Dogs &people Best in Show
C
rufts’ crowning spectacle on Sunday evening is Best in Show, the finale of the breed competitions that occur over the four days. All seven Group winners are presented to a judge to find a supreme Champion. The prize was eventually won by a spectacular American Cocker Spaniel, Show Champion Afterglow Miami Ink, to the collective groan of every dog groomer in the country. American Cockers are beautiful dogs, but their coats take enormous work. The winning breed always inspires a surge of interest from pet owners, so be aware of that coat if you’re tempted! The Reserve Best in Show was a Minarets Best Kept Secret, a Miniature Poodle owned and showed by Melanie Harwood. The relationship between Melanie and her Poodle shone in the ring, with Frankie, as he is known at home, searching his owner’s pockets for toys and treats once he had finished being judged, jumping up for cuddles and going some way to sway the partisan working and pastoral crowds. Miami might have won the judge’s ultimate approval, but Frankie stole all our hearts.
Crufts special report
Four decades after first visiting as a child, CATHERINE PICKLES explores the biggest dog show in the world, and feels awed and overwhelmed all
10 | May 2017
That was nearly 40 years ago and I’ve not been to Crufts since. I was an appalling child, who constantly wandered off, turned left instead of right, and became mesmerised by some small detail. My mother vowed, after the third time of collecting me from the Lost Child area, that she was never, ever bringing me to Crufts again. Nearly 40 years later, I am an adult version of that child. My sense of direction is still distinctly wayward, but I’m here to report for Dogs Monthly and I’m determined to see absolutely everything I can. I usually write features that I carefully compile over a number of www.dogsmonthly.co.uk
the hustle and bustle of Crufts, over again! weeks: today, I’m expected to be a fast-paced reporter, gathering stories on a show with thousands of visitors, competitors, stand holders and special guests. With me is Jamie from HoundDog Photography, a Crufts first-timer, more used to studio work and exquisitely planned portraits. This is a new experience for us both. “Everything’s pink,” Jamie says with a worried voice. And he’s right. The Eukanuba branding is gleaming and glaring. Even the carpets are pink, throwing bubblegum filters on to the dogs and people’s faces. “Can you cope?” I ask. He assures me he can and we head into the show… www.dogsmonthly.co.uk
Photos: Kennel Club/onEdition
I
vividly remember my first visit to Crufts. I was nine years old and the show was held at Earls Court. A search and rescue Bearded Collie won Best of Breed and it sat, relaxed and happy, as photographers snapped away while the owner stood 10 feet away, signing all the paperwork. We didn’t have a ticket for Best in Show, but there was a balcony above the arena, so I stood on a chair and leant over the balcony with hundreds of other people, surrounded by the debris of the dismantled show stands, and peered precariously down into the arena as a Flat Coated Retriever won.
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May 2017 | 11