A young dog trainer is to represent the North East and the UK in a dog agility competition in Italy.

Meet 17-year-old Poppy Colbey of Standfordham, she is among eight people in the UK, who have been picked to compete in the Para Agility World Championships in Italy in August.

Poppy is a fully-qualified dog agility trainer with her own business called 'Jump to it', she also trains all her dogs herself.

Earlier in the year, she gained second place in Crufts in March with her dog Jackson.

Hexham Courant:

 

Poppy now hopes to put herself and her Border Collie Darly Falls Sky's The Limit (Sky) to the test and bring home the trophy.

"I was shocked but thrilled that we were chosen to compete in Italy," Poppy said.

"All the other team members are from down south. I am the only one from the North - which puts even more pressure on me.

"I received the news three weeks ago and it has just hit me that we only have two months to make sure we are prepared.

"I applied a while ago and I had to video both me and Skye doing the run.

"It is a long process of judging - so I was so pleased that I had done enough to be picked"

Hexham Courant:

Through the excitement, Poppy is also thinking of the logistics of how she and her dog Sky will be able to afford to go to Italy.

She adds: "I am looking for some sponsorships which can help pay some of the cost of the journey.

"We are going as a team on EuroStar which means we will need one night in France to give the dogs a break but also the driver.

"It will be expensive but with some help, I hope we can achieve the goal.

"After arriving in Italy, we will get a few days of training - as the dogs will be going crazy traveling for so long and need their energy released.

"Then it will be three full days of competing.

"It may be a while till August but I  can't wait to go."