The Crufts Dog Show is one of the biggest dog events in the world, celebrating the role dogs play in our lives. This year's 125th Show will take place from March 10 to 13, 2016 in Birmingham.
Crufts is a unique and entertaining dog event, centered around the international dog show, unforgettable sporting competitions, and demonstrations that celebrate the talent of man’s best friend and the unique bond dogs share with their owners.
The always returning Friends for Life competition features heroic dogs, the obstacle course, Agility, the relay race, Flyball, the obedience competition, Obedience, freestyle musical competition, Heelwork to Music — all of which captivate the audience. Moreover, at the Crufts Dog Show, for the 4th year, not only purebred but also mixed breed dogs can showcase their skills in agility competitions.
How it all started...
The Crufts Dog Show is named after its founder, Charles Cruft, who, joining forces with James Spratt, traveled the country as a traveling agent selling dog biscuits. This way he came into contact with large landowners and sporting dog enthusiasts.
Recognizing his new protégé’s talent and exceptional sales skills, Spratt sent him to Europe. In 1878, Cruft met French dog breeders there, who, seeing the young man’s expertise and enthusiasm, asked him to organize the promotion of the Paris dog show.
Charles returned to England in 1886 to organize the Terrier Club Show at the Royal Aquarium in London’s Westminster. It was already evident then that Charles Cruft’s greatest passion was organizing and managing dog shows.
The first actual Crufts show was held in 1891 and the venue was reserved at the “Royal Agricultural Hall” in Islington. This was the first all-breed show where about 2000 dogs competed. Since the first show, Crufts has continuously evolved and grown.
By the end of the 19th century, the number of Crufts entries had reached over 3,000. After the successful Crufts Dog Show held in 1930, the then president of the Kennel Club declared that “Mr. Cruft is the Napoleon of the dog world.” The show’s popularity continued. In 1936, at the Jubilee Show, the number of competing dogs from 80 breeds reached over 10,000.
Charles Cruft died in 1938 and the show was organized by his widow for the following 4 years. After four years, Emma Cruft did not take on the further organization of the show as the high demands would have required too much of her time and energy. To ensure the Crufts Dog Show could continue and maintain its reputation (and of course her husband’s work), the widow sold the entire show management rights to the Kennel Club.
In 1959, despite increased ticket prices, the number of visitors to the show (13,211) set a new world record. By 1979, due to the growing number of entries, the show outgrew its old venue. The new location became the Earls Court Exhibition Centre.
From 1982, the show became a 3-day event to accommodate the increasing number of entries, and five years later, in 1987, it expanded to 4 days, allowing space for even more dogs and spectators.
The Crufts Centenary Show in 1991 was held at a new venue, the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham — the show moved out of London for the first time this year. The 1991 Centenary celebration, with an audience of 22,973, became the world’s largest dog show, recognized by the Guinness Book of Records.
Since then, the Crufts Dog Show has continued to grow and is now a key date in the calendars of many dog lovers. Including sports and other competitions, it is estimated that on average 28,000 dogs and approximately 160,000 people participate over the 4 days of the Crufts Dog Show each year.
Since 1948, the organizer and host of Crufts has been The Kennel Club, with a 142-year history, the dog breeding organization of the United Kingdom.
The Show's Competitions and Programs
Crufts is famously the competition of the most beautiful dogs, but this is only one part of this 4-day giant event. Let's see how many interesting and special competitions and programs it offers to participants and guests:
Firstly, we can mention of course the show dogs, who compete in the following seven groups for the main prize of the competition, the large silver Best In Show trophy:
- Gundog Group (Hunting dogs group)
- Hound Group (Another hunting dogs group)
- Pastoral Group (Pastoral dogs group)
- Terrier Group (Terriers group)
- Toy Group (Small-sized dogs, lapdogs group)
- Utility Group (Mixed group)
- Working Group (Working dogs group)
Best In Show is the final event of Crufts, whose winner receives the most prestigious award.
The winners of the 7 groups compete in the BIS for the title of the most beautiful dog.
