Crufts 2024: Best In Show awarded to Australian Shepherd

Last year's winner came from the other side of Europe. But tonight's Best in Show at Crufts lives just down the road.

Despite the protesters storming the competition stage, Viking the Australian Shepherd claimed the honours at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre – having travelled from Solihull just six miles away.

Co-owner Mel Raymond sobbed as she told host Claire Balding: 'We all dream of winning Best in Show'.

Ms Raymond said the three-year-old Viking was a 'clown' 'thinks he's a mountain goat' as she told how makes her laugh by sitting on a chair with his 'bum wagging'.

Viking was picked out as winner ahead of crowd-favourite Zen, a Jack Russell Terrier. The Best in Show reserve had a different sort of journey to the championship – having flown 14 hours – or 5,900 miles - from his home in Japan to take part.

Viking the Australian Shepherd claimed the honours at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre – having travelled from Solihull just six miles away with owner Mel Raymond (pictured)

The Australian Shepherd, 'Viking' with the Crufts' trophy after winning the top prize on Sunday

Viking was announced the Best in Show having excelled on the Crufts stage

Australian Shepherds are a very intelligent herding breed with high energy levels. The dogs need needs just as much mental stimulation as physical– which might be why Viking excelled on the Crufts stage, becoming only the second Australian Shepherd to become top dog at Crufts.

Viking succeeds gun dog Orca, who became the first lagotto romagnolo to scoop the prize at last year's event. The four-year-old was driven 25 hours across Europe from Rijeka, Western Croatia to the world's most famous dog show.

Amongst the 220 breeds represented at the show was an Afghan hound being groomed ahead of judging by a lookalike owner.

But it wasn't just the dogs battling it out at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

Singer-songwriters Chris Amoo and Sting's dogs battled it out today. Police frontman Sting's wife Trudie Styler's Creena Atticus Finch at Dukesarum was one of nine Irish Wolfhounds the couple entered at the show. But he finished runner up to The Real Thing singer Amoo's Sade Melchior in the Irish Wolfhound Limit Dog class.

Amoo, 71, was a finalist last year with crowd favourite Paris, another Irish Wolfhound.

The 70-year-old won Best in Show with an Afghan hound in 1987.

An Afghan hound is groomed before being judged on the last day of the Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, central England, on March 10, 2024.