F or dog lovers, it’s the sparkling highlight of the year, promising more excitement, trophies and ‘aahhh’ moments than the average pacemaker can take.

And for two local lasses it just can’t arrive soon enough!

This time last year, Emma Mather and Megan Borthwick had no inkling whatsoever that they and their pooches were about to be ushered into the Crufts hall of fame.

But on their first outing at the NEC in Birmingham, Talia the Dalmatian and Luna, the golden Labrador, brought home the bacon.

While Talia, known as Shulune Dragon Ryder in the ring, won her utility bitch class to go to Crufts, Luna, or Kakabel Luna, was anointed the Joint Aid best gundog bitch in her class.

Luna’s owner, Megan, said: “I only went for the experience – I never in a million years thought she would win.

“It’s quite hard to get a feel for how you are doing, but I saw the judge keep looking at Luna and thought at that point she was deciding between 3rd and 4th places.

“She pointed at us and I thought ‘Oh my God, you’ve come fourth at Crufts’.

“Then the woman next to me said ‘that’s a really big achievement, to win on your first time at Crufts’.”

Already good friends, Emma and Megan took their dogs to a training class in Sunderland last year in the run up to Crufts, learning, and then teaching their dogs in turn, the etiquette of the show ring.

However, they took different routes to the show itself. As a utility dog, in other words a non-sporting, non-working dog, Talia qualified for Crufts 2016 after winning best puppy bitch in show at the previous year’s Dalmatian Club Scotland show.

Emma, who lives on a farm in Ryal and works in the Hexham Courant’s advertising department, knew from the word go that Talia was destined for the ring.

She said: “Her breeder begged me to show her, because she could see, from the earliest age, how lovely Talia was in movement and stance.

“She’s also quite a big girl compared to a lot of Dalmatians, so she does make an impression. She was born to be shown!”

Emma began teaching her from a young age how to stand in the ring – square on, back legs slightly further back than usual, but with her weight on her front legs and neck extended, showing her confirmation off to its best.

Luckily, dogs are a family affair for Emma, so her mum and co. went with her to Crufts. “It was my first time and I didn’t know what to expect, but it was awful,” she said.

“You have to be there at 9am, because people are paying to see your dogs, but my show wasn’t until two or three in the afternoon.

“I was getting myself so wound up. Talia was fine. It was me!”

Gradually, though, she settled down and began to enjoy it – pomp, ceremony and parades. “And I got a selfie with Clare Balding,” she laughed.

As a gun dog, Luna didn’t reach Crufts via the agricultural shows, but rather as a result of an individual assessment of her working skills.

Megan, who lives in Kirkheaton, said: “All of my dogs are working dogs, so we had an assessor come out who, after watching her, awarded her a working gundog certificate – and with that you get invited to Crufts to collect the certificate.

“The gamekeeper with the shoot has to sign you into Crufts and vouch for the fact your dog has worked all season. You have to prove they are actually working dogs for that class.”

When a dog wins at Crufts one year, it automatically qualifies for the next, so Emma and Megan will be heading back down the A1 in time for March 9 and this year’s four-day show.

Between now and then, Talia has a packed schedule of shows, one just about every weekend from here on in. “They only cost a couple of pounds to enter and we treat them like training shows,” said Emma.

“They are judged by proper judges and although you’re not qualifying for anything, you gather points that enable you to gain a junior warrant (championship points for puppies) or a champion certificate.

“The more points you collect at shows, the more credibility you have in the ring, but more than anything, I do it because it’s fun for me and Talia.”

Emma and Megan have nine dogs between them and the bottom line, they both stress, is that their dogs are healthy, happy and doing just that – having fun.

“As soon as Talia stops enjoying it, that’s it, no more shows,” said Emma.

Megan adds: “At the end of the day, our dogs are our pets. Their welfare is our priority.”