Crufts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Crufts

Formation	1891
Founder	Charles Cruft
Type	Dog show
Headquarters	Birmingham, England
Location	United Kingdom
Official language	English

Crufts is a really big international dog show held every year in the United Kingdom. It started way back in 1891 and is organized by The Kennel Club. It's known as the largest dog show of its kind in the whole world!

Crufts is mostly a championship show where dogs are judged on how well they match their breed standards. But it's also a huge event with lots of other fun things. You can find a big market selling dog-related items, and exciting competitions like dog agility, obedience, flyball, and heelwork to music. Crufts also announces the winner of the "Friends for Life" award, which celebrates amazing dog heroes. Plus, it hosts the final of "Scruffts," a competition just for crossbreed dogs. The show lasts for four days, from Thursday to Sunday, in early March. It takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Solihull, England.

The main competition at Crufts is for the "Best in Show" award. Dogs and their owners from all over the world compete to win this special prize.

In the past, there were some concerns raised about how purebred dogs were being bred and judged, which some people felt might affect their health. Because of these concerns, some sponsors stopped supporting the show. The BBC also stopped broadcasting Crufts in 2009. Since 2010, Channel 4 has been showing the event on TV.

The Amazing History of Crufts

Crufts exhibition in 1891

Crufts is named after its founder, a man called Charles Cruft. He used to work for a company that made dog biscuits. His job meant he traveled to many dog shows, both in the UK and other countries. This helped him learn a lot about dog shows and see how they could be made even better.

In 1886, Charles Cruft held his very first dog show. It was called the "First Great Terrier Show" and had 57 different classes for dogs to enter, with 600 entries! The first show actually named "Crufts"—"Cruft's Greatest Dog Show"—happened in 1891. It was held in Islington, London. This was the first time that all dog breeds were invited to compete. Around 2,000 dogs took part, with almost 2,500 entries.

By the end of the 1800s, the number of entries had grown to over 3,000. Even royal families from different European countries and Russia were interested! The show wasn't held between 1918 and 1920 because of the First World War. In 1928, the famous "Best In Show" award was introduced. The first winner was a Greyhound named Primley Sceptre.

Charles Cruft passed away in 1938. His wife continued to run the show for four years. But it was a lot of work, so she decided to sell it. To make sure the show would continue and keep its great reputation, she sold it to The Kennel Club in 1942.

The show was stopped again during the Second World War. So, the first show under its new owner, The Kennel Club, was held in 1948 in London. Crufts kept getting more and more popular every year. The BBC first showed Crufts on TV in 1950. In 1959, even though it cost more to enter, the show set a new world record with 13,211 entries!

Many new competitions and activities were added over the years. The first Obedience Championships were held in 1955. In 1978, agility was shown as a demonstration, and it became a full competition in 1980. Flyball was introduced in 1990, and Heelwork to Music in 1992. In the 1990s, The Kennel Club also started encouraging people to be responsible dog owners. They created the "Discover Dogs" area at Crufts, where visitors can meet almost all recognized breeds and talk to experts about owning them.

By 1979, the show had grown so much that it had to move to a bigger place called Earls Court. Soon, it needed even more space! So, the show was made longer, first to three days in 1982, and then to four days in 1987. Since 1991, Crufts has been held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Solihull, where it is today.

In 1991, Crufts celebrated its 100th birthday! The Guinness Book of Records officially recognized it as the world's largest dog show. That year, 22,973 dogs were shown in the main competition. Including all the other events like agility, it's thought that about 28,000 dogs take part in Crufts each year. Around 160,000 people visit the show!

In 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Crufts was first delayed and then cancelled. This was the first time it had been cancelled since 1954!

The show has been held on these dates recently: March 10–13, 2022; March 9–12, 2023; and March 7–10, 2024. The next show will be from March 6–9, 2025.

Competing for the Best in Show Award

Crufts is a special competition, and dogs can't just enter. They must have qualified during the year before the show. Dogs usually qualify by winning first, second, or third place at certain Kennel Club dog shows. They can also qualify by winning "Best in Show" or "Best Puppy in Show" at other Kennel Club shows.

The competition starts with dogs competing against others of the same breed. They are split into groups by gender, age, and how many times they've won before. These groups include "Veteran" (older dogs), "Special Puppy" (young puppies), "Junior," and "Open" (for top dogs). Winners from these groups then compete to find the best male and female dog of that breed. These two then compete to decide the "Best of Breed."

