A prize poodle has been stripped of its title after cheating using hairspray to win a national competition.
Dog breeder Roger Bayliss, from Nottinghamshire, was fined £300 by the Kennel Club after traces of the banned substance were found on his pooch’s coat.
Mr Bayliss won the Best Of Breed category with his dog, La Marka Lemerle Oscar Wilde, at the Welsh Kennel Club Champ show in Builth Wells last August.
But, after a random sampling in which a vet took three clippings from the pooch, tests found traces of hairspray, which the club has outlawed.
“The samples were tested by the Forensic Science Service and there was found to be the presence of lacquer in the coat,” said Kennel Club spokesman Phil Buckley.
“The regulation exists to ensure that no exhibitor competes with an unfair advantage over fellow competitors by the use of artificial means to enhance the body, texture or colour of the dog¿s coat.”
After an in-depth inquiry, the club’s general committee today warned Mr. Bayliss – also a show judge who has been breeding poodles for over thirty years – about his future conduct. It imposed a £300 fine for breach of regulation and ruled that he be stripped of all three titles won at the show.
“The Welsh Kennel Club show is a prestigious champ show which has been running for over 60 years and attracts a large and dedicated following from outside of Wales,” added Mr. Buckley.
Mr. Bayliss escaped a possible 30-year ban. The club warned that regulations would be tightened in future.