Successful Pomeranian breeder Averil Cawthera-Purdy heads to Crufts this week in the hope she might make history by becoming the first person ever to win the Kennel Club Breeders Competition, sponsored by Agria, for a record third time.

Averil heads to Birmingham as the reigning champion, having won the class last year, and has led the qualifying League through the current season on points accumulation. But some 40 finalists appearing at Crufts start with a clean slate as they strive to make the top four.

The Kennel Club Breeders Competition invites breeders to enter a team of four dogs they have bred themselves, to demonstrate their ability to breed to a type and high quality consistently, as judged against their breed standard.

“The competition shows that you’re breeding to a type, and doing it very well. It’s judged on beauty — against the breed standard — but obviously the dogs have got to move well and show themselves off too,” explains Ms Cawthera-Purdy. “Just to take part in the main ring in the evening they need to be pretty bombproof — it’s loud, bright and hot.”

Averil is an experienced hobby breeder of Pomeranians from Gloucestershire, and has taken part in this competition for many years. “The dogs love it because it’s the one time they go into the ring together.” Nevertheless as she heads to Birmingham, her goal is simply to do her best and have a brilliant time:

“The chances of winning again are quite slim — there was a 10-year gap between my first win and my second. I hope we might get shortlisted to make the final 8-10 teams through to the final round of judging. Anything is a bonus.”

Her team will be an all-dog team, selected from five potential candidates, close to the competition, and will include members of last year’s winning team.

The number of puppies Averil breeds per year varies very much since she mainly breeds for herself, but whenever puppies are sold they are always covered under the free five-week puppy plan offered by Agria Pet Insurance. “It gives me peace of mind to know that they are covered, the moment that they leave my house, should there be a vet bill,” says Averil.

“Much as you hope desperately that nothing goes wrong, the first month to six weeks is the most high-risk time for a new puppy — they are quite fast and can soon get under your feet or shoot through a door, and owner and pup are still getting to know one another.”