Borders dogs hoping to have their day at Crufts

Their owners, Lauder couple Peter and Kath Lothian, along with 18-year-old daughter Cheyenne, will be competing for prizes once again at the Crufts canine championships at Birmingham National Exhibition Centre.

Peter and Kath exhibit their pooches at competitions across the UK and have picked up many accolades along the way, but Crufts is the highlight of their year, with thousands of dogs competing in hundreds of categories.

Among the most competitive sections is that for the border terriers, with almost 300 in the running for honours this Sunday.

The run-up to the show involves weeks of preparations.

Kath explained “We are taking five dogs, including Duke and Ocean, who have been successful up until quite recently, having attained awards over and over again to qualify for Crufts.

“They won awards at a show at Boston near Peterborough. Ocean, who is one, won the reserve challenge certificate when she was still a puppy, and Duke, who is three, won first in the open dog section.

“The ultimate prize at Crufts is probably the best of breed, that means being the best border terrier, but even if your dog is placed, you are on cloud nine. It’s a real buzz.

“Peter does the preparation of the coats to make sure that they are in the right condition, and we need to get the nutrition right, with the right vitamins in their food, to make sure they have a shine to their coats.

“They also have plenty of walking to tone up their leg muscles so that they walk the best they can on the day.

“Timing is so important. Peter started preparing the coats from the beginning of January and will carry on right up to the start of Crufts.”

The couple have enjoyed success at the Kennel Club-organised show, held since 1891, in the past.

Back in 2009, their border terrier Ruby landed the top prize in the puppy category.

The Lothians also have one-year-old Star, 10-month-old Lucky Jewel and three-year-old Sandi competing on Sunday.