Tango set for the bright lights

Leisurely strolling along a country lane in Redhill, near Telford, Janice Bannister and her dog Tango hardly look like they are standing on the precipice of a life-changing dream.

The picture of calm and composure, tail-wagging Japanese shiba inu Tango even takes time out to lavish her affection on a nearby horse, planting a big wet kiss right on its nose.

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You'd be hard-pressed to tell that this time tomorrow the eyes of the dog world will fall on Janice and two-year-old Tango when pooch and mistress enter the ring at Crufts 2008 to vie for top prize - best in show.

On Thursday, Tango was crowned best dog in the utility group and will go head-to-head with the world's top dogs from six other groups.

Just how do you get ready for the moment when the lights go down and millions of animal lovers from around the globe hold their breath in anticipation?

"I don't know how to prepare - I've never done it before," says Janice, 51. "Tango will have a bath tomorrow morning and I will take her on her normal walk. Then we'll go to the show."

The 40-mile drive across the Midlands from Redhill, where she runs Cottage Boarding Kennels, to the NEC in Birmingham is a journey that Janice has been making with other show dogs every 12 months for 26 years. But never before has she come quite this far.

"Going to Crufts is like a pilgrimage," she says. "I always look forward to going, and you can shop 'til you drop as well. Everybody there loves dogs.

"I've been to shows around the world but they are not the same as Crufts. There's a dog show just like Crufts every other weekend but people don't realise, because Crufts is the one they see on the television.

"We go to 20 championship shows every year, I'm all over the country all of the time. Most weekends I'm at a show - although this one is a bit special."

All this travelling to far-flung dog shows is why, in the end, Janice bought a motorhome. Now she and her pack hit the road in style, with all the comforts of home.

She says: "You cannot get a hotel for yourself and seven or eight dogs at a hotel, but I love the motorhome. It's got a TV, a video player and a shower and I can get all my dogs in there - not many people after that, though."

But aside from the glitz and glamour of the world's greatest dog show, the road to super-stardom is longer than the journey down the way to the NEC and goes something like this: up at 6am, out with the dogs at 6.30am; back at 7.45am to get her son up for school; open up the boarding kennels at 8.30am for the day job; look after dozens of other people's dogs and between then and falling asleep at night she has to find time to train her own show dogs.

Luckily, Janice loves dogs. Very much.

She says: "The are our life - they are our pets, they are our family and they are our friends. Crufts is the icing on the cake but if I did not show them, I would still have dogs."

The fall out from Tango's victory on Thursday is already leaving her seeing stars, however.

"I was faced with a barrage of flashbulbs from all the world's press and everybody wanted to talk to me," she says. "I've already had e-mails from Sweden, Finland and Australia. The world is watching."

Yet winning isn't about the money. Tango and cash, it ain't.

"I've still got to pick my winnings up, but I won't spend it all at once because you only get £25 for best in breed, £50 for best in group and £100 for best in show. It doesn't even cover the entry costs."

Ahead of tomorrow's showdown, Janice and Tango are doing their best to carry on as normal and maintain their regular routine. After all, all the hard work is done now. It's all up to the judges.

"It's surreal being in the grand final, but I'm just going to enjoy it.

"I'm not going to be nervous, I want to savour the moment because whatever happens, I've been there. It's where you dream of being - at Crufts, in the final."

She adds: "When I set off on Thursday morning I just wanted to win best in class, maybe best in breed, I never even dreamed of being best in group."

Then she remembers something and appears to wobble. Because, whereas up to now the dog world has been watching edited highlights on their televisions, tomorrow's best in show will be beamed around the planet live.

"Before, I thought that if I tripped over they could edit it out but if I fall over tomorrow the world will see," she says. "And I cannot let Tango down.

"But whatever happens, I take the best dog home, so I can't lose anyway. And Tango is like 'what's all the fuss about? It's only a dog show'."

By Ben Bentley

Standing proud: Crufts class winner Tango.

Tango, with owner Janice Bannister, gets congratulated

by another four legged friend.

Janice Bannister with Tango and Crufts certificate and trophy.

Janice Bannister doing the paperwork at her kennels in Redhill.