An Eastern Oregon underdog. Imbler teacher Annika Evans invited to the Westminster Dog Show
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, January 12th, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
IMBLER – When animal showmanship comes to mind, many in Eastern Oregon may picture livestock-oriented events, with blue FFA jackets and bustling county fairgrounds. Canine breeding and showmanship, however, have a deeply rooted history in the United States, with organizations like The American Kennel Club and the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club tracing their roots back to the late 1800s. As some of the nation’s top dog handlers now prepare for the 150th annual Westminster Dog show in New York City at the end of January, Union County’s own Annika Evans and her Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Medley (see photo) will be among them.
Currently a science teacher at Imbler High School, Evans got her first Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Lichen (as in the moss), around fifteen years ago, later taking on a second dog. Around nine years ago, Evans imported her third dog from Europe, Dawn, which started a vested interest in breeding Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs. As breeding and showmanship tend to be closely connected, dog showing soon followed. As Evans explained:
“When I imported my girl with the intention to breed her, I started showing her before I bred just to see if she’s good quality, if I should be breeding her, and to make connections to other breeders. Swiss Mountain Dogs are not very common, so to meet other people in the breed, the easiest way is to go to dog shows and get those connections.”
From there, Evans continued to breed the dogs and attend shows across the country, importing one more Swiss Mountain Dog along the way. Currently, she has 11 dogs, ranging from 11 years to 5 months old, and is on her fourth bred generation of Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. Medley, her dog bound for Westminster, is a 3rd generation dog and the granddaughter of her original breeding/show dog, Dawn.
Medley’s invitation to Westminster came near the end of October 2025. According to Evans, she suspected a chance of an invitation as Medley had done very well at shows throughout the year, but it still came as an exciting surprise. As Evans remarked:
“It’s pretty special, especially with a dog I bred and handled myself. I was super excited! That’s the ultimate goal you work for when you show dogs is to be able to compete at Westminster. That’s kind of the Superbowl of dog shows. It’s not a show you can just enter and you’re in.”
For those unfamiliar with the process, American Kennel Club (AKC) dog shows from October to October each year track points based on the winner for each breed. The more dogs of a particular breed competing at a given show, the more points the best of breed earns for that show (example, 6 dogs of the same breed competing, the winning dog gets 5 points). The top 5 dogs in a particular breed for the year are then invited to show at Westminster. Medley herself also ended up being the only female Swiss Mountain Dog accepted this year, with males of the breed typically being better judged.
The type of competition during shows varies depending on class, with Medley specifically participating in confirmation, aka showmanship. This involves the dogs being physically judged against the breed standard. As Evans explained:
“You ring around a circle, and you stack (position/pose) your dogs. The judge comes and goes over your dog and checks the teeth and looks at their coat, angulation, the build of the dog, all that. Really, it’s just to see if they’re a good representative of the breed.”
While Medley won’t be performing tricks or literally jumping through hoops, training and temperament still play a part. As many pet owners and dog trainers are likely familiar with, not every dog is particularly comfortable with large amounts of people and noise. A key focus for any dog participating in showmanship is good socialization and getting used to distractions, especially as puppies. Evans has also been working with Medley on pre-stacking, I.E. Medley pre-positioning herself in the correct stance for the judges. As Evans commented:
“It’s a huge show with TVs and cameras and people. It’s a lot of socialization for the dog, being able to handle all the distractions going on. The judge will walk up, look at their teeth and touch them everywhere and check them. It takes a little bit of work to get dogs used to that, especially a working breed like a Swissy.”
Evans and Medley will attend Westminster January 30th, through February 5th, 2026. Medley herself will perform as part of the working group on the morning of Tuesday, February 3rd. If she wins best of breed for the Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, she’ll participate again against the other breed winners that evening.
Overall, it’s an exciting time for the two, though a bit intimidating according to Evans. From getting invited despite having a more limited schedule for showing, to opting out of having a professional handler, and Medley not exactly being a convenient travel-sized dog for a cross-country trip, Westminster seems like it’s going to be a memorable event for the underdog pair. As Evans further explained her thoughts:
“Some people send their dogs with handlers and they show every weekend, so they don’t have those limitations. I think for her to still make it even with those limited showings makes it even more special.”
She continued:
“Some people ask me why I’m not putting a handler on her for it. She’s never shown with anyone else, and I showed her and made it there with her. It just doesn’t feel right putting a handler on her now, and it wouldn’t be that special just watching her, having someone else show her. I’m not expecting anything big, but just saying I showed at Westminster is special.”
The 150th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is scheduled for January 31st through February 3, 2026, at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center in New York City. Evans and Medley are slated to compete on the morning Tuesday, February 3rd.
