The colourful and controversial history of Crufts
Widely regarded as the biggest dog show in the world, Crufts has a complex past and an even more contentious present.
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From its relatively humble beginnings at the end of the 19th century, Crufts has grown to become a veritable institution in the canine calendar.
Not just an arena for showcasing the world’s most pampered pets, it now also includes an array of obedience, agility and ability competitions. As such, it can legitimately lay claim to being the biggest celebrations of all things doggy on the planet.
The road to this lofty pinnacle hasn’t always been plain sailing, however. At Sky HISTORY, we’ve been looking at its fascinating evolution over the years, as well as some of the most interesting records and juiciest scandals to take place at the competition.
When did Crufts start?
The founder of the festival was Charles Cruft, a young travelling salesman of dog biscuits whose work took him to Europe in the late 1870s. It was during this time that he was hired to promote the dog section of the Paris Exhibition in 1878.
He later returned to England and managed the Allied Terrier Club Show in Westminster in 1886. Then, five years later in 1891, he would make history by launching the first Crufts show in Islington. Even the inaugural event was a reasonably grand affair, attracting almost 2,500 entrants. Among them were six of Queen Victoria’s beloved Pomeranians, three of whom won prizes.
Cruft would continue to manage the show until his death in 1938, overseeing its expansion into a global event attracting more than 10,000 dogs. 10 years after he passed, his widow Emma sold the show to the Kennel Club, who have continued to run it ever since.
From strength to strength
Under the astute administration of the Kennel Club, the competition continued to flourish. It was first televised in 1950 and first allowed crossbreed dogs to enter in 1955, which proved to be a hugely popular move and encouraged the entry of thousands more pooches.
Swelling numbers of attendees saw the competition extended from two days to three and then four. Meanwhile, it also moved venue several times to accommodate the enlarged attendance figures, finally settling at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre in 1991. It still takes place there to this day.
Record breakers
The most prestigious accolade on offer is the Best in Show category, first introduced in 1928. The breed of dog which has won this the most times is the English Cocker Spaniel, which has claimed the award on no fewer than seven occasions. Incredibly, six of those came from dogs owned by the same man, one HS Lloyd.
As for the class of dogs which have won the most times, that honour belongs to gundogs, who have been deemed Best in Show 26 times. Their nearest competitors are terriers, who have won the top prize 22 times, while utility dogs lag in a distant third with 13 victories.
It’s not all about appearances, though. There are plenty of other competitions for dogs to excel in, including flyball, heelwork to music and agility courses. While Crufts does not yet have a special award for hounds who can predict the future or rally the troops in battle, the competition is evolving all the time.
No stranger to controversy
Despite its immense popularity, Crufts has never been far from scandal, either. For starters, there are many people who believe the show is immoral in its treatment of dogs and its promotion of unhealthy breeds. An exposé in 2010 led to the organisers beefing up their entry regulations, while intensified criticism last year has meant there will be even stricter entry requirements this time around.
Aside from ethical concerns, there have also been plenty of controversies among the contestants themselves. In 2013, there was a furore after an Akita won an Obedience Award, only to go on and bite another handler on the knee shortly after claiming the prize. Thankfully, the dog did not face a public pillorying and nor was it destroyed, though it was ordered to wear a muzzle outside of its home in future.
Meanwhile, 2015 was a particularly bad year for the Crufts brand. For starters, the moral outrage surrounding the event reached fever pitch when the owner of the Scottish terrier who won Best in Show picked up her dog by her tail. The wider integrity of Crufts was also thrown into doubt after allegations of poisoning emerged in the wake of the deaths of several competitors shortly after the event, though these accusations were later deemed to be unfounded.
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