Animal lover ready to take on the international stage
MIDRAND – A local 16-year-old will be representing the country in the FCI World Dog Show next month.
A local Midrand teenager and winner of the Kennel Union of South Africa Junior Handling competition has two international dog shows lined up for her in the following months.
Shea Wright (16) won the Junior Child Handling competition in Bloemfontein in June. The competition involves swopping dogs with the other juniors and also having to show completely unseen dogs.
She will be representing the country in the FCI World Dog Show next month. She will also be a representative of the Kennel Union of South Africa Junior Child Handler at the International Junior Handling Competition due to take place in England March next year.
“I am very excited and looking forward to attending the World Dog Show in Holland. I will have to borrow a dog to compete with as it is too expensive for me to take my own dog. Next year, I will go to Crufts in England, which is the biggest and most famous dog show in the world,” she said.
The Cornwall Hill College Grade 11 youngster comes from a big family comprising of her grandparents, parents and two siblings. They also have about 15 dogs, 8 horses and 6 cats. “I come from an animal crazy household,” she said.
She started showing dogs competitively when she was eight-years-old. Her family shows and breeds with bearded collies and Hungarian Pulis. “My main sport is Equestrian and I do horse shows most weekends when we are not at a dog show. I love animals of all shapes and sizes, except snakes, which really freak me out,” said Wright.
She said this is the second year she has made the achievement with her dog, Dexter.
Meanwhile, the youngest dog handler, Suaney Scott, scooped the first prize at the Kennel Union of South Africa National Child Handling competition. The nine-year-old was one of the four contestants from across the country selected to take part in the national competition under judge Jonathan Mesach from Indonesia. “She handled her top dog CH Stavros My Red Rascal for Zakur, which is also 9 years old. She and Rascal made a formidable team by also winning Best Veteran in show and Reserve Best Veteran in show on the same competition. She will hopefully defend her title in 2019,” said her mother, Tania Scott.
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