Jeff Webster, aged 32 from Essex, and his dog, Beauden, are set to compete at the world’s largest dog agility competition, The Kennel Club’s International Agility Festival, for the very first time this August, having overcome the odds.
Beauden had a sad start to life before his agility career after being found by Jeff and his friend abandoned, on the streets, in a bad way. Beauden was immediately taken to the vets who contacted Beauden’s registered owner via his microchip. Beauden’s owners said they had given him up to a farm when he was just six months old as they ‘couldn’t handle him’. Since being abandoned, Beauden had been surviving on the streets for nearly a year, but Jeff and his fiancé, Amy, took him in and turned his life around.
Jeff was already training at a local canine agility club, K9 K8 Agility Club in Wickford, with his then 18 month old Collie x Dalmatian cross, Quinn. After hearing of Beauden’s story, the club ownerkindly offered to sponsor Beauden for all of his training. Jeff commented: “Beauden has benefitted massively from agility; it has really given him an outlet and a job to do and the development has been phenomenal. He was very misunderstood by his first home.”
A benefit to Jeff’s personal life as well, Jeff shared how the stress of owning a business can take a toll on his mental health: “We had very challenging times the second half of last year with our business whereby we were going through an investment round to enable our business to scale. Life was being consumed by just thinking about work and business. Agility gives me the community and enrichment outside of work to switch off and focus on having fun and building an epic relationship with my dogs and other like-minded people.”
The Kennel Club International Agility Festival, supported by Skinner’s, will see thousands of dogs and owners, from the UK and abroad, return to Rutland Showground from 10 – 13 August to compete across four days in the Midlands.
Dogs of any size, shape and breed were invited to enter the range of agility classes earlier in the year, and now handlers and their dogs – including Jeff and Beauden – will put their best paw forward at the renowned agility show, run by The Kennel Club. The festival will see competitions across four dog size categories, 18 rings and 200 classes, and give competitors and their dogs from all over the world, from the novice to professional, a chance to compete.
Catherine Guiver, Head of Events at The Kennel Club said: The International Agility Festival is a real highlight in the events calendar that brings together those new to agility and those who have been competing for years! There is always a buzzing atmosphere both in and out of the competition rings as the agility community reunites to cheer each other on.”
More information about The Kennel Club International Agility Festival can be found at: thekennelclub.org.uk/iaf or via The Kennel Club’s dedicated Facebook page: facebook.com/groups/agility.news.thekennelclubuk/. For spectators interested in attending, no advance booking is required, though a small £5 parking fee will need to be paid on arrival, and visiting dogs will need to be signed in on the day.
