AND they’re off.
Dogs of all ages, sizes, abilities and nationalities celebrated Crufts 2025 with a special agility race this week.
Rescue dogs lining up ahead of their big race[/caption]
One of the cute pups in action[/caption]
Six of them competed in a relay race around a course shaped like a pooch to prove who was the real top dog.
There was Instagram star Hector the Lab, Pippa the two-legged wonder and Spanish rescue dog Tina the Mastiff who braved the British weather to smash her 200-metre sprint section.
There was Rolo the Support Hero, a four-legged home helper who brought heart and hustle to the race, showing the world the true meaning of man’s best friend and Ella the Greyhound, a retired racing champ turned therapy dog who showed off her zoomies one more time in a nostalgic sprint to the finish line.
And finally, Nigel the Agility Ace, a Crufts up-and-coming star who dazzled spectators and finished off the final leg of the relay with a time of one minute and one second.
The special relay race – called The Joint Effort Challenge – was held to highlight the importance of joint care for man’s best friend.
It featured a “golden leash” passed from one good boy (and girl) to the next in a re-imagining of an Olympic torch relay and tackled a series of challenges inspired by the legendary agility course at Crufts.
Almost 40 per cent of dogs over the age of one experience occasional joint stiffness.
Owners can help prevent them by keeping their dogs at a healthy weight, promoting low-impact exercise and taking joint supplements such as YuMOVE – some cost as little as 56p per tablet.
Olympian runner and vet Laura Muir says that exercising with your dog is not only good for the animal – but the owner too.
She said: “As a trained vet, I know that keeping joints healthy is a joint effort between pup and pet parent.
“Every dog has different needs when it comes to exercise but there are loads of options to help get your dog moving, which you can both enjoy.”
To try the Joint Effort Challenge at home, visit: www.yumove.co.uk/jointeffort
