Belgium in the spotlight again after 34 years. In 2016, the capital of Belgium, Brussels, will once again welcome one of the most prestigious international dog shows and canine events in the world, the European Dog Show, which will be held between August 26 and 28.
"We were the first Kennel Club to host the Euro Dog Show in 1982. We are very proud of this and it is very gratifying that in 2016 the show has returned to its homeland. Our Kennel Club was 100 years old in 1982, so we crowned it then with an elegant European Dog Show." – stated Nelly Mast-Gelders, Secretary General of the Belgian Kennel Club and director of the Euro Dog Show.
Belgium's Cynological History
Belgium was the first country in Europe to organize a dog show in May 1847, in Tervuren. The show was organized exclusively for pointers as a breed, only 3 judges performed the conformation assessments and most exhibitors were hunters. At that time, the idea arose that they should create a studbook database. On this occasion, a few years later the “The Society Saint-Hubert”, the Belgian Kennel Club, was founded, which owes its name to the founding hunters who chose this name in honor of Saint Hubert, the patron saint of hunters. In 1885 the previously used name was supplemented with the “Royal” prefix and thus the club’s full name became “The Royal Society Saint-Hubert.”
In 1911, the Royal Society Saint-Hubert together with the French, Dutch, Austrian, and German kennel clubs jointly founded the FCI, marking the first time in history that dog lovers were united worldwide. Unfortunately, the association was ended by the start of World War I. In April 1921, due to the influence of Belgium and France, the association was re-established.
Since 1954 the FCI office has been located in Thuin, Belgium. This is a historic town near the French border and the heart of the dog world beats in this Belgian small town. In 1982, 100 years after the founding of The Royal Society Saint-Hubert, Belgium had the honor to organize the first European Dog Show. Then in 1995, the Royal Society organized the 100th show. To duly celebrate this special event, the FCI agreed that Belgium would organize the World Dog Show that year.
The Belga Kennel Club’s Creed
Since its founding, the Royal Society Saint-Hubert issued its millionth studbook in 2006. The club's motto: One can live without a pedigree dog, but the pedigree certifies purebred breeding. The Kennel Club supervises and continuously improves dog breeding in Belgium. Since this has been the Royal Society Saint-Hubert’s main goal since 1882, dogs born and registered in Belgium hold great value in all respects. The club elected Prince Albert II of Monaco as its honorary president a few years ago.
2011 marked the FCI's 100th centenary. As a founding member, Belgium successfully hosted the prestigious Champion of Champions show. This year, the Royal Society Saint-Hubert will host the European Dog Show.
The Euro Dog Show
Nearly 15,000 dogs and more than 30,000 visitors are expected at the Brussels Expo exhibition halls, and internationally, more than 100 conformation judges from 38 countries are assigned to judge the participating dogs over the 3 days of the Euro Dog Show.
The distribution of the Euro Dog Show judgments by breed groups is as follows:
- On August 26, Friday, dogs from breed groups I, VI, VII, and VIII will be judged.
- On August 27, Saturday, the judging of dogs from breed groups V, IX, and X will take place.
- On August 28, Sunday, the closing day, dogs from breed groups II, III, and IV will be judged.
This year, alongside the European Dog Show, the European Sighthound Show, the Euro Sighthound, is also organized.
A special opening
Within the opening ceremony, the attending audience can witness a classic style show featuring 15 Belgian dog breeds, the Groenendael, the Laekenois, the Malinois, the Tervueren, the Ardennes Shepherd Dog, the Flemish Shepherd Dog, the Schipperke, the English Foxhound, the Brussels Griffon, the Belgian Griffon, the Brabant Griffon, the Bichon Frisé, the Papillon, the Phalène, the Belgian Vizsla, and the Belgian Mastiff. parading and presentation.
