IT PROVED to be a day to remember for a Solihull dog lover after her 16-month-old Beagle – Champion Dialynne Peter Piper – put his best paw forward to claim a prestigious prize at Crufts 2017.
One of 22,000 dogs at Birmingham’s NEC for the world’s largest dog show, Peter took a starring role alongside owner Melanie Spavin, walking away with the Best of Breed award before being named fourth best hound overall.
Presented by the Kennel Club, this year’s Crufts marked the 126th edition of the show, which attracts dogs and owners from all over the world as well as thousands of visitors over the course of the four days.
A delighted Melanie, from the award-winning Dialynne Beagles in Solihull, said:
“To win at Crufts is always an amazing achievement. It’s not just another dog show, it’s the absolute pinnacle for us.
“The breed judges have always liked him so I was hoping they were going to vote for him, although it’s never certain.”
Peter’s Crufts success is the latest of many for Melanie and the Dialynne dynasty, which was started in the 1950s by her grandma Marion, passed to her mother Dianna and is now in the hands of third-generation Melanie.
They have had countless dogs win best of breed at Crufts – including Champion Dialynne Maximus, who The Observer featured in 2008 and who won the Best of Breed and Best Hound overall.
They also had a Best of Breed with their Australian Shepherd Man of Mystery ‘Austin Powers’.
Turn to pages 24 and 25 for more pictures from this year’s Crufts.
