Some people show dogs for years and never make it to the Westminster Dog Show, the world’s largest dog show.

And then there’s Jordan Cartwright. After a few short years of showing, Cartwright will take her Dalmatian, Krash, to New York to compete against the best of the best.

Cartwright graduated from WSU in 2009 with a degree in neuroscience and now works at Alpine Animal Hospital.

Before buying Krash, Cartwright said she had made up her mind that she specifically wanted a show dog. Before she and Krash started competing, Cartwright went to watch some dog shows to learn the lay of the land.

However, she admits that not everything went smoothly right off the bat.

“I messed up for sure,” Cartwright said. “There were people that were like, ‘Uh, you’re in the ring. Like right now.’ Rookie mistakes. My dog did better than I did.”

Along with the losses, though, came wins.

Susan Roberts, a local dog agility instructor, met Cartwright and Krash when they started taking her introductory class.

“When (Cartwright) first started, she didn’t really understand how a lot of people who are showing dogs struggle to get those big wins,” Roberts said.

Now Krash is a Grand Champion.

“We’ve won five Regionals and one National so that’s six specialties, which is very impressive for a dog,” Cartwright said.

Krash has his off days, though.

“If we won Best of Breed in the morning, he would be extremely tired and uncooperative in the evening,” Cartwright said.

There have been times when Cartwright has been discouraged, but she never let it sway her from her goals.

“All of our wins have been worth all of our losses,” Cartwright said

Her perseverance paid off.

Cartwright and Krash flew to New York on Saturday with a friend. Her mother and Krash’s breeder met them in New York City and Cartwright said they plan on doing some sightseeing before competing on Monday.

Cartwright said only the dogs that win best of breed will be on TV, meaning she has a 1-in-14 chance.

Cartwright’s family and friends are confident in her chances, though.

Roberts said she was not surprised at all to find out that Cartwright and Krash would be competing at Westminster.

“She’s been doing so well with him in the show ring the last year and a half,” Roberts said. “I know they’ll do well no matter what.”

To watch a live-stream of the show, visit westminsterkennelclub.org.