The first Best In Show competition was held in 1928, when a Greyhound named Primley Sceptre was crowned. Since then, Crufts has welcomed 78 Best In Show winners from 43 different breeds. Of the Best In Show winners, 23 times the Gundog group produced the winner, making the Gundog group the leader. The Toy group has produced a BIS winner only 3 times, the fewest so far.
Between 1940 and 1947, the Best In Show was suspended due to World War II. It returned in 1948 and has since remained the most prestigious event of the Cruft Dog Show.
The most successful breed is the English Cocker Spaniel, which won BIS 7 times in the following years: 1930, 1931, 1938, 1939, 1948, 1950, and 1996.
The youngest BIS winner was crowned in 1952, who was a 1-year-old English Bulldog.
The oldest BIS winner was a 9-year-old Flat-Coated Retriever, who won this prestigious award in 2011.
Among dog sports, Agility is the first to be mentioned, being one of the most popular.
The goal of the Agility competition is to evaluate the dog's trainability, controllability, agility, cooperation skills, the handler's problem-solving ability, reaction speed, endurance, and level of communication with the dog through a course composed of different types of obstacles.
Agility was first introduced in 1978, but only became official in 1980. In the first Agility, dogs were run through an obstacle course, with the purpose then being to entertain the audience during breaks.
Agility is a sport where the handler controls how quickly and precisely they can direct their dog through the obstacle course. A course consists of 15-20 obstacles, the sequence and route of which vary by competition and are decided by the judge.
The Agility competition held at Crufts is one of the three most significant Agility championships in the United Kingdom. Annually, 42 clubs hold qualifiers in the country, whose winners eventually enter the final Agility competition at Crufts. In 2015, the average time for competitors completing the course at Crufts was 32.5 seconds.
Obedience is also a popular dog sport, which can be found during the 4 days of the Crufts Dog Show. Through a synthesis of movement, obedience, and play, the dog and handler can prove they are the best team. Obedience offers all breeds, appearances, and capabilities of dogs and their handlers the opportunity to participate and compete with equal chances. The relationship, understanding, and mutual cooperation between the dog and handler are the measure here.
The exercises focus on these 6 areas: staying lying down and sitting, following, recall, sending forward and calling back, distance control. The most difficult task is to stay sitting while the handler moves away from the dog's line of sight.
Obedience dates back to the early 1950s and is a sport in which the dog and its handler work together as a competitive team.
The Obedience Championship Show was introduced at Crufts in 1955, where the Obedience Champion title is contested.
In the Crufts Obedience championship, Dot Watt achieved the greatest success: with 4 dogs, she stood on the top of the podium 5 times (1992, 1996, 1997, 2008 and 2015).
The "Flyball" races, which are relay races of the fastest dogs.
"Heelwork to Music" – the freestyle musical competition with multiple music-loving dogs.
Heelwork to Music first appeared at Crufts in 1992, with a presentation by the renowned handler Mary Ray.
The Heelwork to Music routine must consist of 75% following at heel, with supplementary movements adapted to the music. During the routine, the distance between the dog and the handler must not exceed 1.2 m, and the choreography must reflect the chosen music as well. The Heelwork to Music routine must include at least 2/3 Heelwork to Music elements but may contain up to 1/3 Freestyle elements.
Scoring includes the correct position, harmony, and cooperation.
Tina Humphrey and her Border Collie, Chandi are the only pair to have won 3 finals in the same year: Heelwork to Music, Freestyle, and the International Freestyle final.
Various working dog demonstrations, such as police dogs and hunting dogs, which are very interesting and spectacular.
Scruffts competitions aim to find the most wonderful British crossbreed. In Scruffts competitions, crossbred dogs can demonstrate their suitability and agility in Agility, Obedience, and Heelwork to Music events.
Pets as Therapy, the annual competition for therapy dogs.
The Young Kennel Club and the international Junior Handling competitions focus on children and young people.
