Schoolgirl from Dedham competing in Crufts 2023

Sienna Edgar, who goes to Dedham Church of England Primary School, is set to fulfill her dream of competing in the international dog show after finding a passion for dog shows when she was aged just four.

Sienna competed in her first dog show at that age and she is now set to compete on the international stage for the first time.

Sienna and her beloved pug, Betsie, who is two, will be competing in the Toy Junior Handling categories at Crufts, hosted in Birmingham.

She has always loved attending charity fun shows only moving up to open shows in the summer and then a champion show from September.

Around the same time she started attending the Colchester and District weekly ringcraft sessions, where some members took her under their wing, offering her advice.

It was from then the members encouraged her to compete in the Junior Handling bracket, which she did, instantly taking to it.

Sienna after qualifying for Crufts (Image: Newsquest)

At the end of October, Sienna then won the Young Kennel Club junior handling Crufts qualifier, which saw her dreams of competing in the world's biggest dog show coming to fruition.

Betsie also went on to qualify in the Pug Post Graduate class at the pair's first Champ show in January.

During the same show, Sienna won her next YKC junior handling qualifier at the first attempt, which will mean she can compete in Crufts 2024.

Speaking on her daughter’s success, mum Michaela said: “It’s a dream come true. She visited Crufts and watched the pugs when she was younger, and it was her dream to go back with her own dog one day.

“Because of her hard work, she has made it happen. It’s a massive achievement for her to have made at such a young age.

“This had always been her dream but she never, ever thought it would become a reality, and definitely not so soon.

“She really has worked so hard on her training, and it has obviously paid off.”