Milnrow Crufts star qualifies for next year’s prestigious dog show after series of wins

After landing fourth place at their first-ever Crufts Dog Show earlier this year, Darcie Fleming and Domino have already gained enough points to appear at next year’s prestigious dog show.

Darcie, 10, of Milnrow, and her whippet – known professionally as Kentwone Darkest Star – came away with a fourth-place rosette in the Young Kennel Club handling class in March, and have continued to impress after winning a series of Young Kennel Club handling classes.
 

Read more: Fourth place at Crufts for Darcie and DominoPublished: 14 March 2023

 

 

The duo found out they’d won enough shows to be eligible for Crufts 2024 after showing in Sunderland on 23 April.

Their most recent show – the National Dog Show in Stafford on the first weekend of May – landed them a fourth place prize out of 18 competitors.

The pair also placed fifth in the Novice Whippet category, whilst Darcie also landed a second place win in YKC Handling with another of their family dogs, Checkers the Papillon.

 

 

Her mum, Lucy Abbott, said: “The classes were huge, so we were chuffed with those results.”

Darcie and her family have been attending Crufts as spectators since she was six years old, after asking to visit when watching on television.

Each year, she would tell her parents that she wanted to be there one day with her own dog, a dream which came true in 2023.

In order to qualify, Darcie and Domino began competing in the Young Kennel Club handling classes at shows across the UK in January 2022, and also attended two training days.