Remarkable is the 15th breed, the Belgian Mastiff, also known as the Belgian Draught Dog, which is a large, dignified, and robust-looking dog. The origins of the breeding of this breed date back to the early 20th century. The breed is particularly strong and muscular, and as a result, it was originally used in its homeland as a special working dog. The original Belgian Mastiff was a very tough working dog, used by the poor Belgian workers who could not afford horse-drawn hauling. The Belgian Mastiff used its enormous strength to pull carts, move heavy loads, and beyond that, it also functioned as a guard dog, as well as a rescue and search dog. During World War I, the breed was enlisted into the army, tasked with transporting special military equipment, ammunition, and supplies, pulling military wagons, and also assisting in the transport of wounded soldiers. As a result of World War I, the living specimens of the breed were significantly reduced, and by the 1960s they had completely disappeared. The original Belgian Mastiff became extinct and the FCI classified it among suspended dog breeds.
A few years ago, a passionate working group of Belgian breeders was formed, dedicated to the recreation of the original Belgian Mastiff through crossbreeding, and can be said to be successful, as the first specimen of this breed has reappeared at Belgium's dog shows, known by the name “Bacon,” performing with excellent results and earning the admiration of its supporters.
At the opening ceremony, a member of the working group coordinating the breeding of the Belgian Mastiff will briefly explain what has been done so far to recreate the original breed and what the ultimate goal is. According to the organizers, this presentation will be a very important and exciting component of the opening ceremony.
The Euro Dog Show in numbers
The number of registered dogs by breed group is as follows:
- FCI I. breed group: 1309 registered dogs
- FCI II. breed group: 2612 registered dogs
- FCI III. breed group: 1528 registered dogs
- FCI IV. breed group: 493 registered dogs
- FCI V. breed group: 1364 registered dogs
- FCI VI. breed group: 637 registered dogs
- FCI VII. breed group: 572 registered dogs
- FCI VIII. breed group: 881 registered dogs
- FCI IX. breed group: 2149 registered dogs
- FCI X. breed group: 488 registered dogs
The following breeds had the highest number of registrations:
- Bulldog – 238
- American Staffordshire Terrier – 203
- Golden Retriever – 175
- French Bulldog (in yellow and brindle colors) – 174
- Jack Russell Terrier – 162
- Rhodesian Ridgeback – 157
- Bernese Mountain Dog – 150
- Siberian Husky – 147
- Cane Corso – 142
- Bullmastiff – 134
From all over the world, 54 participating countries are at the event, led by Italy, followed by France and many other nations such as Argentina, Cyprus, South Korea, Japan, China, Malta, Iceland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States. A surprising fact is that in terms of registrations by country, the hosting country of the show does not take first place. Here are the top ten countries that lead in registrations at the Show:
- Italy – 2289
- France – 1780
- Belgium – 1414
- Russia – 1181
- Netherlands – 876
- Germany – 635
- Spain – 541
- Poland – 486
- England – 423
- Sweden – 379
Hungary occupies the 14th place with 278 registered dogs. We wish them and their owners, handlers much success, may they enhance the reputation of our country with many beautiful winning titles!
The birthplace of the Euro Dog Show, Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is an ethnically and linguistically divided Western European country with a total area of 30,528 square kilometers and a population of 10,458,000 million people. Its citizens form three clearly distinguishable groups: the Dutch-speaking Flemish, the French-speaking Walloons, and the German community living in the eastern part of the country. Its neighbors are the Netherlands to the north, Germany and Luxembourg to the east, France to the south and west, and the North Sea to the northwest. Along with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, the country forms the Benelux states.
Belgium is the world's main diamond center and the second largest petrochemical hub. More than 90% of the world's rough diamonds are negotiated in the country, while distribution is linked to the city of Antwerp. Belgium is a founding member of the European Union, its capital is Brussels, which is also one of the seats of the EU institutions.
