Four-year-old pup Orca, whose tail ‘never stops wagging’, has been crowned Best In Show at the 2023 Crufts show.
Orca is a lagotto romagnolo and her trophy is the first ever win at Crufts for that breed.
She beat a whopping 19,000 dogs from around the world over the past four days to claim the top title on Sunday after only getting to group two in 2020.
The Italian breed name literally means ‘curly coated duck retriever,’ which doesn’t leave much to the imagination when it comes to the gun dog’s purpose.
The dog is also now used for truffle hunting thanks to its fantastic nose and is ‘lively and affectionate,’ according to The Kennel Club.
Ante Lucin, one of Orca’s owners, said: ‘This is the first lagotto romagnolo to win at Crufts, so this is so great for the breed.
‘We know she is a little superstar but this is beyond all expectations. I was crying too much watching from the seats, it was very emotional.
‘Orca is everything you could ever want in a dog, she is happy and healthy – and as everybody saw, her tail never stops wagging.’
Orca’s handler, Javier Gonzalez Mendikote from Croatia, who drove 25 hours to get to the dog show, said: ‘I have worked for the last 20 years to achieve something like this in my life.’
He also said the win was ‘really important’ for the breed, which has recently become more popular in the UK and US.
The pair had won the gundog group earlier in the show at the NEC in Birmingham. For those of you who aren’t familiar, gundogs are pups that were originally used to find live game.
Crufts also announced the nation’s top hero dog. The title went to retired police K9 unit Stella.
Crufts show manager Vanessa McAlpine said: ‘Tonight’s final has been a fantastic way to end another triumphant year for Crufts.
‘Congratulations to Orca who helped end this year’s competition on a real high, taking the coveted best in show award alongside her handler, Javier. The pair are very deserving winners and it was clear to see their strong relationship together in the ring.’
An old English sheepdog known as Blondie, who earlier won the pastoral group, was named reserve dog and looked equally as fluffy and fabulous.
The Channel 4 People’s vote crowned Irish wolfhound Paris their winner. The pooch is owned by The Real Thing lead singer Chris Amoo.
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