'I'm competing at Crufts for the first time at 86'

A woman will be competing at Crufts for the first time this year aged 86.

Eileen Finningley, from Lincoln, who lost her husband three years ago and had previously always had cats, said she welcomed Pekingese Betty Boo into her life in 2025 after feeling like "there was nothing for me to go home for".

Betty Boo will be competing in the junior bitch category at the international dog show at the NEC in Birmingham from 5 to 8 March.

Eileen said: "Somebody introduced me to the dog world and shows. I fell in love with these [Pekingese]."

For some people, it takes years to get a dog into Crufts, but for Eileen it was only a matter of weeks.

She told BBC Radio Lincolnshire: "It so happened the lady I got her from had already got her entered with her own at a dog show.

"I'd only had her two weeks and never done anything like that before.

"She said to me 'give it a go, don't worry, try and walk straight' and it went well. She came third and got a lovely yellow rosette."

Eileen said Betty Boo also got a red rosette from the show, which qualified her to take part in Crufts.

Betty Boo already has fame in her blood, as she is the niece of a Pekingese who played Tricki-Woo in the TV remake of All Creatures Great and Small.

Eileen, who brushes Betty Boo twice a day, said: "She's beautiful. I would say that wouldn't I?

"She's got a lot of fur that takes a lot of grooming and brushing and a lovely tail."

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