Crufts is the biggest dog show in the world and, at The Insurance Emporium, we are delighted to announce that we are sponsoring one of the winners: Teal, the Shetland Sheepdog! Teal, whose pedigree name is New Illusions Bi Enchantment Of The Five Colors, competed in Crufts for the first time in 2017 with his owner, Hayley Telling. He won both the British Open and the Crufts ABC at Crufts 2017, as well as a championship certificate that qualifies him for Crufts 2018. It seems like it’s been a magical couple of years for Teal, but what makes the Sheltie tick? Here’s the low down on this champion canine…
Who is Teal?
Hayley, from West Sussex, adopted Teal from the Of The Five Colors Sheltie kennel in Belgium in 2014. Teal was bred from an English Sheltie called Sandwick Senza and a Belgian Sheltie called Illusion Of The Four Bees. She took a three-month sabbatical from her job to develop a strong bond with the Sheltie and to make sure he was properly socialised. Together, they visited many different places, where Teal learned to be confident and happy in new surroundings and when meeting people and other dogs. Hayley also started preparing Teal for agility events and began training him to do tricks.
The road to Crufts
Teal first competed in agility events when he was 18 months old. During only his first year of competing, Teal managed to make it to championship level. He then competed and came second in the semi-final of the ABC at Discover Dogs 2016 and won the British Open semi-final. These successes qualified him for the 2017 Crufts final. Teal’s impressive skills didn’t go unnoticed and soon he received the ultimate accolade – a call up to the Team GB squad.
What’s next?
After a great pair of victories at Crufts, it looks like Teal is set to have a busy series of competitions throughout the rest of the year and into 2018. Besides his victories at Crufts 2017, Teal also won two qualifying rounds of the Crufts Singles and one qualifying round of the Crufts ABC for the 2018 show. And that’s not all, he has also qualified for the English Shetland Sheepdog Club for Crufts 2018. Outside of Crufts, Teal will be taking part in a string of other events in the UK and various countries across Europe. Teal will also be heading with Team GB to the FCI World Championships in the Czech Republic in October. In December, Hayley and Teal will be hitting our TV screens when they compete in The Kennel Club Dog Agility competitions at the Olympia Horse Show in London, which will be broadcast on BBC One.
Why Shelties?
Hayley chose Teal because she was looking for a pedigree that could compete at the FCI World Championships. She particularly wanted a Sheltie because she likes the way they look, their personalities, their high level of intelligence and their energy. “I wanted a dog that was able to match my energy levels,” she explained. Hayley said about her Crufts winner: “Teal is a wonderful dog to live with as well as to compete with.” To keep him mentally and physically active, Hayley regularly goes running with Teal and does a lot of trick training with him in the evenings.
Getting sponsored
As exciting as it was for us to sponsor a Crufts winner, Hayley also talked about how useful it was for her. She said: “I cannot thank The Insurance Emporium enough for their sponsorship and support. Knowing that Teal is insured is so important to me, both as a working and competing dog and also as a pet.” Hayley previously worked for six years as a qualified veterinary nurse, so she knows how vital insurance can be to ensure pets get the best possible care if things go wrong.
Whether you like the adventure of taking part in dog shows or just the magic of owning a pet, having cover for things like Vet’s Fees can really give you peace of mind in case anything goes wrong. The Insurance Emporium’s tweakable Gold, Lunar Monthly Lifetime dog insurance policy includes Vet’s Fees cover for up to £8,000 as Standard. If you think that this is something you could benefit from, stop by The Insurance Emporium today!
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