A BRISTOL dog owner and his pet have been crowned winners at a major prestigious agility competition.
Mike Bendell and Lookylooky Blue Falcon - a four-year-old working sheepdog - beat hundreds of dogs and their handlers to win the large Agility Stakes final on Saturday, December 17.
Mike and Falcon competed in qualifying heats across the country to earn their place in the large final at The Kennel Club Agility Stakes, one of the most prestigious agility competitions in the world, held at The London International Horse Show at ExCeL London.
The judge this year was Kennel Club Championship agility judge, David Isbister, with assistant judge, Dave Deaville.
Proud owner Mike said of his achievement: “It is my first time in the final at The Kennel Club Agility Stakes and it’s a privilege to run against the fellow competitors. I’m overwhelmed!”
Held in association with Skinner’s, The Kennel Club Agility Stakes saw stars of agility, who had earned qualification in competitions throughout the year, compete in the finals in small, medium, large, intermediate and large ABC (Anything But Collie) categories.
Ben Skinner, of Skinner’s, commented: “Many congratulations to Mike and Falcon for such a fantastic performance at this year’s Kennel Club Agility Stakes. We are pleased to be supporting this prestigious competition which always brings a great level of excitement and demonstrates world-class agility by all competitors.”
Vanessa McAlpine, events executive at The Kennel Club, said: “Congratulations to Mike and Falcon for their impressive performance, the pair demonstrated great excellence in agility and should feel very proud of their win. The Kennel Club Agility Stakes is a tough competition and requires dedication from all competing dogs and their handlers in the training and qualifying process.”
The Kennel Club Agility Stakes were held in association with Skinner’s at The London International Horse Show, at ExCeL London, from December 15 to 19.
More information and a full list of results are available at thekennelclub.org.uk/TheKennelClubAgilityStakes
For owners interested in getting started in agility with their dog, The Kennel Club has created a guide which can be found online at thekennelclub.org.uk/newtoagility
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