Janet Thompson’s border collie Wish missed the trip of a lifetime back in April, when injury prevented the dog from competing in the World Agility Championships in Holland.
But the five-year-old former Crufts winner has now fully recovered from a pulled muscle in her back, and excelled this month’s Kennel Club Olympia Stakes finals in London.
Wish and Janet were among 20 national finalists who took part in the four-day event, after successfully negotiating earlier qualifying heats, at Wolsingham in County Durham; and also at Rockingham Castle in Leicestershire.
The pair earned a top five finish at Olympia, which exceeded Janet’s expectations.
She said: “Wish had pups just over a year ago, and then we found out she had a pulled muscle in her back, which prevented her from going to Holland back in the spring.
“But after recovering she has never looked back. Last weekend we were competing against the very best dogs in the country and I am very proud of Wish. I knew we would do well because she is a fantastic dog, but to get top five is a great achievement.”
Agility competition measures the handler’s ability to direct their dog over a course with various obstacles – which took both dog and handler out of their comfort zone. She explained: “It was agility but almost not as we knew it, and the course was a little different from what I am used to.
“We ran first and the atmosphere was electric. There were big crowds and everyone was screaming. But Wish was so good. She was not fazed one little bit.”
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