This year’s successful competitors in the Kennel Club Novice ABC (Anything But Collies) Agility competitions have been crowned after battling it out against nine other finalists in their respective categories at Crufts, the world’s greatest dog show, on Friday 8th March
Fun, a 2-year old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and Amanda Hampson from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire won the Kennel Club Large Novice ABC and Teal, a 5-year-old Shetland Sheepdog and Hayley Telling from West Sussex won the Kennel Club Medium Novice ABC.
The Crufts final saw large and medium dogs, other than Border Collies and Working Sheepdogs, competing to win. The finalists had qualified from the semi-finals at Kennel Club’s Discover Dogs in October 2018.
Proud Large Novice ABC winner Amanda said: “The course was good but quite a challenge, they flowed well though, good courses and good combinations.
“I love competing here, this is my fifth dog competing on the agility course and it just gets better and better. It’s just such a fantastic atmosphere and the crowd gets behind you, it’s a fantastic thing to do and one of the highlights of the agility year really.”
Delighted Medium Novice ABC winner Hayley said: “Teal’s an amazing agility partner as well as being an amazing pet, he’s crazy out there but then he comes to work with me every day and lays under my desk.
“With Teal, we’re quite similar and quite buzzy. We both get over-excited, so being calm before I go in is part of my preparation.”
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Congratulations to Fun and Amanda and Teal and Hayley for what was an exceptional performance which proved how hard both pairs have worked. The two of them clearly have a wonderful bond and we would like to wish them the best of luck for the future.
“The ABC Agility competition is a fun competition for owners with different breeds of dog competing in agility. Well done to all who entered and took part in the final.”
Crufts takes place from 7th - 10th March 2019 at the NEC, Birmingham. For more information, please visit www.crufts.org.uk.
For images from Crufts 2019, please visit www.ppauk.com.