Awaiting their fate nervously with panting breath and wagging tails, the contestants of this year’s London Bulldog Society championship travelled to Bracknell.

The annual competition, organised by the third oldest breeding club in the world, met at the Bracknell Leisure Centre, Bagshot Road, for the tenth time.

Susan Jay, London Bulldog Society’s secretary said: “We had a lovely day and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves.

“You get more of a social feel with the smaller competitions but as this was the championship, everybody took it very seriously.

“In the old days, showing dogs used to be a shop window for the breeders but now it’s just a leisure activity.”

Susan explained that, although very popular, the number of people wanting to show dogs has gone down in the last few years possibly due to the cost of exhibiting and the recession.

Winning Best in Show Sara Lamont’s bitch, one-year-old LaRoyal’s Best Kept Secret, who impressed judges with her 'stacking', the term used to describe a bulldog's square stance and Best Dog went to Ocobo Gobstopper, who won best puppy last year.

Being awarded Best Puppy, for bulldogs aged six to 12 months, was Natasha Taylor’s puppy, Goldfayre Pandora, who was old enough to compete by just two days.