A GROUP of canine enthusiasts in Somerset were visited by a leading expert in doggy dancing. Heelwork to Music expert Mary Ray went along to Waggy Tails Dog Training Centre at Badgworth Barns to give dog owners the chance to work with her dog Gypsy.

A GROUP of canine enthusiasts in Somerset were visited by a leading expert in doggy dancing.

Heelwork to Music expert Mary Ray went along to Waggy Tails Dog Training Centre at Badgworth Barns to give dog owners the chance to work with her dog Gypsy.

Mary took the trip to Somerset to visit Waggy Tails member Steph Jefferies, who won the free visit as part of her prize for coming first in the Young Kennel Club Under-12 Shaun McAlpine Award which she received in March this year at Crufts.

Steph, who lives in Burnham, suffers from cerebral palsy and was recently short-listed for My Animal Hero, a competition run by Disney to celebrate the re-release of The Jungle Book, with her golden labrador Kimmy.

Steph's mum Ann said: "Steph and Waggy Tails leader, Alison Garforth, got a group together to perform one of their dance displays for Mary. I have never seem them go so red in the face to have to do this but they did and it went really well and I think Mary was impressed.

"Steph had a wonderful experience and fell in love with Mary's dog and wished she could have taken her home. But somehow I don't think Mary would have been happy with that."

Mary Ray is one of the country's leading dog trainers and lives in Rugby. She has just released a book called Dancing with Dogs.