Crufts Trivia

by **Caryll** Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:13 am

1) The first ever Crufts was held on the 11th February, 1891. 2,437 dogs were entered back then, representing just 36 breeds (these days almost 200 are present, and more than 25,000 dogs made their way to the NEC – from 41 different countries – for Crufts 2013.)

2) Crufts was cancelled for 3 years because of WWI, and 6 years because of WWII.

3) In 1915, the first show after WWI, Crufts held special Army and Navy classes for dogs owned by officers, NCOs and the men. Now, Crufts celebrates working dogs (including Army dogs) through their display teams and their Friends for Life award.

4) The show was also nearly cancelled in 1952, due to the death of King George VI two days prior, but they were ultimately allowed to go ahead. In 1954, however, it was called off due to an electricians’ strike – they couldn’t clear the venue from the previous event to make room for the rings. In 2001, the show was held in May rather than March due to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease.

5) The first ever Best in Show winner was a Greyhound, called Primley Sceptre, as late in the show’s history as 1928. A greyhound has won the accolade 2 times since then.

6) The first female owner to win Best in Show, with “Bramshaw Bob” the Labrador in 1932, was Lorna Countess Howe. The same dog won again the next year. In 1937, Ms Howe won again with Ch Cheverells Ben of Banchory – and no Labrador has taken the Best in Show title since. (An Italian entry came close last year when it won the Reserve spot.)

7) Last year’s Best In Show winner, Jilly the PBGV, won the reserve spot in 2011. The last time a reserve winner went on to win Best in Show was the Pekinese in 2002 and 2003 respectively.

8 ) The most likely breed to win BiS, statistically, is the Cocker Spaniel. A Cocker has come out on top 7 times in total. Welsh Terriers and Irish Setters have each won 4 times.

9) A total of 42 different breeds have been lucky enough to lay claim to a Best in Show Winner over the history of the show. But this also means that around 160 breeds could be first time winners of the title the future.

10) A Vulnerable Native Breed has won Best in Show 10 times in total. (VNBs are a group of breeds that originated in Britain, which are now considered vulnerable because they register less than 300 puppies each year.) The most recent VNB winner was the Sealyham Terrier back in 2009. A Kerry Blue Terrier (also a VNB) was the champion of the millennium show in 2000.

11) Every year, the bookies offer odds on which Group will put up the dog that claims the title. Although it is, of course, impossible to judge without seeing the dogs, the safest bets numerically are the Gundog and Terrier Groups, which have contained the title winners 23 and 20 times respectively. The last Gundog and Terrier Group wins were in 2011 (Yogi the Hungarian Vizsla) and 2009 (Charmin the Sealyham).

The Hounds have won 10 times (most recent was in 2013, of course, with Jilly the PBGV), Utility is tied at 10 wins (the last being the Tibetan Terrier in 2007), and the Pastoral Group is next with 6 winners (2006, Australian Shepherd). The toys have given us 4 champions (most recently the Pekinese in 2003) and finally we have the Working Group, who have put forward only 3 (2008, Giant Schnauzer).

12) At Crufts in 1892, there were dogs entered by at least 3 European royal families. (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’ Pomeranian; Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia’s Borzoi; and Prince Henry of Battenburg’s Collie).

13) The first crossbreeds to compete at Crufts were Working Sheepdogs that entered the first obedience championships in 1955. Crossbreed dogs and mongrels are now a central part of the show, taking part in a wide range of competitions including agility, which was first presented at the show in 1978. Last year, the final of Scruffts comes to Crufts for the first time.

14) The Kennel Club took over the management of Crufts in 1948, after the founder’s widow handed over control. 84 breeds were represented at the show that year, more than double the number at the first ever show.

15) Crufts is one of only four shows in the UK to have representative status, ie the right to award Challenge Certificates to for all breeds eligible for CCs. (The others are the Scottish Kennel Club Show, the Welsh Kennel Club show and Birmingham Dog Show.)

16) Crufts was first aired on the BBC in 1950. It was televised by them every year for almost six decades – until 2009, when a certain infamous documentary meant it was off air completely for one year. More 4 picked up the coverage of the show in 2010, and will continue it this year. You can also now stream the show live through the internet.

17) The show hasn’t always been held in Birmingham. It was originally held in London, and has been hosted in the past at Olympia and Earl’s Court – the current venue of the smaller KC event, Discover Dogs in November. It has been a four day event since 1987.

18 ) Crufts is the second largest show held at the NEC each year, and covers five halls as well as the Pavilion and Arena. The British International Motorshow/Autosport International beats it in terms of space– probably because cars are somewhat bigger than your average dog! It is the most popular however, with a footfall of almost 149,500 in 2013.

19) At the Centenary celebrations in 1991, Crufts was officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest dog show, with 22,973 dogs being exhibited in conformation classes that year. Including agility and other events, it is estimated that an average 28,000 dogs take part in Crufts per annum.

20) Crufts used to have an apostrophe in it. It was Cruft’s Dog Show (in reference to founder, Charles Cruft), but this was removed in 1974 due to a rebrand by the Kennel Club. Since then, Crufts has become a brand/institution in itself.

21) The popular Friends For Life competition has been running in some form since 2004. Nominations have now closed for the 2014 competition and we’ll be bringing you news of the nominees shortly. 2013’s winners, Haatchi and Owen, have a book out later this month.