The Discover Dogs event in Hall 3, where you can find more than 200 dog breeds and learn everything you need to know about the different breeds. You can talk to knowledgeable owners and breeders about the various breeds. You can get first-hand advice about grooming, training, and the breed itself. And of course, you can cuddle every dog in the hall.
The Friend for Life competition winner is announced based on audience votes. This is perhaps the most popular competition, as the stories of dogs who help mentally and physically disabled people overcome the biggest difficulties are simply wonderful.
And of course, the many vendors and their favored products and services, the shopping... which attracts many participants, exhibitors, and guests.
The Crufts numbers
The 1991 Centenary Show is still considered the largest, with nearly 23,000 dogs participating, while between 2006 and 2009 the number of participants exceeded 22,000.
The diversity of Crufts is guaranteed by the continuous increase of breeds shown. The 2016 numbers exceed last year's by 2% and are the highest since 2010. The total number of entries is 24,462, which is 740 more than the previous year. The total number of entries is higher because some dogs compete in multiple categories, such as Flyball, Heelwork to Music, Obedience, Agility, and Junior Handling events.
As always, the truly international flavor of the event is given by the 3396 overseas competitors participating in the Show from 47 countries. For the first time, Venezuela, Peru, and the Philippines are participating. Compared to last year, 14% more entries have arrived from overseas this year.
The largest number of dogs, of course, were entered from the mother country. Here are the top ten countries leading in entries at the Show:
- United Kingdom – 18,432
- France – 632
- Italy – 530
- Germany – 513
- Netherlands – 513
- Ireland – 433
- Sweden – 385
- Belgium – 329
- Russia – 265
- Poland – 220
The number of breeds is also increasing year by year, and in 2016 the Lagotto Romagnolo and Cirneco dell’Etna are also represented at the show. Compared to last year, entries for Pointer, Wild Duck Hunting Retriever, Samoyed, and Basset Hound breeds show a 40% increase this year.
The following breeds participate in the highest numbers at Crufts:
- Labrador Retriever – 588
- Golden Retriever – 569
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier – 410
- Cocker Spaniel – 403
- Whippet – 397
- Border Collie – 359
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – 322
- Pug – 269
- Beagle – 253
- Chihuahua (long-haired) – 251
"We are very pleased that entries remain strong and steady on the 125th anniversary of Crufts. We feel it is a real honor that at this grand show we can welcome so many breeds of dogs from around the world, together with their owners and handlers. The fact that a large number of people travel from afar to attend this prestigious event proves that the Crufts Dog Show continually remains the focus of interest for dog lovers, and we hope this will continue to grow in the future." – says Gerald King, Chairman of Crufts.
"Thank you to everyone participating in Crufts. We warmly welcome the dogs with their owners, and everyone who honors this celebration, whether they are loyal returnees of many years or attending the Show for the first time this year." – says Gerald King, Chairman of Crufts.
Between March 10 and 13, 2016, the organizers expect nearly 22,000 dogs at the Crufts Dog Show events at the NEC Center, together with about 160,000 participants, exhibitors, and guests.
Hungary is represented by 39 dogs at the Crufts Dog Show! We wish them and their owners and handlers much success, and may they add to our country's reputation with many beautiful winning titles!
If you liked the article and found it useful, please share it so it can reach as many dog-loving people and families as possible! Thank you!
We also recommend our other articles on the topic of Crufts to our visitors:
Crufts Dog Show – March 06 – 09, 2014 – Birmingham
The Crufts Dog Show, the colorful history of the English exhibition
The History and Philosophy of the English Kennel Club
Crufts Dog Show, the best and greatest celebration of dogs – March 05 – 08, 2015 – Birmingham
If you are a dog exhibitor or interested in the world of dog shows, I recommend the official website of the author, where past years' dog show calendars, the official 2020 MEOESZ dog show calendar, and all 2020 MEOESZ dog show recommendations in Hungarian and English will be available in the usual format!
Find Vámosi Ildikó dog article writer, author’s official website:
Http://ildikovamosi.hu/
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