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Crufts 101 – The lowdown on England’s premier dog event

By Wesley Coburn

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 10: Dylan, a Papillon from Belgium, poses next to the trophy after winning Best in Show on the last day of Crufts Dog Show at the National Exhibition Centre on March 10, 2019 in Birmingham, England. First held in 1891, Crufts is said to be the largest show of its kind in the world. The annual four-day event features thousands of dogs, with competitors travelling from countries across the globe to take part and vie for the coveted title of 'Best in Show'. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 10: Dylan, a Papillon from Belgium, poses next to the trophy after winning Best in Show on the last day of Crufts Dog Show at the National Exhibition Centre on March 10, 2019 in Birmingham, England. First held in 1891, Crufts is said to be the largest show of its kind in the world. The annual four-day event features thousands of dogs, with competitors travelling from countries across the globe to take part and vie for the coveted title of 'Best in Show'. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) /
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Crufts 2020 will be held later this week. But what’s the big deal, exactly? That’s where Dog O’Day comes in with our Crufts 101 explanatory guide.

Crufts 2020 will be held later this week. It’s a big name in the dog world, and sports history generally, so it’s likely that if you dig into either of those subjects you’ll have heard of it. But still, what exactly is it? And why is it so important? That’s why we decided to write up a quick Crufts 101 guide for our American and Canadian audiences who might be curious.

To begin with, it’s the oldest and most prestigious dog show in England, and the only conformation  event actually run by The Kennel Club of England. (Over there most shows are organized by local or breed-specific kennel clubs.)

[Want to learn more about how dog shows work? Click here, and see here for what the pros wish more people knew.]

Essentially, it’s as if you combined the glamour and tradition of Westminster with the glory of the AKC National Championship.

According to the Crufts website, it started back in 1876, when a man named Charles Cruft left college to seek his fortune in London with an unusual venture – dog biscuits, (They were new then, and known as “dog cakes” at the time.)

He gradually shot up through the marketing ranks and broadened his knowledge of all things canine, which led to setting up a show in 1891, which had over 2,400 entries. Since then, with the exceptions of 1918-1920 due to World War I, 1942-1947 due to World War II, and 1954 due to an electrician strike, the event has been held, under TKC auspices since 1938 when Charles’ widow Emma surrendered control.

The sport of agility was introduced in 1980, with flyball following a decade later and a special rescue dog-only agility competition in 2000. Other events include a Discover Dogs exhibit (similar to the AKC’s Meet the Breeds), an obedience competition, several events for children and young adults to learn about dog sports, Friends for Life (equivalent to the ACE Awards) and most amazing, Scruffts, a dog show expressly for mixed breeds.

Crufts 2020 will be held from Thursday, March 5 to Sunday, March 8, at the National Exhibition Centre in Solihull, a suburb of Birmingham. The event has been held at the NEC since 1991, a complex that covers 25 acres.

For international fans (that”s us), Crufts will be streaming competitions on their website in addition to posting videos on their YouTube. For those at home in the United Kingdom, there will be 15 hours of televised broadcast time on Channel 4 and More4, with Clare Balding hosting.

Around five thousand human volunteers are required to put this event on, which will see over 26,000 taking part in one way or another. 220 breeds will be vying for Best in Show in the main event, with dogs from 42 countries entered.

Despite 129 years of shows, only one dog has had an accident in the main show ring on live television, which is quite a feat since it first became a regular telecast event in the 1950s.

Major sponsors of Crufts 2020 are Agria Pet Insurance and then dog food brands Eukanuba, Iams, James Wellbeloved and Royal Canin, while official sponsors are the dog food brands Arden Grange, Billy and Margot, CORE, Fish4Dogs, Orijen, Natures Menu, Purina Pro Plan and Skinner’s Field and Trial, Dorwest herbal pet medicine, Whimzees treats and Zoflora disinfectant.

Next. 2020 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show results. dark

We hope you enjoyed our Crufts 101 explanation guide and return soon to see results coverage. Please consider liking us on Facebook (we’re listed as Daily Dog) and on Instagram at the handle @DogODayFS.

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