As 17-year-old Tatum Bartlett stepped onto the red carpet with her Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, she focused on what she could control.
“This is not a show where you can go in and expect to win anything,” Bartlett says. “I felt confident in what I could control, and that was having a good performance with my dog and having a fun time.” Anything beyond that, she says, was up to the judge.
On December 13, 2025, at the ANC’s 25th Junior Showmanship competition in Orlando, Florida, Bartlett was awarded Best Junior Handler and a $5,000 scholarship, showing “Spotify” (GCHS CH M & M Stellar Spotify). The San Francisco teen was among 160 talented young handlers from across the nation who vied for the prestigious title.
“It’s such a high-stakes competition, and to come out on top was unbelievable for me,” Bartlett says. Junior handlers (ages 9 to 18) qualify for this event by their success in the ring and in academics — and at the ANC, Bartlett says the handlers were at the top of their game.
“It actually just made the win more special, because I know how talented they are,” she says. “Everyone in that ring rose to the occasion. It could have gone to anyone, and I would not have been surprised.”
A Family Legacy in Purebred Dogs
Bartlett is upholding her family’s four-generation legacy in the fancy, which started with her great-grandmother, Janet Souza, who had American Staffordshire Terriers. Her grandmother, Linda Souza, bred Old English Sheepdogs before falling in love with Irish Wolfhounds; today, her family has bred Irish Wolfhounds (and other breeds) for more than 50 years under the “Limerick” kennel prefix.
“I guess I could say it’s in my blood,” Bartlett says. Growing up with dogs and attending shows at a young age, she developed a deep respect and admiration for the sport. By the time she was 5 years old, she was helping out in the breed ring.
“I’d watch as my grandma wrangled some wild Irish Wolfhounds,” Bartlett laughs. “And then one day, that was me. I got thrown in there because of my ‘young knees,’ as she would like to say, and that’s where it took off.”
Bartlett started competing in Junior Showmanship as soon as she was eligible, starting with her mom’s Whippet. She fell in love with Beagles when a couple at a local dog show asked her to help walk their litter of puppies. After two years of begging for a Beagle of her own, in 2019, Bartlett got “Disney” (GCHB Karakush In a Land Far, Far Away) as her Juniors dog.
“She was probably one of the most pivotal dogs in my Juniors career, because she knew how to give me a hard time, and she taught me a lot from that,” Bartlett says. “That kind of sparked my love for scent hounds, which led to PBGVs and Spotify.”
The Most Perfect Pairing
Right before the 2024 Kennel Club of Palm Springs show, Disney came into season, and Bartlett couldn’t show her. She didn’t want to miss the first major show of the year, so she reached out to her family friend, professional handler Janice Hayes, to borrow a dog for the weekend.
“She so quickly offered Spotify to me,” she says. Bartlett had long admired Hayes’ previous PBGV special, “Calamity Jane,” and was drawn to the breed’s cheery, affectionate demeanor. Spotify already had an accomplished show career, so Bartlett was honored to be trusted to show him. “I was like, there’s no way that Janice is going to let me show this dog. And she did.”
The connection was instant. On their first weekend as a team, Bartlett took home two Best Junior rosettes. It was the beginning of many milestone wins and a deep relationship — while Spotify belongs to Hayes, Bartlett considers herself his “fun auntie” who gets to play with him on weekends.
“It’s just beyond words. For me, it’s just pure love. We both love each other so much,” Bartlett says. “My most important goal every time I go in the ring is to have fun, and he loves to have fun. So it’s just the most perfect pairing, because we’re both feeding off of each other’s good energy. And when we’re in that groove together, it’s electric for both of us.”
Wrapping Up Juniors With Spotify
On Monday morning, following the ANC, Bartlett was back at home, studying for finals. “I don’t think this has completely sunk in yet,” Bartlett says. “I’m looking right now — I have my ribbons sitting on my dresser, and I’m like, ‘There’s no way that this actually happened.'”
Bartlett is honored and grateful to have been awarded ANC Best Junior under “two incredible dog women,” judges Angela Lloyd and Patty Keenan. “They are pillars of our sport,” she says. “To have them recognize me and compliment me and give me this honor, it was honestly the best moment of my life.”
At 17, Bartlett will soon age out of Junior Showmanship, but she has no plans to leave the world of purebred dogs. On weekends, she assists Hayes with bathing, grooming, exercising, and handling multiple breeds. After high school, she hopes to go to college to study veterinary medicine. She also recently added a PBGV puppy to her family: “Niall” (Stellar Secret Sauce at Limerick), Spotify’s son.
“I want to stay involved with this for the rest of my life and pass it down,” Bartlett says. “So for me, that just means having fun with it, coming on the weekends when I can, and supporting this through breeding, because that is ultimately the backbone of what the sport is.”
The AKC National Championship, presented by Royal Canin, has crowned its 2025 Best in Show! Learn more about conformation and follow your favorite breeds at dog shows throughout the year.