THREE rare Hungarian wire-haired vizslas have returned triumphant from a dog show in Europe.

Zach, Sarika and Usko all won individual prizes at the international working tests and European Vizsla Cup, held in Holland.

Vizslas were bred for hunting and the five-day contest is a mixture of field trials, retrieval tests and a dog show.

The three were also part of the five-dog Great Britain team, which came fourth overall in the field tests.

Owner Roy Bebbington, a North Yorkshire paramedic, is delighted with his dogs' success.

He said: "It was a great event. The camaraderie was exceptional and they really made us feel welcome."

He said his dogs were not even thrown by having to retrieve a dead muskrat, an animal they had never seen before. Mr Bebbington, from Hudswell, said there were only about 750 vizslas in the UK. The wire-haired variety was bred by Hungarian peasants, while the smooth-haired dogs were favoured by the country's aristocracy.

He said: "They are very friendly and laid-back dogs.

"When they are not out hunting, they lie around the house all day like hearth rugs."