[D]espite being only 10 years old, Abbi Taylor from Newcastleton has been involved in various dog sports for many years, competing alongside her grandfather, Derrick Archibald, in sheepdog trials, agility and flyball. But like so many dog owners all over the world, her dream has always been to compete at Crufts at the NEC in Birmingham. And on Saturday 10 March her wish will be granted.
Abbi and her dog Mist, a 4-year old border collie, are members of the Carlisle Canine Flyball Team and normally race with their adult team mates. But last year, Abbi was head-hunted by Wirral-based Dynamic Dolphins, a juniors-only team which aimed to qualify for the prestigious Young Kennel Club flyball championships at Crufts. The youngsters achieved this goal on their first attempt and have, since then, been pacing their training to ensure that the team dogs will be on top form at just the right time.
At Crufts, Abbi will be racing Pyper, a border collie owned by Julie Burns. It is not the first time that she has handled dogs owned by other flyball enthusiasts, and the pair recently achieved a second place at a competition where they were racing against adult handlers.
“Although I love racing Mist, it is a real honour to be trusted with someone else’s dog”, says Abbi. Having competed successfully against adult handlers at a competition near Dundee a few weeks ago, Abbi feels confident that she and Pyper now have the bond necessary for them to hold their own at Crufts. Abbi says that she cannot wait to walk into the Main Ring at the world’s largest dog show, to run the race of her and Pyper’s lives.
The Young Kennel Club (YKC) is the Kennel Club’s organisation for dog-mad children and youngsters aged 6 to 24. The organisation encourages its members to enjoy a number of different activities with their dogs, and promotes good dog ownership, good sportsmanship, responsibility and cooperation. For more information, visit www.ykc.org.uk
Crufts is the largest dog show in the world. In addition to watching over 20,000 show dogs battling it out for the Best in Show title, spectators can enjoy a busy programme of flyball, agility and junior handling finals, as well as numerous displays, in the huge Arena Main Ring. Those who cannot make it to the NEC to watch the live action can follow the Main Ring events via the Crufts YouTube channel and during the televised Crufts summaries on 8-11 March. For more information, visit www.crufts.org.uk
