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

Photographers

In the US, judging stops until the show photographer comes to take pictures with the judge. In Britain, it's catch as catch can, and there are no designated photographers that routinely take show pictures. When breed judging is over, the judge stands more or less reluctantly while a cadre of people jump in and ask if everyone will hold still for pictures. The winners of the bitch ticket and the dog ticket are photographed together after the classes. In the group ring, photographers from all the canine papers are held back from the floor and sent to photograph the winners in a small cordoned off area outside of the ring.

Best in Show pictures are sheer havoc, with dozens of people with cameras jumping into the ring, but only after the television crews have taken the pictures they want. Premium seats for photographers who want to shoot from the viewing stands are sparingly parceled out by the press office, so gaining a decent spot to shoot from for BIS is a real coup. In the ring when judging is over, it's a kind of free-for-all nudging and jostling contest. Since there are photographers from the English and foreign press who want to be first to get their photos out, everyone pushes for a prime spot in front. Some of our BIS photos show the wild-eyed, elbow-to-elbow canine "pupparazzi" rather than the winning dog and its handler.

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