Businessman’s best friend gets top dog award

A BLIND businessman who travels the world seeking out extreme sport challenges yesterday lavished praise on his award-winning guide dog and declared: “He’s transformed my life.”

As Belfast-trained Larry, a Golden Retriever Labrador cross, was named the best in Britain, owner Mark Pollock, 30, told how he helped rescue him from a life of despair.

Mr Pollock, from Holywood, Co Down, has defied disability to kayak in New Zealand, run marathons at the North Pole and in China’s Gobi Desert, win Commonwealth rowing medals, bungee jump and even compete in an Ironman Triathlon in Switzerland.