More than 150 people - and 54 dogs! - attended the first-ever Costa Vicentina Fun Dog Show held at Vales, Aljezur on the Algarve’s West Coast last weekend.
And the event, held in aid of local animal charity AEZA, was such a success the organisers pledged to repeat it next spring.
People came from as far away as Albufeira to enter their dogs into the show, competing in 15 classes, with local entrant, Digby, a Goldens De Santo Quintino (Golden Retriever), winning the prestigious “Best In Show” award.
It completed a hat-trick of triumphs for Digby and owners Jan and Ken Cragg, after he won the won the cherished “Best in Show” award at the 2013 International Algarve Fair in Lagoa, when he was just 11 months old. Two weeks ago at a National Dog Show in Montijo he walked away with first prize in the Open Class. And in Saturday’s Costa Vicentina show he first won the Best Movement (Trotting) class, then the Pedigree Dog class before scooping the show’s top award.
So, even though Digby isn’t exactly “The Biggest Dog In The World” after his movie namesake, he’s certainly making big headlines in this part of the world!
The show was designated as a “Fun” dog show and Regina Zimmermann entered into the spirit of things by having some imaginative face paint applied to win the “Dog Most Like Its Owner Class” with her pet Angelina.
Show organiser Wendy Smith said afterwards: “The whole aim of the event organised by ‘Friends Of AEZA’ was to raise awareness for the local animal shelter in Aljezur, which is run by our local animal charity AEZA, (Associação Ecologista e Zoófila de Aljezur or Association for Environment and Animal Protection of Aljezur) and to help raise some much needed money, which we managed to do in what was a very successful day."
“We were asked by so many people if we were going to repeat it next year and as it went so well the answer is ‘yes’!”
Classes and first place results
1 BEST AEZA RESCUE ~ DOG: RIO OWNED BY MARGARET GRAY
2 BEST AEZA RESCUE ~ BITCH CARA OWNED BY PAUL BECKWITH
3 VETERAN DOG OR BITCH ~ 8+ YEARS OLD ~ JOHN OWNED BY SILVIA DOMINGOS
4 WAGGIEST TAIL ~ SUATI OWNED BY JAN & KEN CRAGG
5 MOST PRETTY BITCH ~ HOLLY OWNED BY JACKIE HONE
6 MOST HANDSOME DOG ~ SCRUFF OWNED BY JACKIE HONE
7 BEST CONDITION COAT ~ AIKA OWNED BY CATHERINE & ALAN SMITH
8 BEST TRICK ~ SAM OWNED BY M. GOBBY
9 BEST MOVEMENT (TROTTING) ~ DIGBY OWNED BY JAN CRAGG
10 ONE MINUTE SIT AND STAY ~ RUBY OWNED BY BRENDA DOWNIE
11 DOG MOST LIKE OWNER ~ ANGELINA OWNED BY REGINA
12 PEDIGREE DOG ~ DIGBY OWNED BY JAN CRAGG
13 PEDIGREE BITCH ~ DOCA OWNED BY PHILL DREW
14 PUPPY UNDER 1 YEAR ~ DOG OR BITCH ~ AMBER OWNED BY JACQUIE FIALHO
15 AGILITY COMPETITION ~ FIG OWNED BY GAIL SKINNER BURGESS