A Westbury woman and her dog have reached new levels of success representing Great Britain at a major agility competition in Switzerland.
The World Agility Championships saw people from across the world gather to put their four-legged friends to the test.
Claire Barton and her cocker spaniel, Woody, travelled from Westbury to Givrins last month to represent Great Britain.
The competition featured dogs categorised by height, competing in a variety of obstacles, including jumps, tunnels and weave poles.
Claire said, “Switzerland was an experience full of memories and emotions.
“The journey there was long with our first experience on the Le Shuttle, but it all went well and Woody travelled really well. The venue where the championships were held was beautiful, with stunning views and mountains all around.
“Competition days were long, running from 7.30am to 10.30pm with very hot weather. The jumping and agility courses were fantastic. Woody was really confident and showed off his skills with just the odd mistake. He was brilliant and we had lots of support from our teammates but also teams from other countries, we’ve made new friendships and exchanged tips.”
Great Britain took home the most gold medals of any team, winning nine. However, Team Canada won the most medals overall, with 22 compared to Team GB’s 17.
Claire and Woody completed several shows throughout the summer to qualify for the championships. Their competitions are completely self-funded and an ongoing GoFundMe helps to raise money for the cost of travel, accommodation, kit and essential dog vaccines for the trip.
Claire added, “I would like to thank everyone who donated and who donated on my GoFund Me page. I’m very thankful.
“It would be amazing to qualify again next year’s championship, which will be held in Spain, so here goes for more training. The hard work starts now.”
To support Claire and Woody’s journey, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/clairewoody-team-gb
Pictured: Claire and Woody in action at the World Agility Championships
