Crufts this year has been better than ever before, with almost 27,000 dogs entering the competition and over 160,000 people attending over the four days. It definitely stands up to its title, ‘The World’s Largest Dog Show!’. Loads of different breeds attended Crufts. Here are some statistics from the event:
- Whippet – 386
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – 311
- Bulldog – 282
- Retriever (Labrador) – 555
- Boxer and Rottweiler – both 220
- Border Collie – 352
These figures show how much Crufts has changed since it started in 1891, originally Crufts was just for terriers!
Click ‘continue reading’ for the full Crufts report.
Crufts celebrates working dogs, which are fit and healthy enough to perform the jobs for which they were originally bred such as gamekeeping, police work and working with disabled people. There are also competitions for Rescue dogs and speed and agility.
The most likely breed to win the Best in Show crown is the Cocker Spaniel, which has come out on top seven times! However, Welsh Terriers and Irish Setters have won four times and Labrador’s won three times during the Thirties but haven’t triumphed since. Maybe next year!
Although Crufts celebrated its 125th anniversary back in 2016, new rules come in every year. This year, whether you think they’re cute or cringeworthy, dogs with hair bows risked being disqualified. Pat Maul, a shih tzu judge, had said that “any dogs with bows or adornments” would be refused from the ring. Her recommendation that, “owners use a “plain elastic band holding the topknot only please” was prompted by new rules set out by the Kennel Club, which runs Crufts.
This is an enormous event with over 47 overseas countries including Venezuela, Peru and the Philippines competing! It also attracts lots of celebrity dogs – Ashley and Pudsey; Gunther IV, the world’s richest dog. Even Queen Victoria’s collie, Darnley II, and two of her Pomeranians won prizes in 1891! The show got so popular in 2000, the Kennel Club started ‘Scruffts’ – a show for crossbreeds.
Alice, Chloe and Gemma, Year 7
