Classic, a Miniature American Shepherd, and Lauren Langman from Okehampton, Devon, have won The Kennel Club Medium ABC (Anything But Collies) agility competition, after battling it out against eight other finalists at Crufts, the world’s greatest dog show, on Friday 10 March.

The final, which was sponsored by YuMOVE, saw eight medium dogs, other than Border Collies and Working Sheepdogs, competing to win, having all qualified from the semi-finals at The Kennel Club’s Discover Dogs in October 2022. 

Proud owner Lauren said: “It’s amazing – it’s always a pleasure to be at Crufts. It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, it’s always lovely to be here, but actually winning makes it even better – it’s the icing on the cake when you win! It’s really special.

“We’re getting ready to compete at Crufts for next year now. The minute we leave here, we’re already trying to qualify for next year. It’s just massive – Classic hasn’t done anything like this before!”

Vanessa McAlpine, Crufts Show Manager, said: “Congratulations to Classic and Lauren for an incredible performance in the final today. The pair completed the course with confidence and it was clear from their performance how dedicated they are to agility. We would like to wish them the best of luck for the future.

“The ABC Agility is a fantastic competition for owners with different breeds of dog competing in agility. Well done to all who entered and took part in the final.”

Crufts takes place from 9-12 March 2023 at the NEC, Birmingham. For more information and results from the show, visit crufts.org.uk.