Julie Darlington from Garstang and her dog Bohemian Spirit (Skeeter), a four-year-old crossbreed, won the Large Novice Anything But Collie (ABC) Semi-Final at Discover Dogs, and have now qualified for the finals at Crufts 2023.

The Large Novice ABC semi-finals saw 14 dogs and their handlers compete having earned enough qualifying points during heats taking place at agility competitions throughout the year.

Excited owner Julie said: “I am absolutely over the moon with our win at Discover Dogs. It still has not really sunk in… I’m buzzing!

“This win means the world to me, especially as Skeeter is a rescue dog who has been totally reformed. He is my soul mate and I am so proud of him!”

Julie Darlington with Bohemian Spirit (Skeeter) won through to Crufts after winning the Large Novice ABC Agility competition. Photo: The Kennel Club - Yulia Titovets

placeholder image — Julie Darlington with Bohemian Spirit (Skeeter) won through to Crufts after winning the Large Novice ABC Agility competition. Photo: The Kennel Club - Yulia Titovets

Vanessa McAlpine, events executive at The Kennel Club, which runs Crufts, said: “The Large Novice ABC competition always brings a level of excitement due to the possibility of gaining qualification for Crufts!

“Congratulations to Julie and Skeeter for their impressive performance - we look forward to seeing them compete at Crufts in March.”

The Discover Dogs semi-final consisted of two rounds, a jumping round and an agility round. The top eight competing dogs which earned the highest combined score across both rounds have qualified for the finals taking place at Crufts in March.

Discover Dogs, run by The Kennel Club, took place on October 15 and 16 at ExCeL London.

For further information, visit discoverdogs.org.uk. To find out more about getting started in dog agility and results from the show, visit thekennelclub.org.uk/agilitydiscoverdogs.