updated 28/9/01

Dancing round the world!

Mary Ray smiles for the camera and prepares for her ‘Fred Astaire’ routine.

A JAPANESE television crew has been filming throughout the UK in the last couple of weeks for a programme about dogs for one of the main Japanese television channels. The theme of the filming was ‘What do the British do with their dogs?’, and amongst the items filmed was preparing a dog for a show and filming at the show, training a guide dog and they also decided to film some heelwork to music.

So, of course, they arrived in Rugby to see Mary Ray’s Crufts routine. She performed her top hat and tails ‘Fred Astaire’ routine with her handsome brown and white border collie, Quincey, in the open space adjacent to her house, much to the amazement of motorists on the road that runs next to it. She was also interviewed through an interpreter, by the presenter who is the Japanese version of Shauna Lowry.

Mary’s very popular obedience and heelwork to music training videos have recently gone on sale in Japan and no doubt this will become the next country to become addicted to this popular new sport. We will have to keep an eye on the television – perhaps Mary will pop up on some future edition of Tarrant on TV!