Kilmore's Rachel and Gem enjoy success at Crufts

Kilmore's Rachel Carre and her sheepdog companion Gem enjoyed a successful weekend at Crufts 2023 in Birmingham.

 

Rachel, who is a fifth-year Oban High School pupil made the long journey south to compete in one of the world's biggest dog shows with her seven-year-old Border Collie.

 

The show was held between Thursday March 9 and Sunday March 12 at the NEC in Birmingham and involved entries from all over the world.

 

Gem put in an impressive display at the weekend under Rachel's superb guidance, claiming two top five placings.

 

On Saturday the duo came fifth in the Under-18s jumping and on Sunday they finished third in the pairs, which involved Gem and Rachel working as a team of two.

 

Rachel's mother and vet, Alison Roger, said: "Gem's weaves can be a little unpredictable, so it was great that Gem was able to run clear in both events. It had been a big ambition of Rachel's to get to Crufts and qualifying was an achievement.

 

"Rachel's aim was to go and do her best, but to come away with those placings was a brilliant result. We weren't sure how Gem would handle the environment, but she was very relaxed about it all."

 

She added: "Many of the dogs are now bred specifically for agility, Gem however is a farm dog originally from Kilchrenan."

 

Rachel had qualified for Crufts in 2022, competing in qualifiers at shows in Kelso and Lanark, and receiving enough points for her to compete in Birmingham.

 

Her journey in dog agility started when she was nine years old and she has competed regularly with Gem in numerous competitions since those early days.

 

It made the journey all the more worth it for Rachel, her sister Megan and Alison, and Rachel now has her eyes set on qualifying for Crufts next year.