Crufts 2022
The RAW Agility team reached 4 YKC finals this year. Will and Aston reached the YKC Jumping final but Will took the brave and correct decision not to run Aston. Rudi reached the Agility Dog of the Year (ADOTY) final for Under 18 handlers and the Anything But Collies (ABC) final for Under 24 Handlers.
Rudi and Will also reached the YKC Pairs final, originally qualifying for the Under 18 final with Mariann Bayliss and Betty. After Betty was withdrawn through injury, Will and Rudi joined forces with Rebecca Colley and Swift whose partners had also been forced to withdraw. This did mean that Will was now competing in the Under 24 category!
The ADOTY run was first. Rudi was moving well but one slight error in the entry to the weaves meant 5 faults and dropped the team from a possible win to a still creditable, rosette winning 6th place:
The second run on Crufts Saturday was a clean and quick clear round in the ABC final. Will and Rudi won this competition in 2020 and put up a stern defence but were narrowly beaten to finish in a super second place:
Congratulations Courtney Carter and The Golden Grumble on winning the ABC class!
Will and Rudi headed into Sunday with the YKC Pairs final to look forward to. After walking the course, the team decided that Rebecca and Swift would go first and run the Agility leg, Will and Rudi would follow with the Jumping round. The times and results of the two runs are combined to decide the overall results.
Swift is a stunningly quick poodle/collie cross who was handled beautifully by Rebecca in the first run:
So the pressure then fell on Will and Rudi to build on that fantastic opening:
A fast double clear meant that Rebecca & Swift and Will & Rudi won the class!
This was a great result for a ‘scratch’ pairing and testament to both handlers for their skill and nerve to guide two super dogs around the Crufts course.
The latest win means that Will and Rudi now have 4 Crufts titles. Their overall record at Crufts is impressive:
Crufts Finals reached: Eight
Clear Rounds: Seven
One 6th place, One 3rd place, Two 2nd places, Four 1st places!
Scroll through the pages below to see more pictures and videos of Will, Rudi and Aston competing at Crufts in other years.
willbacchus.com 