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.”

Wilson Mills-McBeth is one enchanting child.

His face has already  earned him a contract with the inclusive modelling agency Zebedee UK, while his mission in life is to throw himself wholeheartedly into absolutely everything that comes his way.  And if this means having to overcome a particularly difficult challenge, the invincible eight-year-old will storm onwards with a passion and unquenchable zest for life that defines his character so distinctly.

But what makes Wilson’s achievements even more laudable is the fact that he has Down Syndrome.  

This month Wilson, who lives in Saundersfoot, has been selected by Dragon Den victors ‘Stand Out Socks’ to take part in their Empowerment project. This gives people in the community who have any form of disability the opportunity to show society that despite those disabilities, their obstacles can be overcome and their goals can be achieved.

“Wilson is one extremely determined little boy who tries so hard at everything he does, and he has  a determination to do things just as well as his siblings,” his mother, Sara, told The Pembrokeshire Herald.

“And this is because Down Syndrome isn’t an illness.  People don’t suffer from it, they just have it.  And as a family, we want to change people’s perceptions and lose the stigma about having a disability.  It’s ok to be different, and Wilson is far more capable than many people realise.”

Four years ago Wilson, with the help of his family, began sharing images and accounts of his everyday life on social media via his  Facebook and Instagram accounts, where he’s known as ‘Wilson Pretty Fly For a Small Guy’.

“The idea was to include images and stories of all his achievements, but also his not so great days, so that people could get an insight into what life is like for a little boy with Down Syndrome.

“Children with Down Syndrome aren’t always happy, as society often thinks they are. They have the same feelings and emotions as everyone else and Wilson can be your typical stroppy and stubborn eight-year-old.

“There are lots of things that Wilson can do, but there are also very many things that he struggles with. But we know that with his determination and a little bit of help along the way, he’ll get there.

“But obviously he’s being helped by his siblings who are very close to him in age but also in helping him come on board and throw himself into whatever it is that they’re doing.  If his older brothers can do it, then what’s stopping Wilson from doing it too?”

It was this all-embracing ethos that was presented to the Dragon Den judges by Christian and Ross Laing who were eager to show society that people with disabilities are just as capable of holding down careers and entrepreneurial projects as anyone else.

“Ross has Down Syndrome yet despite the fact that he was extremely enthusiastic and more than capable of holding down full time employment, no one was prepared to give him a chance,” explains Sara.

So the brothers formed ‘Stand out Socks’ and sold their idea to Dragons Den, winning the backing of entrepreneur hosts Peter Jones and Steven Bartlett. Their name comes from the fact that people with Down Syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21, while chromosomes resemble small socks

“Only 5% of people with disabilities are in paid employment, and this again is something that we’re trying so very hard to change,” said Sara.

“As we’re seeing with Wilson, his enthusiasm for everything that comes his way is exceptionally strong and he’s more than capable of carrying out those tasks and completing them.”

Earlier this month Wilson, who is a pupil at Ysgol Hafan y Mor in Tenby was chosen by ‘Stand out Socks’ to take part in their Empowerment Project where his task is to sell 100 pairs of socks in the run up to World Down Syndrome Day on March 21.   The socks are priced £4 for children and £7.50 for adults and are available in a selection of bright designs. He is the sole person in Pembrokeshire selected to take part.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Wilson to kickstart his mini entrepreneurial journey and, as we would expect, he’s thrown himself into it with tremendous energy.  But this is very much a team effort, and Wilson’s brothers are putting as much effort into it as he is himself. They’ve all been creating ideas on how to market the socks, they’ve designed some flyers and posters and he’s even made a little stall out of boxes.  So my kitchen is currently in chaos.  

“But the whole aim is to help people and children like Wilson get their foot in the door of making their entrepreneurial ideas work and getting the recognition that they so greatly deserve.

“The brothers are now starting to operate their own fully fledged little business, and it means so much to us, as a family, that they’re helping to get the message out into the community.”

All proceeds from Wilson’s  sock sale will go  to The Sibling Group, Pembrokeshire and any excess money will go towards a deposit on a tricycle for Wilson.

“This is a fantastic charity that provides support to children aged between 7 and 18 who have a sibling who’s been diagnosed with a disability, a chronic illness or additional needs,” explained Sara.

“They get taken on trips every month, and once a year they go on a residential overnight stay.  A lot of these siblings are carers themselves, so what The Sibling Group is providing to them is invaluable.”

Meanwhile Wilson’s socks can be purchased via his Facebook and Instagram accounts.  His older siblings have also been given permission to sell them at a stall at their school at Caer Elen in the run up to World Down Syndrome Day.

“The sole purpose  is to change the way that disabilities are being regarded so that we can promote inclusion and start losing those outdated, old fashioned stigmas,” concluded Sara. 

“Wilson is just a little boy trying to make a big difference in society.”

SENIOR councillors will consider a bid for Pembrokeshire to become the latest council to support the devolution of Crown Estate assets to Wales.

15 local authorities are currently backing calls for this economic asset to be placed in Welsh hands.

The latest to join the campaign are Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil (both on March 5), and Isle of Anglesey (March 6), bringing the total across Wales to 15.

The Crown Estate owns 65 per cent of Wales’ riverbeds and beaches, as well as more than 50,000 acres of land – valued at over £603m.

Proceeds from these go to the Crown Estate, funding the Royal Family and contributing to the UK Treasury.

Responsibility for the Crown Estate is already devolved to the Scottish Government, which has previously been reported as generating £103.6 million into the public coffers in Scotland in 2023.

A notice of motion submitted to the March 6 meeting by Plaid Cymru councillor Michael Williams said: “We ask PCC to support the proposal for the Crown Estate assets to be devolved to the people of Wales, so that profits can be used to invest in the economy and communities of Wales.

“A poll in 2023 showed that 75 per cent of the population were in favour of taking control of the assets of the Crown estate rather than the profits going to the Treasury and the Crown.

“Local Authorities are under huge financial pressure and placing the Crown Estate in the hands of Wales would be a significant step to address the lack of investment in our local government.

“We call upon the Welsh Government to ask Westminster to devolve the assets and revenue of the Crown Estates as a matter of urgency, as was done in Scotland in 2017.

“We demand that Wales is treated fairly and accepts management of the Crown Estate land for the benefit of the people of Wales.”

Members agreed the matter be referred to the council’s Cabinet for further consideration.

Earlier in that meeting, a submitted question by Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy on the subject was heard.

He asked: “Can PCC provide the annual income the Crown Estates derive from Pembrokeshire as the Crown Estates map indicate that the majority of the Pembrokeshire Coastline to include much of the Milford Haven waterway is owned by the Crown Estates?”

Responding to that question, Cabinet member for finance Cllr Joshua Beynon said the total amounted to £59,005, including £26,600 for foreshore lease agreements, £8,520 for the land around Haverfordwest’s Riverside Market, and £12,800 for a sailing centre and care park at Cosheston Pill near Pembroke Dock.

Late last year councillors in neighbouring Ceredigion backed a call for the Crown Estate assets to be devolved to the people of Wales, following a notice of motion by Cllr Catrin M S Davies, seconded by Cllr Alun Williams.