News

Pembrokeshire celebrates major win at Crufts

Published

1 year ago

March 10, 2025

Anyone who has had the honour of showing a dog at Crufts – known internationally as the biggest and greatest dog show in the world – will understand just how important that infamous green carpet is. As soon as feet and paws descend upon it, the exhibitors know that they really have entered the golden realms of top showing.

Last weekend a 23-year-old Pembrokeshire woman fulfilled her lifetime’s ambition after entering that prestigious green-carpeted ring to earn herself a magnificent third place in the championship handling classes.

“It really was a dream come true,” said Ffion Thomas after she was placed third in the Young Kennel Club Handling competition after showing Dylan, who is a seven-year-old Chinese Crested powderpuff.

“It’s very difficult to describe the excitement we feel when we enter the ring at Crufts because that green carpet really does mean something very special. When you step onto it something just clicks, and you start to feel that incredible sense of adrenalin that only Crufts can produce.”

Ffion was introduced to dog handling at a very young age after her father, Emyr, presented his wife Kathryn with a beautiful little weimaraner puppy as a Christmas present.

“My father has often said that this was one of the worst mistakes of his life, because my mother then started showing the dog…and as much as my father loved the animal, he certainly didn’t enjoy the showring,” laughs Ffion.

Needless to say, seven-year-old Ffion soon found herself bitten by the dog showing bug.

“I was obviously too small to handle a weimaraner, so I started showing our King Charles Spaniel and our little chihuahua, and from both those dogs I learnt the basic handling techniques are required for the show ring.”

For the last 17 years, Ffion has perfected those techniques to the extent that last year, following a major win at the West of England Ladies Kennel Society Show in Malvern – when she showed the family’s three-year-old chihuahua, Elsa – Ffion qualified for a place in the senior handling class at this year’s Crufts.

“Yes, it’s a frightening prospect because Crufts is obviously the biggest dog show in the world, and the only one of its kind. But I realised how fortunate I was to have had the opportunity to get into that show ring, and I was determined to enjoy every moment and hopefully pass that positive feeling onto the dog.”

And this is one of the key factors in getting a dog to perform well for the judges.

“It’s important to try and form a strong rapport with the dog,” continued Ffion.

“A lot of a handler’s anxiety or nervousness can get passed down the lead, so it’s important to try and send the right signals across to your dog.

“And a dog will always feel that tension, so on Friday I just kept telling myself how lucky I was to be there, get onto that carpet and make things work.”

As a result of Ffion’s flawless handling, she fought her way through 11 finalists which included both toy and utility dogs. to reach the shortlist of five. And after some near-perfect handling, Ffion was put into third place, despite being the highest placed toy dog handler.

“We were in the ring for around 45 minutes, which is a long time to keep a dog calm and happy. Initially the dogs are lined up for the judge to look at them briefly, before they then start looking at the dogs’ movement. And this is when we have to walk the dogs around the ring in a circular movement.”

Toy dogs, like Dylan, are then placed onto a show table where they are expected to retain a perfect posture throughout their inspection by the judge. Sometimes the judge will deliberately move the dog’s paw or leg, requiring the handler to return it to its precise position, while the handler is also expected to display the dog’s teeth in a particular manner. The judge may also pounce questions on the handler relating to the dog’s origins, its breed traits and its anatomical issues. Once the individual assessment is completed, the dog is then required to move around the ring in a set pattern, normally a triangle, extending from the right corner, the left corner and then back to the judge.

“Dylan is a beautiful dog to handle, despite the Chinese Crested breed sometimes being considered difficult, as they’re not always friendly towards other dogs,” continued Ffion.

“And then of course, handling is a very personalised thing, where everyone has their own particular way of doing things. So you never really know what the judge is going to want from the handler. All you can do is remain confident with your own style and just hope that the judge will like it too.”

Despite last weekend’s success when Ffion and all the other exhibitors and handlers walked away with prizes from the most prestigious dog show in the world, their thoughts are already turning to Crufts 2026.

“My class is open to young handlers up to the age of 24, which means I’ve got one more left to handle at Crufts,” said Ffion.

“So already we’re starting to think about which shows to get to this year, with the hope of qualifying once again in 2026. Living in London – [Ffion is currently working towards an MA in vocal performance at the Royal Academy of Music] – obviously makes things a bit more difficult, but dog handling is definitely something that’s in my blood. And I can’t think of a life without going to shows and doing my absolute best for the dogs.”

Charity

Tenby club raises £1,000 for Wales Air Ambulance

Published

8 hours ago

May 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

TENBY INNER WHEEL CLUB has raised £1,000 for Wales Air Ambulance after holding a popular fish and chip supper fundraiser.

The club has supported the lifesaving charity for 12 years, raising £8,600 in total.

The latest event, held at the Boathouse in Saundersfoot, included both lunch and evening sittings, as well as a raffle.

