Lutheran High School South freshman Sadie Butterfield has a hobby that her mother describes as “quirky” — competing in dog shows. Sadie recently walked away with the title of Reserve Best Winner at the Bluegrass Classic Dog Show, which took place in September at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.
“This is a big show,” said Leanna Butterfield, Sadie’s mother and Lutheran South’s Student Wellness Advocate. “There’s a lot of pomp and circumstance and history with it. To win at a show like this is just a bigger deal. The crowd is bigger, the venue’s bigger — it has a more glamorous feel than a typical (show), which is fun.”
For this show, Sadie was paired with a golden retriever named Banks, who is owned by Josie Reed, Amber Wagner and Judy Knobbe from Futura Golden Retrievers. Sadie says she began to work with golden retrievers in May.
“(Golden retrievers) have a great personality,” Sadie said. “You can tell when they’re mad at you or when they’re very happy, so it’s fun to see their emotions.”
Sadie competed in both the junior and breed category at the Bluegrass Classic Dog Show. She says that the junior category — which is open to handlers ages 9 to 18 — judges her as a handler: how fluid and graceful she is, showing off the best of her abilities. Meanwhile, the breed category focuses more on the dog: their anatomy and appearance.
Sadie won her class in the junior competition. There were approximately seven classes; the winner from each class moved forward to compete in a final “heat.” She received the Reserve Best Winner award, one of two awards given out, for her grace and presentation as a handler.
“I felt like we’d done really well,” Sadie said. “(Banks) was testing me a little, because he wouldn’t stand still and he was panting really hard… It was stressful, but he was being good.”
Showing dogs is a hobby that fell into Sadie’s life by chance. She was seven years old, playing in a field near Lutheran South — now a parking lot — with her mom. A woman with two German Shepherds was nearby and invited Sadie to play with the dogs; after two hours of playing and talking, the woman complimented Sadie’s interactions with the dogs and suggested she look into dog training or showing.
Now, Sadie is preparing for the 2026 AKC National Championship, which will take place in Orlando, Florida, in December. It will be the furthest she’s traveled to compete in a dog show, and she’ll be working with Banks once more.
Her dream is to qualify to enter the junior category at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, which takes place every year in New York City. To qualify for the show, Sadie would have to win in junior categories 10 times over the course of eight months.
“It’s such a unique thing for someone her age. She’s primarily working with adults, so I think it’s really helped her with her confidence and her ability to advocate for herself,” Leanna said. “It’s a nerve-wracking thing when you’re standing in the middle of a ring with adults, and you have to have poise and presence. I’ve been impressed at how it’s helped her mature.”
Sadie says she has considered pursuing a career as a veterinarian in the future. She will shadow at a veterinarian clinic in Pacific, Missouri, this upcoming winter.
