Holley senior, 17, competing at prestigious Westminster Dog Show
Photo by Annette Mrzywka: Nicole Mrzywka rides the subway with her English Springer Spaniel this afternoon. They will be in the showring at 7 p.m. at the Westminster Dog Show.
NEW YORK – A Holley High School senior is competing with her dog at one of the most prestigious dog shows.
Nicole Mrzywka, 17, advanced this morning to the finals of the junior showmanship competition at the Westminster Kennel Club. She will be back in the show ring 7 p.m. today at Madison Square Garden. She is wearing arm band No. 63.
Nicole is showing Hughie, an English Springer Spaniel. The competition can be viewed on the Westminster Kennel Club app.
“It’s always a big thing when someone from Orleans County competes on the national stage, and not only competes but excels,” said Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County.
He has known Nicole for about a decade. She is a member of the Orleans County 4-H Heelers Dog Cub.
Batt said Nicole is well regarded for her skills in showing dogs.
“It’s her dedication and her practice,” he said, explaining why she is so successful.
Nicole last July was named queen of the Orleans County 4-H Fair. She shows more than dogs. The past four years she has been the reserve champion in the grand master showman competition, which features the top showman in several breeds of livestock.
At Holley, she plays on the volleyball team and was a Genesee-Region league all-star this past season.
