Peja, a Labrador Retriever, and owner, Kerry Scott from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, won The Kennel Club Intermediate Novice ABC (Anything But Collies) Agility competition, after battling it out against seven other finalists at Crufts, the world’s greatest dog show, on Friday 10 March.
The final, which was sponsored by YuMOVE, saw eight intermediate dogs (those who compete in Grades 1-5 of agility), other than Border Collies and Working Sheepdogs, taking part, having all qualified from the semi-finals at The Kennel Club’s Discover Dogs in October 2022.
Proud owner Kerry said of her win: “It feels absolutely amazing! It was my dream last year to get to Crufts and we got there, and to win it - I can't even put into words how happy I am!
“Peja is just amazing. I love her so much! Peja is quite shy and timid generally but put her into a ring and she just comes to life! We have been doing agility for around three to four years and this year we really took off in terms of progressing through the grades. We went to all the qualifiers and she just performed really well!”
Vanessa McAlpine, Crufts Show Manager, said: “What a fantastic performance from Peja and Kerry today. The pair should be proud of the hard work and training they have clearly put in. The two of them have a wonderful bond and we would like to wish them the best of luck for the future.
“The ABC Agility is a fantastic 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 9 - 12 March 2023 at the NEC, Birmingham. For more information and results from the show, visit the Crufts website.