DOGS from across the dale have been recognised as some of the best in the world after scooping top awards at this year’s Crufts show.
With entries from 45 countries, more than 22,000 dogs from across the world competed in the four-day event at Birmingham’s NEC Arena.
Veteran dog shower, Pamela Edminson, who lives near Headlam, walked off with a Best of Breed title with her three-year-old Hungarian wirehaired vizsla bitch, Kidsons Custom Made.
Mrs Edminson, who has been showing dogs for 44 years, says she was delighted with the results. “It’s the first time for the title with Kidsons Custom Made, but she did win the limit club of her class last year. I started showing Weimaraners in 1975 and moved on to Vizslas in the 90s.”
An old hand in the show ring, Mrs Edminson added she was down and back within the day. Alongside Kidsons Custom Made she also took to the ring in the puppy class, picking up a very highly commended with Kidsons Forget Met Not.
She joked: “Vizslas are a quite big breed and I’m getting too old to run around the ring with them and should maybe look at a smaller breed.”
In the springer spaniel classes one local owner managed to impress the judges and came back to Teesdale with a haul of rosettes.
Catriona Clarke, from Boldron, picked up the dog challenge certificate with her Welsh springer spaniel Ferndel High Fidelity with Tigerrock.
In the good citizen dog scheme her English springer spaniel Beaters Barons took second place.
There was a third placing for her yearling dog, Tigerrock Radio Ga Ga, another English springer spaniel. In addition to this there was also a third place for yearling dogs with her Welsh springer spaniel, Jeavart Different Strokes by Tigerrock.
John and Heather Riley, from Ravensworth, were delighted their three-year-old Welsh springer spaniel Ferndel Peanut Butter at Ravensworth, also known as Noah, picked up second place in the limit bitch class.
Mrs Riley said: “I’m happy with the result but my husband would have liked to have won. But we know the winner and they swap from first to second at different shows. Noah won at the club show.”
Meanwhile, Sandra and Graham Lockey, from Barnard Castle, brought another accolade back to the dale with their Staffordshire bull terrier Tusselstaff One Caress. The couple picked up a second place in the limit bitch class with the four-year-old terrier, otherwise known as Ava.
Mrs Lockey said Ava was taken into the ring by friend Jayne Winrow, who has years of experience in showing.
Mrs Lockey added: “We’re over the moon. We only bought Ava as a pet, but we didn’t realise just how lucky we’d be with her. When she was in the ring, my stomach was doing back flips.”
In the bulldog classes David Andreu, from Mickleton, came home with a reserve dog challenge certificate for Kelloe David Hockney.
One of the most popular classes was for Labrador Retrievers. Among the 592 entrants was Mac Percival, from Barningham, with Wynfaul the Wizard. The four-year-old, whose pet name is Tank, took third place in the open class. Mrs Percival also picked up a reserve, fourth place in the junior class with Wynfaul the Wicked.
