A FISHPONDS dog trainer has won a national agility competition with his youngest trainee.
Ian Law and cocker spaniel Zennor – kennel name Kellandbrook Mojito Of Wynfaest – won the Starters Cup Final for small dogs at The London International Horse Show in December.
The competition is for dogs new to agility contests, and Ian said Zennor, who is his youngest dog at just under two years old, had only started competing in August last year, qualifying for the national final on her first weekend of competition.
He said: “I am incredibly proud of her and she showed great maturity and skill.
“I believe that she has a very promising agility career ahead of her and I hope to showcase her talents over the coming years.”
Ian has been training dogs since 2015 and runs a training business, Woofits Agility, at Larches Farm, Thornbury.
He said: “I’ve had some success with my eldest girl, Brecon, at championship and national level.
“She has trailed for Agility TeamGB and won other national events with The Kennel Club, including the Teams event at the Kennel Club International Agility Festival in August.
The Starters Cup is the Kennel Club’s premier agility competition for dogs new to the discipline.
The top six dogs in each size category – large, intermediate, medium and small – who qualified in the semi-final at the club’s International Agility Festival last summer took part in the final, with Ian and Zennor taking the prize for small dogs.
Winners show ‘excellence’
Kennel Club head of events Catherine Guiver said: “Congratulations to all four winners for their impressive performances across this competitive final.
“All the dogs and their owners demonstrated excellence in agility and should feel very proud of their win.
“The Kennel Club Starters Cup is a wonderful opportunity for handlers and dogs who are relatively new to agility to compete in a large arena and I am sure we will be seeing more of these competitors in future competitions.”
More information on the competition is available online at thekennelclub.org.uk/agilitydiscoverdogs, while owners interested in getting started in agility competitions can find a guide at thekennelclub.org.uk/newtoagility.