Crufts 2022 kicks off later this week after a year off because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, the international dog show was postponed in March and scheduled to take place in July, however the show was later cancelled for the first time since the electricians’ strike of 1954.

Crufts attracts more than 20,000 competitors alongside hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and is broadcast to an international television audience.

This year, one of the island’s hopes is Harry B – a Border Collie who is attending the show with his owner Jean Young.

Harry B will be representing the island in the inter-regional obedience competition.

He is the only dog who has been selected from the Isle of Man to compete in the obedience category, which will take place on Friday, March 11 from 9am.

As the island does not have its own delegation for this category, Mrs Young and Harry will be competing alongside those representing Northern Ireland.

It will be Harry’s second time representing the island – he first competed as a puppy around six years ago.

His entire litter competed altogether – a first for the dog show – and they all still live on the island.

Mrs Young said: ‘So him and his [four] other siblings that I bred, they all went and did a puppy display.

‘And he was so naughty! I can’t believe I’m taking him again!’

This time around, Harry B is competing in the obedience category, and it will be interesting to say the least.

Mrs Young said: ‘He is really, really naughty, so anything could happen, but hopefully it won’t.

‘Hopefully he will behave.’

Mrs Young is one of the volunteer team at Ramsey Dog Training Club, alongside Lisa Walker, Lou Jackson, Dawn Hendrickson, Pauline Moneta and Voirrey Horne, who all wished the pair the best of luck when representing the club and the island in the prestigious competition.

The training club meets every Thursday evening in Andreas Parish Hall.

It is one of only three Kennel Club registered clubs in the island, and has been an established club for more than 30 years.

Mrs Young wanted to thank the Farmers Combine in Ramsey for supporting Harry B on his Crufts journey by providing his food, which she called his ‘rocket fuel’.