Man's Best Friend
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
As life gets back to normal for all the canine competitors and their owners and handlers who were involved in Crufts, Elementary WhatsOn looks back on our visit to this world famous dog show held over the four-day period of 5-8 March at the Birmingham NEC. We’ve put together a roundup of dogs and events that caught our eye, including some gorgeous dogs who may not have achieved Best in Show, but were still top dog in their owner’s eyes.
The very first Crufts Show took place in 1891; it was started by Charles Cruft, a travelling dog biscuit salesman and was originally called The First Great Terrier Show. Thirty-six breeds took part and there were 2,437 entries. The popularity of the show has grown year on year, and this year there were more than 200 pedigree breeds taking part and 18,698 entries.
The beautiful solid silver rose bowl trophy, known as the Keddell Memorial Trophy was first awarded to Best in Show in 1928. However, winners only get a replica to take home and keep, with the original remaining at the Royal Kennel Club.
As most dog enthusiasts know, the overall winner - the coveted Best In Show, was a Clumber Spaniel – regarded as the largest of the spaniels and a rare breed. The last time a Clumber Spaniel took the title was in 1991. Proud handler Lee Cox put 4-year-old Bruin through his paces to achieve Best in Gundog Group before being awarded Best in Show.
Reserve Best in Show was Meghan, a 4-year-old Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen from Croatia, handled by Dr.Iva Raic. She was Best in the Hound Group before taking her reserve spot overall.
The show isn’t all about the competitive side of things. There were over 500 stands relating to the health, care and happiness of our dogs – and their owners. From dog walking clothing (for humans and dogs) to bedding, grooming accessories, food choices, treats and toys – and much, much more.
A really popular part of the show is the Discover Dogs area. Here the public can get up close to around 200 different breeds, chat to owners and learn about the individual breeds. This is all about promoting responsible ownership – a key factor throughout the Crufts Show, and especially helpful for anyone thinking of buying a dog from a breeder.
There were also numerous charity stands, promoting the amazing work their specially trained dogs are doing for people. Amongst them were Medical Detection Dogs, Hounds for Heroes, Dogs for Good, Support Dogs for Autism, Epilepsy and Disability; Samaritan Supporters; Seizure Alert Dogs, Greyhound Trust – which won the Crufts Trade Stand competition. There were also a number of rescue centres represented, such as the Manchester and Cheshire Dogs Home.
Throughout the 4-days, the crowds were treated to some fabulous entertainment. This included Flyball competitions, culminating in an exciting final between Junkyard Dogs and The Sharks, with Junkyard Dogs coming out tops. There were the Crufts Agility Championships with a range of different classes, including Rescue Dog Agility; displays from the Southern Golden Retriever Team; Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme Display; Heelwork to Music and an exciting re-enactment of the work carried out daily by the West Midlands Police Dog Display Team.
In the Scruffts Family Crossbreed of the Year competition, this top award went to Marnie, a 9-year-old Terrier Cross who had earlier won the Golden Oldie class. When only two-years-old Marnie had been rescued from a Romanian kill shelter. She had been caring for three orphaned puppies, producing milk to keep them alive. Her owner Lyn Freeman from Essex talked about the difficult start Marnie had in life and how thrilled and surprised she was that her little rescue dog had been chosen as Scruffts champion.
Another major event every year is the Royal Kennel Club Hero Dog Awards which is voted on by the public. Finalists share their stories through videos on the Royal Kennel Club website, showing the impact the dog has had on its owner. More than 37,000 votes were cast for the five finalists, with the overall winner being Asha and Logan. Asha is an 8-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier who makes a huge difference to 17-year-old Logan Dagnall’s life – emotionally and practically. Logan is a full-time wheelchair user living with cerebral palsy and mitochondrial disease. Nominations for next year's Hero Dog Awards will open soon on the Royal Kennel Club website.
So, another great show, highlighting the importance of dogs in our everyday lives. For some they provide emotional and physical support, for others its companionship and unconditional love. Man’s best friend indeed!
Discover more from Crufts: https://crufts.org.uk/
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