Simply the best...

Jayne Bray’s poodle Portia received the All-Time Achievement for Services to Agility Award from the Poodle Breed Club of Great Britain on Saturday, 14 January 2012, aged 16 years and four months. She was the very first Poodle Agility Champion in the UK. At her prime, if she went clear in either Jumping or Agility, you just couldn’t get near her time. Jayne Bray received this award, on Portia's  behalf, in recognition of her achievements during her amazing agility career.

Ag.Ch. Harvest Geld for Aprika was quite simply an amazing dog to work. To watch her in full flow was a treat to behold and not only that – she delivered and she delivered consistently on the big stage. She knew her job and nothing phased her as her list of achievements and major honours testify. This makes her one of agility's truly all time greats.

During Portia's agility career, we changed our style of working her three times to keep her competitive and at the very top of the sport as handling methods changed a lot during her time. Portia simply adapted every time and took it all in her stride. She had natural drive across the ground and very fast 'two feet on and two off' contacts. She had a phenomenal turn of speed.

Portia, an apricot Miniature Poodle, is now over 16 years old and is virtually deaf and blind but her nose still works! She and Jayne are still inseparable and provide much entertainment around the house where Portia always manages to be under your feet, tripping you over!

She retired at Crufts 2007 after finishing as Runner Up in the Final, having been gradually wound down from competition over the previous two years. In terms of winning major honours Portia was the first major agility winning dog of modern times.

As well as having had three litters and battling through three cancer operations during her agility career, she achieved the following honours:-

• 1997 - qualified for Advanced status at 18 months old
• October 1997 - November 2006 - won 305 classes
• May 2001 - first English Small Championship Certificate winner
• June 2002 - first Pedigree British Agility Champion. the highest award in agility
• March 2003 - first British Double Agility Champion in any standard
• June 2005 - first British Treble Agility Champion with all nine being Individual wins.
• June 2006 - May 2001 - won nine individual Championship Certificates and six Reserve Certificates plus two 3rd places in five years of competition
• 2000, 2002 &  2003 - only dog to win the Eukanuba Crufts Championship on three separate occasions.
• 1999 and 2007 -Crufts Eukanuba Championship runner Up

• March 2003 - Eukanuba Crufts Knock-Out Champion
• March 2002 - Eukanuba Crufts Knock-Out Champion runner up

• 2005 - won the Eukanuba Crufts Mini – Maxi Pairs final 2005
• 2006 & 2007 - 3^rd place Eukanuba Crufts Mini - Maxi Pairs final
• 2002 & 2004 - only dog to win the KC Olympia Small dog Championship on two occasions with different handlers - first with Jayne and then Alan
• 2005 & 2006 - finished 3^rd in both KC Olympia Small dog Championship finals
• 2000 - 2006 - qualified for six KC Olympia finals
• 2003 - qualified for the KC Olympia Semi finals
• August 2005 - won the Dogs in Need Small Senior Agility Classic Final
• May 2002 & 2004 - only dog to win the Supadogs week Small Senior Championship on two occasions
• 2005 - qualified for the Supadogs Week Small Senior Championship final
• 2005 - runner up in the Supadog Individual final
• 2006 - qualified for the Supadogs Individual final
• 2005 & 2006 - won the Eukanuba Discover Dogs Small Agility final at Earls Court
• 2002 - won The Agility Club Knock–Out Pairs
• September 2000 - Young Kennel Club Agility Dog of the Year Champion with Hayley Bray, beating Large dogs to achieve this
• 2001, 2002 & 2004 - Agility Eye Midlands Small Senior League Champion
• 2000, 2001, 2004 & 2005 - finished 3^rd in The Agility Club Small Dog of the Year League Championships
• 2003 & 2004 - won The Agility Club Premier Club League Championship
• 2005 - runner up in The Agility Club Premier Club League Championship
• 2006 - 3rd place in The Agility Club Premier Club League Championship

In addition to her own illustrious career, two of Portia's sons, two grandsons and a granddaughter have all achieving Advanced agility status. Mary Ann Nester's Daz represented Great Britain at the FCI World Agility Championships while both of Sharon Brewster's dogs -Darcy (son) and Ruby (granddaughter) - achieved Ag. Champion status. We are immensely proud of them all!

Author credit...
Jayne Bray has been a top Agility trainer and handler since 1993. Since starting out with a Standard Poodle, all Jayne's dogs have worked at the highest Grade 7 level in agility with Portia being a triple Agility Champion. She has won Championship Certificates with her Border Collie and many finals at Olympia and Crufts during this time, including the Team Final at Crufts two years running. Jayne is also co-trainer with Alan at the famous Upanova Tiger Club which have won the The Agility Club Premier League title for five of the 10 years it's been running. She has also bred her Poodles, Collies and Shelties with her own Upanova Affix. All of which have done very well in Agility with their high drive work ethic.

Jayne has been fighting cancer for the past five years which has severely restricted her competing at shows. However, she now has a young black Sirensong Miniature Poodle called Bling. Anyone who knows Jayne will know that all her dogs wear diamond collars so it was inevitable that one would be called Bling, Bling is due to compete in July and Jayne says 'Bling is my world so my goal is to make it to July so I can be the one to share her first run. 

Jayne would also like to take this opportunity to thank Yvette Dumont and Angela Gadenne for trusting her to have one of their fabulous babies, and also everyone in Agility for their overwhelming help and support which is greatly appreciated and has been the difference between going to shows or not during this time.

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