A SCHOOL-girl from Ferndown has been selected to represent England as a trainer at an international dog agility championship.

15-year-old Isabella Cox and her border collie Dust will compete at the 2022 World Agility Open in the Netherlands as one of five juniors selected from across the country.

As the youngest member of the team, Isabella said she will find the experience “nerve wracking” but “really cool”.

She said: “We were away when we got a message to say I’d been selected. I was very happy as I didn’t expect it at all. It’s my first year doing this so it will be a bit nerve wracking but I’m really excited.

“When we found out, we called my grandparents to let them know and they started looking at ferry times straight away.”

Isabella’s mum Lorraine said: “We’re so thrilled for Isabella. It really has taken over our lives from just being at home to travelling up and down the country. We actually brought a caravan to stay in with the dogs while travelling.

“It’s changed everything but it’s just great. It’s enabled her to make a whole new network of friends and her school has been right behind her by giving her time to train and being generally supportive.”

The teenager has also qualified for Crufts 2022 with eight-year-old Dust for the Young Kennel Club (YKC) Agility Dog of the Year and YKC pairs competitions.

Isabella, who attends Talbot Heath School, says the event will be just the beginning for her as she hopes to take dog handling into adulthood.