Shooting for the stars: Orca the Lagotto Romagnolo gun dog wins the Crufts Best In Show top prize

He had been driven 25 hours across Europe to get to Crufts. But the road trip proved worthwhile last night as gundog Orca won Best in Show – becoming the first Lagotto Romagnolo to scoop the prize.

The Italian breed was originally used to hunt waterfowl through the marshlands of Romagna, but is these days more commonly used to hunt for truffles.

Four-year-old Orca is actually from Rijeka, Western Croatia, and had more than 40 best in show wins throughout Europe and the USA before securing the most celebrated title in the world of dogs – in the Kennel Club’s 150th year.

Handler Javier Gonzalez Mendikote said the win was a ‘childhood dream come true’. 

He added: ‘I’ve worked for the last 20 years to achieve something like this in my life.

Handler Javier Gonzalez Mendikote (pictured) said the win was a ‘childhood dream come true’

‘Since she was a puppy she has always been (wagging her) tail. (She’s) always happy, happy.’

Best in Show reserve was six-year-old Delia, an Old English Sheepdog who actually hails from Greece.

The show at Birmingham’s NEC started with a flurry – literally – as the dogs padded through car parks white with snow to reach the arena for the opening session on Thursday.

Last night’s seven Best in Show finalists included crowd favourite Paris, an Irish Wolfhound owned bred by The Real Thing singer Chris Amoo.

The 70-year-old won Best in Show with an Afghan hound in 1987 and although five-year-old Paris – named after a mythological nobleman of Greek legend – topped the public poll on Channel 4, he couldn’t carry off the overall show prize.

Amoo, whose soul group topped the charts with You To Me Are Everything in 1976 and still tour worldwide, has said previously that owning and breeding Irish Wolfhounds at home in Warrington, Cheshire, was his ‘main interest’ outside music.

The 70-year-old added yesterday: ‘I’ve never lost my passion or enthusiasm for this hobby, after all these years – I don’t take holidays because for me, showing dogs, that is my pleasure.’

Competitors over the weekend included Elena Yaroshuk who travelled 1,800 miles from Odessa in war- torn Ukraine to fulfil a dream of competing at the world’s greatest dog show.

Last night’s seven Best in Show finalists included crowd favourite Paris (pictured), an Irish Wolfhound owned bred by The Real Thing singer Chris Amoo (pictured with dog)

The 70-year-old won Best in Show with an Afghan hound in 1987 and although five-year-old Paris – named after a mythological nobleman of Greek legend – topped the public poll on Channel 4, he couldn’t carry off the overall show prize

Her daughter Daria, 26, said: ‘In Ukraine, we have a phrase that if you have visited Paris, you can die happy after.

‘For people who really love dogs, maybe the phrase is that once you have visited Crufts you can die happy.’

Mrs Yaroshuk competed with Jack Russell Delux and corgi Laif Spring in their individual breed categories, but didn’t take home a prize.

Ahead of last night’s Best in Show final, newly-retired Gloucestershire Police dog Stella was named Hero dog of the year.

The nine-year-old RSPCA rescue dog became the first Staffordshire bull terrier to qualify for police work as a drugs, cash and firearms recovery dog. 

And she showed she still had a nose for a ‘find’ – promptly savaging the Channel 4 microphone after collecting her award with handler PC Claire Todd.

Over 19,000 dogs competed for one of just seven places in the Crufts final. The show dates back to 1891.