Once the best dog from each breed has been chosen, they move on to compete against other "Best of Breed" winners in their Group. In the UK, there are seven main groups: Toys, Gundogs, Utility, Hounds, Working, Pastoral, and Terriers. The winner from each of these seven groups is called the "Best in Group."

Finally, the seven "Best in Group" winners compete against each other to find the ultimate winner: the "Best in Show"! There's also a "Reserve Best in Show" for the runner-up.

The "Best in Show" winner receives a copy of a special silver trophy called the Keddall Memorial Trophy, along with a small cash prize.

As of 2016, the English Cocker Spaniel has won "Best in Show" more times than any other breed, with seven wins! The Gundog Group has also produced the most "Best in Show" winners, with twenty-three champions.

Best in Show Winners (since 2006)

Other Exciting Competitions

Crufts hosts many other fun and challenging competitions for dogs and their handlers.

Agility: Fast and Fun

Agility is a super fast competition where dogs run through, over, and around different obstacles. Their handlers guide them with voice commands and body signals. If a dog makes a mistake, like knocking over a jump, they get penalty points. Dogs must qualify throughout the year to compete in these events. Teams from England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland are also invited to compete in international agility challenges.

Obedience: Smart Dogs in Action

In the Obedience Ring, dogs show how well they can follow commands from their handlers. This includes walking nicely without a leash, staying in one spot, fetching items, and finding specific scents. Dogs qualify by doing well at other shows during the year. The most obedient dog, according to the judges, wins the prizes. There's also "Obreedience," where teams of four dogs of the same breed compete together to be the most obedient.

Flyball: A Speedy Relay Race

Flyball is a thrilling relay race! Two teams of four dogs race against each other. Each dog jumps over four hurdles, then steps on a special box that shoots out a ball. The dog catches the ball and races back over the hurdles to the start. They then tag the next dog on their team, who does the same thing. The first team to have all their dogs finish wins! Teams must qualify during the year to compete.

Heelwork to Music: Dancing Dogs!

Crufts also features amazing freestyle and heelwork to music competitions. In these events, dogs and their handlers perform a choreographed routine set to music. It's like a dance, combining obedience moves with creative steps and tricks.

Young Kennel Club: For Young Dog Lovers

The Young Kennel Club (YKC) has its own special area at Crufts. Here, young people aged between six and twenty-five can compete with their dogs. They take part in Agility, Obedience, Showing, Handling, Heelwork to Music, Flyball, and even Grooming. Young handlers and their dogs must qualify in their chosen activity during the year.

Crufts also hosts the World Champion Junior Handling competition. This is where the best young handlers from different countries around the world come to compete.

More Fun at Crufts

Crufts attracts over 160,000 visitors to the NEC each year. While finding the "Best in Show" dog is the main goal, there are many other things to see and do!

Shopping and Learning

You'll find many trade stands selling all sorts of dog-related items, from toys and food to beds and grooming tools. Many stands also have interactive displays and demonstrations, like showing how to give first aid to a dog.

Discover Dogs: Meet the Breeds!

There's a special area called "Discover Dogs" where you can meet almost every dog breed recognized by The Kennel Club. You can talk to knowledgeable owners and learn all about different breeds, helping you decide if a certain type of dog might be right for you.

Special Demonstrations

Crufts also has exciting special shows and demonstrations in the main arena. You can watch specially trained dogs perform, including Police Dogs, Royal Air Force Dogs, and Medical Detection Dogs. These dogs show off their amazing skills and how they help people.

Crossbreeds and Scruffts

The Kennel Club also recognizes crossbreed dogs. So, Crufts includes many competitions and displays for them too! Crossbreeds often compete in agility, obedience, and heelwork to music.

Because Crufts is so popular, and many dog owners have crossbreeds, The Kennel Club created "Scruffts." This is a dog show just for crossbreed dogs, similar to Crufts. Hundreds of dogs enter Scruffts, and the finalists compete for the top prize at Crufts itself!

In Culture

A play called A Dog's Tale, which is based on Crufts, was created by the Mikron Theatre Company. It premiered in Leeds in 2021.

See Also

• Breed groups (dog)
• Catwalk Dogs
• World Dog Show