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Billed as “The World’s Greatest Dog Show”, Crufts 2020 gets underway on Thursday March 5th, at The NEC Birmingham in the UK.
Crufts is an annual event, organised by The Kennel Club. The show celebrates all aspects of the role that dogs play in our lives.
The Very First Crufts Show
The show was started in 1891 by Charles Cruft, from whom the show gets its name. That very first Crufts show took place at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, London.
The modern-day show is of course much larger and far more prestigious than that first show, but the principles remain the same.
And it is true to say that it is an essential event in the calendar of all dog lovers.
The show has a strict policy. All the judges at Crufts are told to make sure that only healthy dogs can win the prizes. As a result of this, it makes sense for dog breeders to breed healthy dogs.
Video courtesy of Crufts on YouTube
Crufts Goes On TV
In 1950, Crufts got its first television outing, when it was shown by the BBC. And in 1955, it became an obedience championship show. The agility exercises, that Crufts is so famous for, were first demonstrated in 1978.
As the show grew in popularity, it was extended to a 4-day event in 1987. The following year, more than 110,000 dog lovers visited Crufts!
Flyball first entered the arena in 1990 and the following year, in 1991, Crufts celebrated its centenary show. The centenary show was held at a new venue, the prestigious NEC (National Exhibition Centre) in Birmingham, the UK’s second-largest city.
This was the very first time that Crufts had taken place outside of London. And both the centenary show and the new venue were a great success!
Crufts Gets Its Own Facebook Page!
Crufts is so popular that it even has its own Facebook page, started back in 2008. In the same year, canine cross country, or Canicross, was first introduced to the show. It remains a popular event.
Crufts was streamed online for the first time in 2009 and in the same year, The Health Zone was introduced. This area provides information from experts on breed health and scientific advances. In 2011, The Health Zone changed its name to Breeding for the Future.
Crufts, “The World’s Greatest Dog Show”
In 2016, Crufts celebrated its 125th birthday – a true milestone! And 2 years later, in 2018, the agility section turned 40.
Some of the things to watch this year include flyball, agility, heelwork to music, obedience and Obreedience. This last one is a team event, with each Obreedience team consisting of 4 handlers and 4 dogs of the same breed. It’s great fun to watch!
So if you’re anywhere near Birmingham, UK, between March 5th and March 8th 2020 , go and check out Crufts, “The World’s Greatest Dog Show” – you won’t be disappointed.
Crufts 2020 At The NEC Birmingham – a fantastic experience for ALL dog lovers!
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