The world's premier dog show, Crufts 1999, which took place at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, on the 11th to 14th of March, welcomed an international audience to the largest celebration of dogs on earth.

Innocence Abroad: Our First Crufts
By H. Cavanaugh

The Exhibitors

A great difference between Crufts and US shows is that there are far fewer professional handlers. Even in the BIS ring this year, only one of the eight group winners was shown by a pro. Glamour breeds such as Poodles and Yorkies tend to be handled by their breeders or owners, although they mostly look quite the equal of their American cousins, whose owners often spend big bucks to have them fluffed and taken into the ring. Some breeds claim to have no professional handlers at all.

The reason seems to be that for the Brits, showing their dogs is often a hobby, rarely a business, and they are immensely proud to go with their beasts into the ring themselves. One Scotsman came down to Crufts from Glasgow wearing full highland dress, kilt and all, to show his three Finnish Spitz. However, his formal costume stood in contrast to that of the majority of exhibitors who take no particular notice of their own appearance and wear sweat suits, jeans, or whatever strikes them as comfortable. This is certainly a difference from Westminster, at least, where group and BIS judging usually pulls the finery out of the closet. Indeed, the BOB Irish Wolfhound's handler was barefoot in the Crufts group ring.

A dog show for the English is an opportunity to spend a day out doing something fun with the dogs. The presence or absence of handlers can make a significant difference in owners' or exhibitors' attitudes, and while competition may be just as keen at Crufts as at American shows, it seems not to be as sharp.

Only first and second placements receive ribbons-rosettes at Crufts-the remainder, third through fifth, receiving cards. Winning exhibitors pin on their rosettes for the final go-around for BOB and often the rest of the day. Exhibitors wear their Best of Breed rosettes into the group and the BIS rings as well, where they flutter out like streamers as the handlers trek around the big ring.

Prize money is offered at Crufts, put up by the English Kennel Club and pet food companies or the like, although not significant amounts, perhaps 10 or 25 pounds for BOB. Larger money prizes used to be offered at the small open shows, but this has mostly stopped, according to an English exhibitor we spoke to. Show catalogs take some getting used to because the entries for each breed are listed first by number, then the dogs' names, their sires and dams, and finally the owners' names. Following that are class lists with the names of the dogs entered in each. A separate catalog was issued for each day's shows, costing 4 pounds and weighing at least half a kilo.

Exhibitors seemed to be having an enjoyable time, having brought picnics and wine to the benching spaces reserved for the dogs. Even though most relished the event while the show was going on, others looked fairly disgruntled as they waited for 5:00 PM when the dogs were released from the benches and allowed to leave. Uniformed attendants were everywhere making sure that no rules were broken and no unauthorized dogs left the building. The British seem to set great store by rules and making sure that everyone follows them to the letter.

More from "Innocence Abroad" ...

Judging
The Exhibitors
Spays and Neuters
Facilities and Amenities
Discover Dogs
Additional Events
Spectators
Cell Phones
Gleaming Brass Horns
Photographers
Final Thoughts
History of Crufts