Ulster GP rider takes the lead after saving stray dog from paddock

Motorcycle ace Christian Elkin has a new member of his team after adopting a stray dog he found wandering the paddock at the Ulster Grand Prix in Dundrod.
Christian Elkin and his fiancée Jacqui Burns pictured with their adopted stray dog Rossi.Christian Elkin and his fiancée Jacqui Burns pictured with their adopted stray dog Rossi.
Christian Elkin and his fiancée Jacqui Burns pictured with their adopted stray dog Rossi.

The Randalstown-based rider and his fiancée Jacqui Burns found the dog in the paddock area of the huge racing event and they took it to the vet.

The pooch didn’t have a tag and was injured after being attacked by other dogs. Once the vet gave him the all clear, Christian and Jacqui decided to adopted him.

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The pair named the dog Rossi, after Christian’s racing hero and motorcycle legend Valentino Rossi.

Its a dogs life:  Christian Elkin and his fiancée Jacqui Burns pictured with their adopted stray dog Rossi.  The couple found the dog in the paddock area on and it is now the race teams pampered pooch. pic John Kelly.Its a dogs life:  Christian Elkin and his fiancée Jacqui Burns pictured with their adopted stray dog Rossi.  The couple found the dog in the paddock area on and it is now the race teams pampered pooch. pic John Kelly.
Its a dogs life: Christian Elkin and his fiancée Jacqui Burns pictured with their adopted stray dog Rossi. The couple found the dog in the paddock area on and it is now the race teams pampered pooch. pic John Kelly.

Speaking to the Ulster Star, Christian said: “We named him Rossi, after Valentino, he’s fast as lightning. He was just wondering around up and down the road and just walking out in front of traffic.

“It was really scared, we found out afterwards that he had been attacked by a number of other dogs.

“There were cuts and stuff on it, around its neck, where it had been attacked.

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“So we basically we took it to the vets, it wasn’t tagged or anything, it had no known owner so we ended up keeping it.

Christian Elkin and his fiancée Jacqui Burns pictured with their adopted stray dog Rossi.Christian Elkin and his fiancée Jacqui Burns pictured with their adopted stray dog Rossi.
Christian Elkin and his fiancée Jacqui Burns pictured with their adopted stray dog Rossi.

“He’s 100%, he seems to have settled in, my partner Jacqui loves animals, she is out morning, noon and night talking him for walks.”

Rossi became one of the stars at the Dundrod race, meeting fans and fellow competitors, Christian added: “We had him at the Ulster Grand Prix all week, he slept in the trunk with us, the noise didn’t bother him. He was good with children, he was good around people, he’s a fantastic little dog.”

Incredibly this is not the first time Christian has adopted a stray animal following a race meeting, “We have a cat we adopted as well, which turned up around the Dundrod area,” he added, “which I brought home around five years ago, it’s a massive fluffy cat called Fluffy.”

Did Rossi prove to be a good luck charm for Christian and the team? “We had personal bests in every class, it was a very good week,” Christian said.