Retired Franklin teacher, former student team up to compete in Westminster show

The student has become the teacher — only in a different kind of way.

Kathy McGriff only spent a few years teaching first-grade teacher at Hopewell Elementary School in Franklin in the mid-1990s, but it was a memorable slice of a long teaching career. One of her students during that time was Neal Wells.

McGriff is no longer teaching, and Wells has long-since graduated from school. But the pair still get to see each other regularly, joined by a common goal — training an award-winning Icelandic sheep dog, Henrietta.

And this week, they’ll be taking on one of the most prestigious dog shows in the country.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will have Franklin flavor this year when McGriff’s dog Henrietta competes in the famed show under the training of Wells. To have such a special opportunity is exhilarating for both McGriff and her former student — made more so by the connection they forged in the classroom so many years ago.

“For me, it’s been a 30-year dream. That dream had always been there, to have a dog who’s good enough to compete at Westminster,” McGriff said. “Having (Wells) do it, that’s the icing on the cake, because he’s a friend.”

The 148th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday in New York City, with more than 2,500 of the nation’s top show dogs competing for Best in Show, among other prizes. The Westminster Kennel Club was established in 1877, and its iconic dog show is the second-longest, continuously held sporting event in the United States after the Kentucky Derby.

Henrietta will be one of 11 Icelandic sheep dogs competing in the show.

Already, the furry light brown dog with an enthusiastic demeanor has found success in a number of noteworthy dog shows, including those hosted by the Hoosier Kennel Club, the Louisville Kennel Club and the Icelandic Sheepdog Association of America.

A room in McGriff’s house is plastered with ribbons from Henrietta’s various achievements.

But Westminster will be the pinnacle of her show career, McGriff said.

“Just competing at Westminster is a win,” she said.

McGriff and Henrietta joined forces in 2021, shortly after McGriff retired from teaching. The dog was a retirement gift to herself.

“I hadn’t thought about getting a show dog, I just wanted a pet,” she said.

Still, the breeder McGriff got the dog from was adamant that Henrietta compete in shows. McGriff knew nothing about that world, but she thought of someone who did — one of her close friends was Wells’ mom. She mentioned that Wells had gotten into showing dogs.

“I always thought he just showed boxers, but we got to talking, and he’d shown all kinds of dogs,” McGriff said.

Neal has been around showing dogs most of his life; his mother had done it, and as he got older, he gained interest in it as well. His grandmother knew of a dog handler who needed an assistant, and wondered if he’d be interested in helping.

Just 22 years old, he accepted.

“I went to work for her, and I was so clueless,” he said. “But I worked with handlers for a couple years, and just kind of obsessed over it. I fell in love with dogs.”

Since that time, Wells has started taking on clients and handling dogs on his own. When the handler he had been working with retired, she gave him glowing recommendations, which has led to a tremendous increase in his professional career.

Most of his attention had been on showing boxers. But he had also worked with Great Danes, French bulldogs and Great Pyrenees, among others.

When McGriff called him about showing Henrietta, he started doing research.

“He looked them up online and watched the show and read about standards. By the time Henri went to him, he knew what (the judges) were looking for and how to show her off,” McGriff said. “I’ve always said Neal speaks dog. He understands their body language, he understands their personalities.”

Wells welcomed Henrietta into his home and trained her for six weeks. When she returned, she was a polished show dog.

“We knew we had something special there,” Wells said.

Henrietta, McGriff and Wells have been a team ever since. Their success in shows over the past year led them to aim for Westminster. The prestigious dog show invites the top dogs from each accepted breed to participate in the event, as well as accepting entry for other dogs to take part.

Wells and McGriff entered earlier this year, and found out they had been accepted.

To get ready, Wells has been working with Henrietta and ensuring she’s prepped for Westminster. McGriff took her in to get groomed and her teeth cleaned. Wells has been working her out and trotting her to keep her muscle tone firm.

Other than that, they’ve been showering her with love, as normal.

“She’s a pet first. She sleeps with me, she’s just a pet who just happens to be very beautiful and put together,” McGriff said.

Wells and Henrietta leave for New York on Saturday, and will spend the coming days competing for the judges. Wells is also showing a bulldog at the show, so it should be a whirlwind competition.

It will be worth it.

“It’s pretty cool. You always have these visions of taking my boxers to Westminster, and you find out you’re showing this little fuzzy dog, and you’re like, OK, here we go,” Wells said.