A dog and her handler from the Forest of Dean have won the sought after title in the ‘Agility Stakes’ final of the Kennel Club competition. The stakes are high with only ten places in the final in the ever popularly growing competition, and for both to win is ‘a dream come true’.
Connie Sellers-Lane, 35, from the Forest of Dean, and her dog, Jonanelle Delta Queen (Remi), a Labrador Retriever, won The Kennel Club Large ABC Dog Agility Stakes final on December 19. Both competed in qualifiers, the quarter-finals and the semi-finals to earn one of just ten places in the intermediate final at The Kennel Club Agility Stakes.
Known for being one of the most prestigious agility competitions in the world, the event was held at The London International Horse Show at ExCeL London. The judge this year was Jackie Gardner, with assistant judge, Nic Jones.
Proud handler, Connie, said of her achievement with Remi: “Winning is a dream come true.”
Ben Skinner, of Skinner’s, said: “Huge congratulations to Connie and Remi for such an amazing performance at this year’s Kennel Club Agility Stakes final where the talent and dedication of both dogs and handlers are celebrated. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for this amazing team.”
The Kennel Club Agility Stakes were held in association with Skinner’s at The London International Horse Show, at ExCeL London, from 18 – 22 December 2024.
Held in association with Skinner’s, The Kennel Club Agility Stakes saw top agility stars of the highest grades (Grade 5, 6 or 7), who had earned qualification in competitions throughout the year, compete in five height finals across small, medium, large, intermediate and large ABC (Anything but Collie) categories.
Head of Events at The Kennel Club, Catherine Guiver, said: “Congratulations to Connie and Remi for their impressive performance, the pair should feel very proud of their win. The Kennel Club Agility Stakes is a tough competition and requires commitment and hard work, which was displayed by all competing dogs and their handlers throughout the training and qualifying process.”
More information on qualification and a full list of results are of results available here. For handlers interested in getting started in agility with their dog, The Kennel Club has created a guide which can be found online here.