A TEENAGE sportsman is combining his passion for dogs and running to become a force on the world stage.

St Briavels 16-year-old Rowan Saxton is celebrating World and European medals just two weeks apart in the fast-paced sport of canicross.

The young GB star and his canine companion Vrank won gold at the International Fed- eration of Sleddog Sports (IFSS) European Championships Dryland in Nybro, Sweden – hot-on the-heels of a memorable gold and bronze medal haul at the International Canicross Federation World Championships in Poland.

Dutch-born race-bred dog Vrank is yet to celebrate his second birthday, and Rowan is hoping the pair will enjoy further titles together as their confidence grows.

“I have a very good relationship with Vrank, who is a pointer mixed with greyhound,” said Rowan.

“We run our competition distances frequently in training and we go biking together and that’s a very good way to train your dog because it helps improve your average speed.”

Canicross is a popular activity in Europe, where it is used to train dog-sled teams.

A sport of running off-road with a dog, the athlete wears a waistbelt which attaches via a line to a padded dog harness.

The sport is growing quickly in the UK with weekly competitions taking place across the country.

Monmouth School for Boys pupil Rowan, who enjoys coaching sports and also plays cricket and football, hit top form in Sweden, against the cream of Europe, in the junior men’s aged 15-19 canicross class.

The former Forest of Dean Canicross Club member and his pet were outstanding over two days, winning the gold medal by 100 seconds, clocking an impressive 13 mins 21 seconds over the 4.5km course, which would have put them eighth in the elite men’s class.

In the World Championships in Poland at the beginning of October, the pair were also clear winners in the 15 to 19 age section, storming to victory 40 seconds ahead of their nearest rivals.

They were also selected for the GB A-team in the elite men’s relay event and won the first leg from a mass start to help the team to a bronze medal.

Rowan first started competing in canicross in 2010, initially with kelpie cross Henry and then with Wima, who is taking a break from the sport.

“When I was aged nine or 10, I started doing agility with dogs, but my mum got involved in canicross and invited me to have a go,” he said.

Rowan will now be focusing on his GCSEs, but has set his sights on next year’s worlds in Latvia and the Europeans in Belgium.

“I have always been sporty and enjoy running, so canicross combines my love of dogs and running,” he said.

“I am fortunate to have raced in other competitions in France, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands and Germany and it feels amazing to be a World and European champion because the competition is so tough.

“Having a good relationship and understanding your dog is vital.

“Once you have done that, then you can really enjoy the wonderful sport of canicross.”