Elsie, an Irish Setter from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire and bred in Northern Ireland, won the Gundog Group title at Crufts 2020 today (Friday 6th March), qualifying her for a place in the Best in Show final on Sunday.
Elsie (Sh Ch/Ir Sh Ch Gwendariff Coco Nut Cream CW’18), aged six, owned by Deborah Armitage, will return to the Resorts World Arena at the NEC in Birmingham for a place at the final at the world’s greatest dog show, Crufts, with her handler and breeder Diane Stewart-Ritchie.
People around Britain and the world will be watching to see which dog is crowned Best in Show on Sunday, as the final is shown live on Channel 4 and available to be streamed on the official Crufts YouTube Channel - www.youtube.com/crufts.
Almost 20,000 dogs are competing over the four days for one of just seven places in the Crufts final and a chance to win the most celebrated title in the world of dogs.
Proud handler and breeder Diane said: “Thank you to my ever-suffering husband, Alec, and to Elsie’s owner, Deborah, who has allowed me to show her. Elsie’s a bit of a diva, and channelling her at times can be fun.
“We never expected to win the Gundog group at Crufts, so we’ve got what we never thought we’d achieve. It’s a wee dream for tonight and in the morning it’s back to reality.”
Vanessa McAlpine, Crufts Show Manager, said: “We are delighted to see Elsie chosen as the Gundog Group winner today. Reaching the prestigious Best in Show final is an incredible achievement and they should be proud of their hard work.
“Crufts celebrates healthy, happy dogs and recognises the special and unique bond between dogs and their owners. The bond between Elsie and Diane was evident from their confidence in the show ring, which impressed the judges.
“It’s only day two of four but we’re already looking ahead to the final on Sunday, and we want to wish them both the best of luck in the ring – we are sure that all of Huddersfield will be tuning in to Channel 4 to cheer them on.”
For more information, visit www.crufts.org.uk.