Crufts: Woman marks 50-year family tradition with win

A woman whose family have competed at Crufts for more than 50 years has secured a win at the world-famous dog show.

Keira Martin's grandmother Marcia Dovey first attended the event in 1972 while her mother also competed.

Ms Martin's smooth collie Chester won best puppy in breed at the 2024 event in Birmingham, a feat her mother and grandmother never achieved.

She said she was "super chuffed" with the win.

"It's really difficult to get a puppy into Crufts, and we've never won best puppy in breed, so I'm super happy.

"It was really unexpected, I thought he had fluffed it."

Ms Martin, 33, from Varteg, Torfaen, said going to the "greatest dog show in the world" is a "bit like a rite of passage" after her nan started going 52 years ago.

She said they have been every year since then, barring a couple of cancellations.

Along with eight-month-old Chester, she also competed with five-year-old Chief, another smooth collie.

Smooth collies are a vulnerable native breed, and Chester was one of 45 puppies registered with the Royal Kennel Club last year, according to Ms Martin.

"I'm proud of my family history.

"It's an awful lot of money, but it feels wrong not to go - it's Crufts," she said.

"We call it Cruftsmas - it's definitely our highlight of the year."

She added her nan was really pleased, and said "you do realise this is something I have never done".

Ms Martin said growing up she had always been around dogs, and then started accompanying her mum to shows when she was younger.

"I have shown dogs with my mum before, but this was the first time I had gone with puppies that I have bred.

"I am making my own history, I'm not just Amy's [mum] daughter and Marcia's [nan] granddaughter," she said.

She hopes the legacy will continue with her sons Logan and Alex.

"Logan's five and is getting excited about it and has started asking about going to dog shows.

"He's a little young at the moment, you need to be six [years old] to start junior handling so hoping I will get him something small then to start him off.

"I'm not going to force him, but I'm happy he is interested," she said.

"And Alex, is only 18-months-old, but his first words were Chester, then Chief and then doggy."

Ms Martin said it was absolutely incredible that she won, and is happy that she's carrying on the family legacy.

"I'm super happy we came about with a rosette for best.

"I'm now dealing with the Crufts hangover, and getting ready for the next dog show."