The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A Spalding youngster is set to make her debut in the pinnacle of the dog enthusiast’s calendar.
Holly Sinclair has capped a meteoric rise through the ranks by securing a place at Crufts which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham next week.
She will be competing in the Agility Dog of the Year category with 12-year-old Border Collie Noodle after gaining success in a number of qualifiers held across the country.
Holly, who has been doing agility for just over a year and trains with Angela Richardson of Mad Mutts Agility in Pinchbeck, said: “I didn’t believe it when my mum said I had qualified for Crufts.
“I was really shocked and didn’t feel like it was real. Now it’s a week away, it’s exciting and scary at the same time.
“Noodle is 12-years-old and won’t be doing agility for much longer, so I really hope that we can do well. A win at Crufts would be a great note for her to retire on.”
The road to a Crufts final is not an easy one with qualifiers being held across the country. Holly won her place in the semi-final at the Dogs in Need Agility Society show in August last year.
Competing in the under 12s category, in the Young Kennel Club ring, Holly and Noodle will have to make their way around an agility course, set by judge Christopher Huckle.
Running through tunnels, weaves and over jumps and contact equipment, Holly will need a balance of speed and skill to ensure she and Noodle complete the course as quickly as possible with no faults.
If they finish in the top three places within her year group, they will then be invited into the main Crufts arena where she will have to compete in the final, hoping to win the 2017 Young Kennel Club Agility Dog of the Year title.
