San and I are going to Crufts!

Last weekend, we were at the big Winner Show in Leeuwarden. An over 3-hour journey for me, which for us Dutchies is a lot!

Competing in agility at a conformation show already has that extraordinary—the feel to it: there’s tension in the air, there’s chaos, a fantastic narrator talking the audience through the runs… and then there’s the sheer filth that just seems to come with conformation shows as well. 😅 San fortunately stayed completely himself through it all: calm, focused, and unfazed by everything around him.

The stakes were high: one coveted Crufts Agility ticket, awarded to the fastest combination with the fewest faults over two runs. After the jumping course, the final agility run would be held in reverse order of the results—meaning the best performers had to wait until the very end to see how it would all unfold. The judge was Paul Moore from the UK, giving us two challenging but fair rounds.

San and I started strong with a clear round in the jumping and finished in second place. A great start, but with nine clear rounds in total, the competition was still wide open. There was no room for mistakes.

We had to run second to last in the final. The combination before us went clear, so I knew exactly what we had to do: go clear—and go fast. San is not a slow dog, but as an Aussie in a playing field of lightning-fast Border Collies, he’s not always the fastest. But, he is very consistent, so if I could focus on guiding him through the course, we might just make it.

Our run didn’t start perfectly. At the beginning, I was too focused on the lead change San had to make after his running dog walk, making me not cue the right turn after it. San took a wiiiiide turn, costing us valuable time. In that moment, I knew that little mistake may have cost us dearly. The only option I had was to trust him completely and really push him to run as fast as he could, trusting that his foundation and skills were strong enough to handle that pressure without becoming sloppy.

And boy, did he deliver!

San gave everything. He ran with power, focus, and precision, and we completed the rest of the course flawlessly. Even with the time loss at the start, we crossed the finish line—and somehow, unbelievably, we were the fastest combination with two clear rounds.

We won the Crufts ticket.

It still feels unreal. So often, we’re just off the mark. Very good, but just a bit too slow, or just one unlucky bar too many. But this time, everything came together exactly when it mattered most.

This means that on March 7 2026, we get to represent the Netherlands at the Crufts Agility International Invitation. I still can’t believe that we’ll be stepping onto that magical green carpet. And what makes it even more special to me is that, in a sport dominated by Border Collies, I get to stand there with my Australian Shepherd — my once-in-a-lifetime dog, San, who continues to amaze me with his versatility and heart.

I’m incredibly proud, and I’m determined to give it everything I have over the next few months to put down something beautiful at Crufts.

I’ve also been deeply touched by all the kind messages I’ve received. The support, the congratulations, and even friends who told me they had tears in their eyes watching or hearing about our run. It truly means the world to me. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing people.

And last but not least, the biggest hug goes to San—my special, ridiculously goodest boy Sanneman. None of this would be possible without him. ❤