You little beauty: rare dog breed Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen wins Crufts Best in Show

Jilly beat more than 20,000 other dogs to take the coveted Crufts title (PA)

A Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen called Jilly was tonight crowned Best in Show at Crufts.

Jilly, owned by Sara and Gavin Robertson from Wallingford in Oxfordshire, beat more than 20,000 dogs over the four-day competition to take the coveted title.

The canine was one of seven dogs competing in the arena for Best in Show at the NEC in Birmingham tonight, each having been awarded Best of Breed and then Best in Group in previous rounds.

Jilly, aged four, was awarded the first place rosette after being assessed by a Kennel-club approved judge.

The judges watched the dogs take their lap of honour and marked them for their overall health and condition, coat, character, temperament, movement and how close they matched up to the Kennel Club Breed Standard.

The reserve Best in Show title went to a three-year-old Labrador Retriever called Romeo from Cesara in Italy owned by Franco Barberi.

PA