Gun dog’s a sure-fire Crufts winner
SHE HAD been driven 25 hours across Europe to get to Crufts.
But the trip proved worthwhile last night as gun dog Orca won Best in Show – becoming the first lagotto romagnolo to scoop the prize.
The central Italian breed was originally used to hunt waterfowl through the marshlands of Romagna, but is these days more commonly used to hunt for truffles. Four-yearold Orca is actually from Rijeka, Western Croatia, and had more than 40 best in show wins throughout Europe and the USA before securing the most celebrated title during the Kennel Club’s 150th year.
Handler Javier Gonzalez Mendikote said the win was a ‘childhood dream come true’. He added: ‘I’ve worked for the last 20 years to achieve something like this in my life.
‘Since she was a puppy she has always been [wagging her] tail. [She’s] always happy.’
Best in Show reserve was six-year-old Delia, an old English sheepdog who actually hails from Greece.
Last night’s seven Best in Show finalists included crowd favourite Paris, an Irish wolfhound owned by The Real Thing singer Chris Amoo.
Competitors over the weekend included Elena Yaroshuk who travelled 1,800 miles from Odessa in war-torn Ukraine to fulfil her dream of competing with her jack russell Delux and corgi Laif Spring at the world’s greatest dog show.