A DOG lover is set to have his dream come true as he takes to the green carpet with his beloved pooch at the world famous Crufts competition.
Pierre Norfolk, from Halstead, and six-year-old border collie Ella, will be a part of the Crufts Obedience Championship next month.
Pierre and Ella have worked their way up from the bottom to be on the stage and are very excited at the prospect.
He said: “I have always loved dogs, I have had them since the age of 12.
“I have trained my previous dogs in agility and a gun dog, before getting into obedience over the last eight years.
“Ella is my first competitive obedience dog and we’ve gone from the lowest obedience class called introductory to an amazing 17 wins throughout all the other obedience levels and qualifying to compete at the very highest level.
“We were going across the country last year competing at CC championship dog shows, the highest level of obedience you can work in, if you win one you qualify to go to Crufts.
“The unforgettable win came in Newcastle last summer, and now the dream has come true and we are going to Crufts, something I never thought I’d fulfil.”
Pierre is a dog trainer by trade, owning dog-based company, Poodle and Doodle with wife Lisa.
On the day at Crufts, he will be taking part in various obedience-based challenges, including heel work at different paces, retrieve, distant control, send away and a scent challenge amongst others.
Pierre also spoke about his ambitions for the day.
He said: “It is the first time getting there for both of us and to come from introductory class through to winning a CC championship is a big thing and rare nowadays.
“Ella and I are preparing for the big day by training and working hard on lots of different things.
“I think it is mostly a case of going there and enjoying the occasion, anything can happen on the day, you just never know.
“Ella might go there and smash it, she might not, but it’s mostly a celebration of our win in Newcastle.
“My wife, family and the group I train with are all coming, so there will be lots of support and we are looking forward to it.”
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