A MUCKHART teenager was crowned the winner of her class at the Kennel Club Starters Cup Agility Final.

Chloe Powling, 17, and her border collie Cassie, won the intermediate dog class at the Starters Cup at the London International Horse Show on Saturday, December 16.

They competed in the tournament, which spanned four days from December 14-18, under their competitive name the Veloci Cassie Raptor.

Chloe and Cassie won the jumping and agility round, which allowed them to lift the intermediate Starters Cup.

Speaking to the Advertiser, Chloe said she was thrilled to be crowned champion with Cassie, remarking it was a dream come true.

She said: “It was absolutely amazing to win the jumping, but then to also win the agility and the overall cup was incredible.

“I’ve always wanted to qualify for the London International Horse Show and getting to do it alongside my young collie Cassie was truly amazing.”

This isn’t Chloe’s first run at competing, however, having already taken part in Crufts dog show last year.

She will be making a return to Crufts this March ahead of a trip to the Netherlands with Team Scotland, in what will be an exciting year for dog and owner.

Chloe continued: “Cassie has qualified for Crufts in March, it’s very exciting. This will be her second Crufts.

“She was quite young at her first Crufts so it will be very exciting to see what she can do.

“In May, we’re travelling as part of Team Scotland for the World Agility Open in the Netherlands. We’re planning on doing a raffle in March to fundraise for it.”

Chloe was one of four winners at the Kennel Club Starters Cup Agility Finals, but she was the youngest champion.

Catherine Guiver, head of events at the Kennel Club, said: “Congratulations to all four winners for their impressive performances across this competitive final.

“All the dogs and their owners demonstrated excellence in agility and should feel very proud of their win.

“The Kennel Club Starters Cup is a wonderful opportunity for handlers and dogs who are relatively new to agility to compete in a large arena and I am sure we will be seeing more of these competitors in future competitions.”