Northampton flyball team is ‘ecstatic’ to be heading back to Crufts championship AGAIN

An overjoyed Northampton flyball team has qualified for the 2023 Crufts Championship after making it to the final last year.

Flyball is a sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from the start to the finish line - over hurdles - to collect a tennis ball from an upright box, then run back to their handlers with the ball in their mouth.

The Molten Magnets flyball team - based in Moulton - travelled to Drax in North Yorkshire last summer to participate in the Crufts flyball championship qualifier and ranked second.

The team is now set to compete in the Crufts flyball championships at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham next month.

Molten Magnets competitor, Bhav Patel, 35, from Kingsthorpe, said: “We are feeling both nervous and excited. It is a mix of emotions. It has always been about that moment of taking your dog out onto the green carpet. We have worked really hard to get to that point.”

Canine champions and handlers competing this year are Mason handled by Bhav, Ozzie handled by Karen Bonham, Fletcher handled by Olivia Harris, Jackson handled by Isabelle Cadd, Pip handled by Kerrie Purr, Harley handled by Anna Manning and Dexter handled by Faith Camwell.

All dogs are working border collie sheepdogs apart from Dexter the cocker spaniel and Mason the german shepherd, who picked up an award for being the fastest in his breed division during the 2022 flyball qualifiers.

The team is captained by Jo Cadd with James Wood taking on the role of box loader and Chloe Tompkins and Giorgo Daniel as crew.

On finding out the team has qualified yet again, Bhav said: “For every single one of the team, it was such a special moment for them.

“It is just like a once in a lifetime thing for most people to take their dog to Crufts so, for us, it is a big deal.”

Last year, the Molten Magnets, referred to by commentators as “the underdogs from the Midlands” made it to the final four in the Crufts flyball final.

Bhav said: “My entire team was in the crowd. We are one big family at Moulton and it is incredible - the support, the training - we all get involved.”

The Molten Magnets flyball team was first established by a woman called Jean Meeking in 2004. The flyball team has since grown to a grand total of 32 handlers and 41 dogs, who are all split into smaller teams under the Molten Magnets banner - including the Molten Monarchs, Molten Metals and Molten Marvels to name a few.

This is not the first time the team have graced the internationally televised arena. The Molten Magpies - named after a running joke of 'stealing the shiny trophy' - qualified for the Crufts flyball championships 11 years ago and won the competition.

Jean has since passed and Bhav took over the running of the flyball team seven years ago.

The Molten Magnets will compete in the Crufts flyball championships at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on Thursday, March 9.

Keep up with the Molten Magnets' Crufts journey by following their Facebook page.