Bognor Regis Bearded Collie sniffs out gold in agility competition

The Starters Cup is The Kennel Club’s premier agility competition for dogs new to the discipline and took place at ExCeL London from October 15 to 16. Madrigal won the large dog division, fending off competition from six other finalists to be crowned champion.

But it wasn’t easy getting to the top. Owner Karen Young has trained seven other bearded collies in agility and said Madrigal was the most ‘challenging, difficult and stubborn dog’ she’s worked with so far, but that made her success ‘all the more precious and special'.

The event took place as part of Discover Dogs – the capital’s biggest dog event – which meant victory was even sweeter for Karen.

"Madrigal is also the fifth dog I have managed to qualify to run at Discover Dogs - a huge personal achievement for me,” she said.

Vanessa McAlpine, Events Executive at The Kennel Club said: “The Starters Cup is a wonderful opportunity for dogs who are relatively new to agility to perform in front of the big crowds at Discover Dogs. It is always inspiring to see dogs at the start of their agility journey competing at such a high level.

“Congratulations to Karen and Madrigal for winning the final against some tough competition, we are sure to be seeing them in future competitions!”For more information, visit discoverdogs.org.uk

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