A teenage dog-handler from Cambuslang has secured a place at Crufts.
Ellie Darling-Steele first featured in the Rutherglen Reformer back in 2018 when she was just 10 years old and still at primary school, when she took two third-place rosettes at the world-famous dog show.
One of the prizes was in an adult breed class after standing in for her gran Billie Darling who had not been feeling well.
The family have now been involved in showing dogs for around 20 years.
Gran Billie said: “Ellie’s been involved in the dog world since then in junior handling and her own grade that she shows as well.”
The former Cathkin High pupil recently took the Junior Handler of the Year title at a show down in Stoneleigh in England, and winning it resulted in her having the opportunity to represent the UK at Crufts in March next year.
Billie said: “This is the first time for 49 years that someone from Scotland and who stays here has won it. It’s always been people from England. It means she will go up against all the other winners of the junior handling finals from different countries.
“There were 12 categories of dogs – hounds, gundog, etc and 12 finalists. Then she made the cut for the top six.
“You’re normally there with your own dog but a couple of weeks before the final Roxy – the dog that Ellie qualified from the semi-final with – had an operation on its neck and we couldn’t put a collar on.
“So Ellie borrowed a friend’s dog, Zula, and we took that to the final. Both are Rhodesian Ridgebacks.”
The 16-year-old left school this year and is now studying Media and Journalism at City of Glasgow College. Ellie also won Scottish Junior Handler of the Year with the Scottish Kennel Club.
In March 2022 she was interviewed about the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed on Crufts’ famous sofa by Claire Balding during that year’s dog show.
“When she goes to Crufts in March she can take any hound dog as that’s the group she’s qualified in,” Billie added. “I think she will still take a Ridgeback and hopefully her own dog will be going along.
*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.