Emily Mulholland, of Brunswick Road, Shoreham, won her age group and the overall junior class at the recent British dog grooming championship.

She will now go on to compete for the title of Young Kennel Club Groomer of the Year at Crufts early next year.

"It is a good feeling," said the 23-year-old.

"I have never really won anything that big before.

"It was the first time I had ever competed at the British dog grooming championship and it was a bit of a last-minute thing."

Emily, who has worked at Just Paws, in Beach Green, Shoreham Beach, for three years, added: "Winning the age group meant I qualified for Crufts, so winning the junior group overall was a bonus."

During the competition, groomers had three hours to trim a dog with more than eight weeks worth of hair growth.

"You basically have to trim your dog to perfection as best you can in three hours," said Emily, who started grooming when she was 16 and qualified two years later.

"I just tried my best and came away with first place."

Emily groomed her friend's dog, Chico, during the competition and said it was the dogs that had first attracted her to job.

"When I was at school, I wanted to work with animals, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do," she said.

"I was looking at a prospectus for college and saw dog grooming, and I have not looked back since."

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