Cliff Notes
- The Crufts dog show attracts thousands of participants annually and has been hosted at the NEC since 1991, running over a four-day period.
- Freddie, a young boy who first attended Crufts at two weeks old, expressed pride in his achievements with his dog, with his father James noting their dedication and enjoyment.
- The smooth fox terrier is highlighted as a vulnerable breed, with James sharing personal anecdotes about his family’s history with the breed.
- Freddie’s mother, Kimberley, spoke about the importance of having a trustworthy dog, specifically mentioning their older dog, Penny, as a great companion for Freddie.
- Freddie’s head teacher, Emma Jones, commended his accomplishments, stating that his participation has made the school community proud.
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Thousands of dogs take part in Crufts every year, which runs over four days and has been held at the NEC since 1991.
Freddie, who first went to the dog show when he was two weeks old, was there with his parents, James and Kimberley.
His dad, James, said the pair had done themselves proud.
“We are so proud of Freddie, he has been really dedicated to get this far but he’s really enjoyed himself too which is the most important thing,” he said.
James also highlighted the smooth fox terrier dog breed which he said was “classed as one of the Kennel Club’s native vulnerable breeds”.
“My grandfather used to have a smooth fox terrier and I remember seeing an old home film with it in and wondering what type of dog it was,” he added.
“I was always keen on terriers as a farmer so I could have something small go in the tractor with me.”
Speaking to BBC Radio WM from his school on Friday, Freddie said Penny was “well-behaved” and “looks very nice”.
“Obviously she’s an old dog and the reason that we put him in that class is because we knew that Penny would look after Freddie and that’s been the story from the beginning,” said Kimberley.
“He’s always had a dog to rely on and I think that’s really important.”
Freddie’s head teacher, Emma Jones, added they were all “bursting with pride”.
“We managed to watch some of him on the television live yesterday and honestly he’s absolutely blown us away with his achievement,” she said.
“He was the star of our awards assembly this morning.”