadene introduced her to dog handling through the Portage County 4-H Dog Project, where Nadene is a 4-H leader.
Before Ellington was born, Mikala showed his great-grandfather, Korbel. She also handles her German shorthaired pointer, Tony, and her English bulldog, Pearl. She has learned about even more breeds as an apprentice to several professional handlers, and she has handled field spaniels and Irish setters for friends.
Through her showmanship journey, Mikala said she enjoys traveling, making new friends across the country and sharing in their success. Mikala has a lot to balance, but she keeps her GPA close to 4.0. She also plays varsity volleyball, JV basketball and club volleyball.
The Westminster show will live stream through Westminsterkennelclub.org and broadcast from Madison Square Garden live on Fox Sports. Mikala and Ellington will compete at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday for Junior Preliminaries in rings 6 and 7 and again at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday for the Saint Bernard Breed Competition in Ring 7.
