Warwickshire dog and owner crowned winners at agility finals

Martin Reid from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire with his dog, Get it With Eager To Work (Selfie), a two-year-old Shetland Sheepdog, beat hundreds of dogs and their handlers to win the small Agility Stakes final on Friday 16 December. 

Martin and Selfie competed in qualifying heats across the country to earn their place in the small final at The Kennel Club Agility Stakes, one of the most prestigious agility competitions in the world, held at The London International Horse Show at ExCeL London. The judge this year was Kennel Club Championship agility judge, David Isbister, with assistant judge, Dave Deaville. Proud owner Martin said of his achievement: “Selfie is the easiest dog and she loves the environment and atmosphere!  “We got a bronze medal in the individual small competition at the Agility World Championships this year and we will be competing at Crufts!” Held in association with Skinner’s, The Kennel Club Agility Stakes saw stars of agility, who had earned qualification in competitions throughout the year, compete in the finals in small, medium, large, intermediate and large ABC (Anything But Collie) categories. Ben Skinner, of Skinner’s, commented: “Many congratulations to Martin and Selfie for such a fantastic performance at this year’s Kennel Club Agility Stakes. We are pleased to be supporting this prestigious competition which always brings a great level of excitement and demonstrates world-class agility by all competitors.” Vanessa McAlpine, Events Executive at The Kennel Club said: “Congratulations to Martin and Selfie for their impressive performance, the pair demonstrated great excellence in agility and should feel very proud of their win. The Kennel Club Agility Stakes is a tough competition and requires dedication from all competing dogs and their handlers in the training and qualifying process.” The Kennel Club Agility Stakes were held in association with Skinner’s at The London International Horse Show, at ExCeL London, from 15 – 19 December 2022. More information and a full list of results are available at thekennelclub.org.uk/TheKennelClubAgilityStakes For owners interested in getting started in agility with their dog, The Kennel Club has created a guide which can be found online at thekennelclub.org.uk/newtoagility