A VILLAGE pub is hosting its first ever Dog, Sausage and Cider Festival.

The Springhead in Sutton Poyntz, is organising the event on Sunday.

Organisers, including Chris Baker and Jo Parker, are promising a day of fun for all the family and are keen for plenty of dogs to enter.

Landlady Jo Parker said: “Everybody thinks their dog is the cutest or the funniest or the most obedient.

“It’s going to be a fun day for all the family and a chance to show off people’s pooches that they love and adore.”

There are 10 classes for dogs to enter, each costing £1 per dog. Classes include ‘Best fancy dress’, ‘Young handler award’, ‘Sizzling sausage temptation’ and ‘Springhead Best in Show’.

Jo revealed one of the pub dogs would be entered.

Describing Dougal, a golden retriever, she said: “He’s an amazing dog. He’s 12. We’ve been told he can’t win anything because it would be biased.

“He will definitely be going straight in for the ‘golden oldie’ category.”

As well as Dougal, the pub also has Scrumpy, a cross between a miniature schauzer, a westie and a shih tzu.

The festival will feature 12 flavours of sausages and an array of local ciders all from 2pm.

Live music from the likes of Jack Daniels and Benny Wain will also be performed inside the pub from 4pm.

Jo said they had been thinking about organising the event for quite some time.

She said: “It’s the first time we’ve done it. It was just something that we talked about but we didn’t get a chance to do last summer because we were so busy.”

Jo took over the running of the pub in October 2012. She said she was grateful for the support they’ve had from the local area and afar.

She said: “We’ve had a good summer so far. We’ve had a lot of familiar faces from last year from when they came on holiday.

“A lot of them have come in with their children saying, ‘Where’s Dougal? Where’s Scrumpy?”

To find out more information about the event, please call 01305 832117.

Dogs can be registered at the pub now or on the day from 12.30pm.