Introducing the city of the Euro Dog Show, Brussels
The European Dog Show takes place in Belgium's capital, Brussels. The city has nearly 150,000 inhabitants and is crossed by the Senne river, which connects the city to the North Sea. Brussels is officially bilingual, French and Dutch are considered equivalent languages, but Belgians and foreigners prefer French.
The city was founded in the 6th century. In the Middle Ages, it was an important trading city in the Low Countries. It became the capital of Belgium in 1430. During the two World Wars, it was occupied by Germany. In 1957, the EEC was founded, with Brussels as its center. The city's economy is dominated by the service industry and public institutions, such as NATO Headquarters and its institutions, the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament, regional and European centers of international corporations, hospitality and hotel industries. Thanks to the European institutions, many companies maintain permanent representations in Brussels. The city is the seat of the EU and NATO and, through its stock exchange, one of Europe's financial centers.
If you visit Brussels, you can see many historical monuments, such as the Grand Place, Brussels’ main square, which was already the city center in the 11th century. Its current form is shaped by the Town Hall and guild houses built between the 15th and 17th centuries. The main square has been part of UNESCO World Heritage since 1998. The dominant building of the square is the Gothic-style Town Hall, built in the first half of the 15th century. Its best-known part is the 96-meter-high pointed tower, topped with a statue of Saint Michael, Brussels' patron saint. Of interest is the official residence of the Belgian monarch, the Royal Palace of Laeken, built at the end of the 18th century but unfortunately burned down in 1890 and finally took its current shape in 1902. The royal residence also includes the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, the royal greenhouse, the Japanese Tower, and the Chinese Pavilion.
Like other major European cities, Brussels offers numerous entertainment options for residents and visitors, most of which can be found around the Stock Exchange building.
Among Brussels’ important events, we must mention the flower exhibition held every other year in the Grand Place square, where a large tapestry is made from nearly 800,000 flowers. On the 3200 m2 cobblestone courtyard of the Grand Place, a brilliant begonia carpet spreads out. The flower carpet shimmers in the sunlight, sparkles in the rain, and shines in the evening light, witnessed daily by thousands of visitors from Belgium and beyond. After dark, it is even more spectacular, a real highlight when the light show starts with accompanying music, presenting a magnificent spectacle of the Grand Place flower marvel.
Location: Brussels Expo
Brussels Expo has 12 giant event halls and has offered flexible and endless possibilities for events such as international exhibitions, presentations, negotiations, meetings, and conferences for nearly 80 years. The Expo enjoys a prime position in the heart of Europe’s capital. It is easily accessible by all means of transport.
The Royal Society Saint-Hubert welcomes the guests of the EDS
The host of the European Dog Show welcomes guests from all over the world arriving at the exhibition and will do everything in its power to ensure that a grand Euro Dog Show is held based on the traditions of Belgian hospitality.
"In the strictest sense, Belgium is the country where it all started, when the very first dog show was held in 1847, exclusively for Pointers. In those days, the main purpose of dogs was to assist hunters. Since then, much has changed. Dogs no longer only work, but have become part of our lives, beloved companions, true friends. We can say that in the present history of humanity, animal welfare has become a central issue, which is very important. Dogs are valuable and beautiful creatures that play a very important and respectful role in our lives. During the 3 days of the Euro Dog Show, there will be an opportunity to meet hundreds of dog breeds and gain a lot of useful information about our beloved four-legged friends." – stated Nelly Mast-Gelders, Secretary General of the Belgian Kennel Club and Director of the Euro Dog Show. She continued: "The Royal Society Saint-Hubert expects many successful visits from dog exhibitors and warmly welcomes all dog lovers and interested parties to this prestigious event in August 2016 in the capital of Europe, Brussels. We wish all participants and visitors a wonderful 3 days and an unforgettable experience, which will hopefully remain memorable for everyone for a long time."
Safe travels to Brussels to the dogs representing Hungary, their owners, and handlers, good luck, pleasant days, and much success at the exhibition!
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