Giotto, Spain Junior Champion: show results

Giotto — Smart as a Whip Genius of Art — was born on 2 June 2025, and by eleven months old he already had behind him a show season few Border Collies put together that early. He has finished his junior stage as Spain Junior Champion, Latin Winner and RSCE Winner, with a record worth writing down.

The junior tally

In junior classes, the numbers look like this:

• Res. Best in Show Junior × 3
• Junior BOB × 11
• 1st Best in Group Junior × 6
• 2nd Best in Group Junior × 3
• 3rd Best in Group Junior × 1

Eleven junior best of breed wins and six groups taken in a handful of months in the ring speak mostly of consistency: this isn't one standout weekend, but repeated results under different judges and in different rings.

Competing in official classes

What surprised us most is that Giotto did not stay in his own age classes. Against adults he has already collected:

• BOB × 6
• BOS × 2
• 2nd Best in Group × 2
• 3rd Best in Group × 2

Taking best of breed six times while still a young dog, with his structure not yet settled, is the part of the record that actually tells us something about him.

Before that: baby and puppy

His first outings already showed promise, with a Res. BIS Baby and a 1st Best in Group Puppy. That was where we saw he moved confidently in the ring and enjoyed the atmosphere — in a puppy, that matters as much as conformation.

Third in Best Dog of the Year

Beyond the individual placements, Giotto currently sits third in the "Best Dog of the Year" ranking, all breeds, junior category. It is a season-long points ranking that compares dogs across every group, so placing third with a Border Collie — a breed competing in a very crowded group — carries extra weight.

The people behind him

Giotto was bred by Andrea Sancho and is owned by Denise Negron. Handling and grooming are in the hands of Jose Angel Cañadilla and Alba Paton, and a good share of these results belongs to them: a young dog needs someone to teach him how to be in the ring rather than let the ring get the better of him.

What comes next

With the junior stage closed, intermediate class is next, where the competition gets harder and the dogs arrive fully mature. We'll keep reporting on how he does. You can see his full profile, health testing and pedigree here: Giotto.