Some people plan their route into agility… others, like Les, stumble into it by accident — and never look back.
It all started when Les rescued a Cocker Spaniel called Sam. They gave flyball a go, but it didn’t quite hit the spot. Then came Lucy, another cocker spaniel puppy bursting with energy, and suddenly Les was hooked on agility.
“I found flyball a little bit boring, but with Lucy I really got into agility — she was younger, loved to learn, and it just clicked.”
Fast forward a few years, and Les has become a familiar face on the championship circuit, training hard, camping at shows, and keeping his eyes set firmly on Crufts.
This year, his dogs Zip and Fire both smashed it.
Zip, a 4-year-old Cocker Spaniel, won two Medium Championship tickets— one at Weardale and another at Dogs in Need. Fire, his 6-year-old small spaniel, took a reserve ticket at Weardale and then went one better with a Championship win at North Derbyshire.
That means both dogs will be heading to Crufts 2026 — and Les couldn’t be happier.
“It’s such a great feeling. We’ve worked so hard for it, had small mistakes along the way, but to see them run so well and love every second makes me so proud.”
If you’ve been following agility for a while, you might already know Les — and remember that famous moment at Crufts.
“It was my first time there, and I said to Lily Woodford that morning, ‘I just don’t want to fall over and make myself look an idiot!’ Then I went and did exactly that! I looked up and saw my backside on the big screen — still makes me laugh now.”
Just in case you missed it here's a link to YouTube for the clip.
These days, Les’s training routine is a mix of Monday night sessions with friends, relaxed evenings at Newton Heath Dog Training Club, and plenty of walks on the moors and in the woods with his pack of nine spaniels.
When he’s not training or competing, he’s running his doggy day care and grooming businesses, including a brand new mobile grooming service. Life pretty much revolves around dogs — and that’s just how he likes it.