The Inner Wheel Club of Tenby is a women’s organisation focused on friendship and service. It currently has 23 members who raise money for a range of good causes.

Karen Tulley, from the club, said: “Our members use our skills to promote and help good causes, while having plenty of fun at the same time.

“We are all aware that Wales Air Ambulance relies totally on donations and receives no government funding, which is why we are always keen to make this a really good event and raise as much money as we can.

“The air ambulance service is essential, particularly in rural areas.”

Following the fundraiser, Mike May, Wales Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Manager, attended the club’s annual meeting, where he was presented with the £1,000 cheque.

He said: “A huge thank you to everyone at Inner Wheel Club of Tenby for raising a further £1,000 for our service.

“The members have fundraised for us for 12 years and in that time they have raised an incredible £8,600, which is amazing. We really do appreciate their ongoing support of our all-Wales charity.

“Fundraisers like these will ensure that the Wales Air Ambulance continues to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most.”

Wales Air Ambulance is a consultant-led service which takes hospital-standard treatment to patients and, if needed, transfers them directly to the most appropriate hospital.

The charity must raise £13m every year to keep its helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.

Pic: Mike May, Wales Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Manager, at the cheque presentation.

Community

Protest planned outside police station calling for Chief Constable’s removal

Published

8 hours ago

May 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Campaigners accuse Dyfed-Powys Police of failing to safeguard children in Carmarthenshire

A PROTEST calling for the removal of Dyfed-Powys Police Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis is due to take place outside Llanelli Police Station this weekend.

The demonstration, organised by campaign group Predator Awareness and activist Zack Griffiths, is scheduled for Saturday (May 23) at 11:00am.

Promotional material shared online claims the protest is being held because the current Chief Constable has “failed to safeguard the children of Carmarthenshire”.

Campaigners are urging members of the public to gather outside Llanelli Police Station under the slogan: “No more silence. No more excuses. Protect our children.”

The specific concerns behind the protest have not been fully outlined publicly, although organisers have linked it to wider safeguarding concerns.

When approached by The Herald, Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed officers were aware of the planned demonstration.

***Protest planned: Campaigners are calling for the removal of Dyfed-Powys Police Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis (Pic: supplied).***

A police spokesperson said: “We are aware of plans for a protest in Llanelli this weekend.

“We will always seek to facilitate lawful peaceful protest while balancing it with the rights of others, keeping the public safe, and preventing crime and disorder — and we encourage anyone organising a protest to contact us so we can work together to ensure any demonstrations are done safely and with respect for the wider community.”

The protest is expected to take place outside Llanelli Police Station on Saturday morning.

News

Bank holiday rail works to affect Cardiff and Valleys passengers

Published

8 hours ago

May 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PASSENGERS are being urged to plan ahead this bank holiday weekend as essential rail improvement works take place across the Cardiff and Valleys network.

Transport for Wales said all lines through Cardiff Queen Street will be closed on Sunday (May 24) and Bank Holiday Monday (May 25).

Rail replacement buses and service diversions will be in operation to keep passengers moving.

Services from Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil will continue to run into Cardiff Central via the City Line, through Ninian Park. Replacement buses will run between Radyr and Llandaf, Cathays, Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Bay.

The works come as warm weather is forecast and services to popular coastal destinations, including Barry Island and the North Wales coast, are expected to be busier than usual.

Passengers are also being reminded that a new timetable came into effect on Sunday (May 17), with some trains now calling at different stations and at different times.

Industrial action by West Midlands Railway is also expected to affect Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton and Hereford to Birmingham routes on Friday (May 22) and Saturday (May 23). TfW said its own services are likely to be busier as a result, with extra capacity provided where possible.

Sarah Higgins, Operations Director at Transport for Wales, said: “Transport for Wales will be running its normal timetable over the Bank Holiday weekend, but some services may be much busier than usual due to industrial action at West Midlands Railway affecting Shrewsbury–Birmingham and Hereford–Birmingham services on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May.

“With high temperatures also forecast, customers are encouraged to take extra care when travelling, check for the latest travel information using the TfW website, mobile app, or social media channels, and to stay hydrated.”

On Sunday and Monday, buses will replace trains between Rhymney or Caerphilly and Cardiff Central, and between Radyr and Cardiff Central via Llandaf, Cathays and Cardiff Queen Street.

Penarth to Coryton services will terminate at Cardiff Central, with tickets accepted on Cardiff Bus routes 21, 23 and 27. On Monday only, tickets will also be valid on Cardiff Bus routes 92, 93 and 94 between Penarth and Cardiff city centre.

For the Cardiff Bay Line, tickets will be accepted on Cardiff Bus route 6, with an additional hourly bus running between Radyr and Cardiff Bay, calling at Llandaf, Cathays and Cardiff Queen Street.