Abbie and her dog Buddy from Wakefield are a winning team - with five medals at Crufts

The Crofton Academy pupil came third in her level in the Inter-regional Rally competition .

This helped to secure a win for the Northern Rally Team - Abbie, 13, is the first junior to be part of this team.

She came first in the Young Kennel Club Novice Obedience and was voted the audience favourite in the YKC rally demonstration before gaining first place in the Young Kennel Club Rally competition.

Abbie and Buddy have been training and competing together since she got him as a puppy in 2015.

They are already Crufts’ veterans, competing every year since 2017 when they came third in the Young Kennel Club Special pre-beginners class. The following year they took top spot.

Abbie said: “I’d been begging for a dog for four years.

“I got lots of dog books and I made a shortlist and marked off all the dogs I liked then we finally narrowed it down to a Staffordshire bull terrier.

“We started on obedience and then moved to rally - you have to navigate a course with numbered signs indicating different exercises to perform.

“It’s like obedience with a twist and he picked it up really quickly.”

Abbie and Buddy attend Wakefield Dog Training Club on Owl Lane, Ossett twice a week.

They compete alongside adults in Championship obedience shows, which are mainly attended by those with border collies and working sheepdogs.

Staffordshire Bull Terriers are not frequently seen on the obedience or rally circuits.

Abbie’s older sister Holly and her mum Victoria are fully supportive and always travel with her to competitions, as do the trainers who like to show their support where they can.