Meet the new Junior
Champion
 Belle
Howlett, a 14-year-old schoolgirl from Essex, went to Junior European
Championships 2016 as part of Team GB and returned home with a full set of
medals - Bronze, Silver and Gold. This is not the first time that she has
achieved great honours in the dog agility world. Those wins top off a year when
she won the Jumping Dog of the Year at Crufts with her dog Ami, was awarded the
YKC Sporting Talent of the Year Award and nominated for the YKC Shaun McAlpine
Young Person of the Year Award also at Crufts. This is her story thus far in her
own words.
I started agility
when I was six years old when I was lucky enough to be given the use of a well
trained dog named Flash who was owned by Sandra Beale and Bob Hubbit. He was a
sweet dog who started my love for agility. Then I was given a wonderful tri
collie to run called Zebbie, owned by Nina Gibson, who was the first dog I took
to Crufts in the Agility Dog of The Year. I also attended YKC camps with Zebbie
where I tried many different activities like Dogstable and Heelwork to music.
These camps were good fun, and I would recommend them to any children starting
out agility.
At the age of ten, I
got my first very own dog called Ami whom I am competing with now at Grade 6.
She was bred at home from my mum's Grade 7 dog Leia with whom I also compete in
Junior classes. We are trained by my mum Kate Howlett at K9 K8 Dog Agility
Training in Wickford, and I also train with Lee Windeatt when I can. My mum and
Lee have helped me a lot throughout mine and Ami's agility career.
 This
agility season has been an amazing year for me so far. It started in March at
Crufts when I won the YKC Jumping Dog of The Year as well as the Sporting Talent
of the Year. I was also nominated for the YKC Shaun McAlpine outstanding young
handler of the year.
Then I got the chance
to try out for the Junior Team GB and got selected with both Ami and Leia for
the 2016 European Open Junior Agility Championships in Slovakia. There were
hundreds of dogs and handlers from all over the world, with 24 countries
represented at the competition including Italy, Russia and the USA. This was the
first time a junior team from Britain made up of YKC members has competed at the
championships.
Ami and I were in
Team GB White with Katie Arnold, Amy Challis and Rory Tidmarsh and Leia was in
Team GB Red along with Daiel Croxford, Adam Streton and Sammy Pegg. We travelled
to Slovakia in July to compete in the European Open Junior Agility
Championships, one of the biggest shows for Junior with 450 entries from
countries all over Europe and also USA, Canada and Russia taking part. GB Teams
White and Red brought home a Gold, Silver and Bronze as well as amazing
memories, unforgettable experiences and new friends from all over the world. I
loved every minute of it!
Then to top it all
off at Kennel Club International Agility Festival, Ami and I won the Novice Cup
Semi-final qualifying for the Main Arena at Crufts 2017.
Ami really is one in
a million. She is a loving dog and whatever happens on the agility course, we
always have fun together.
 About the author...
Belle Howlett lives in Rayleigh, Essex and attends Sweyne Park
School.
She is sponsored by
Benyfit Natural, Premium Raw Dog Food.
First published
11 September 2016
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