This Site Chosen By Microsoft As THE Afghan Web Link for Encarta Afghan Hound Database and Breed Information Exchange CRUFTS 2002 A personal view from Jim Hickie

(We are grateful to Jim Hickie for providing the following wonderfully comprehensive word picture of Crufts 2002. This article was originally written for the Australian National Dog/Ringleader Magazine published by Wendye Slatyer)

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CRUFTS 2002
A personal view from Jim Hickie
I have visited the British dog scene on many occasions over the years to attend shows (all-breeds and specialist), to visit kennels and occasionally to purchase but until this year I have never attended Crufts. With an invitation and an attractive air fare that allowed me to visit friends in Japan on the way I decided to brave the cold and attend the world's biggest and most prestigious dog show.

It was just as cold as I expected but the sheer magnitude of this canine extravaganza could never fail to impress. Thursday 7th March saw me arriving before judging started in spite of a forty minute drive through fog to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. The bus ride from the car park to Hall 3 took another ten minutes.

This day saw the judging of the Working and Pastoral Groups - Groups in which I do not have a special interest. The five halls of the N.E.C. accommodate the thirty four breed rings as well as the Main Ring (Groups and BIS) along with two special event rings. In addition there is a multitude of trade displays which sell practically everything imaginable, most, but not all associated with dogs - so much so that for many visitors and spectators the dog judging is but a sideshow.

There are bars and restaurants, a chemist shop and post office and then there are the dog displays ranging from the Young Kennel Club (formerly the Junior K.C.) to Obedience, Flyball, Agility and numerous other events and demonstrations running almost continuously.

Besides renewing some acquaintances this day provided me with the opportunity to see some breeds that we are not familiar with in Australia . These included the Canadian Eskimo Dog, the Greenland Dog, the Hovawart, and Tibetan Mastiff in the Working Group and in the Pastoral Group, the Estrela Mountain Dog, the Lancashire Heeler and the Hungarian Kuvasz (of which there are very few here).

All of this took considerable time because of the distances between rings and of course the congestion as you work your way through the crowds, so it was not until the Open Dog Class that I arrived at the Siberian Husky ring. This breed was totally foreign to the type that I am familiar with in Australia and U.S.A. They were lean and sinewy and many seemed to have single open coats - certainly not the glamour breed that we are accustomed to here. I left to seek other attractions. Much later in the day I returned to view the last bitch classes and met the Le Courts and Ian Rasmussen who agreed that I was viewing a unique variation of the breed.

On the other hand there were a number of other breeds that were most interesting to watch in this Group. In particular Malamutes (some variation in size), Boxers, Dobes, Mastiffs and Rottweillers all had large entries and were most competitive. Although I personally have had little association with the breeds in the Pastoral Group there were some very nice Corgis, Beardies and OES although the latter seemed to lack the finish of Australian and American exhibits - but then the K. C. does test for coat enhancement products.

Friday was Terrier and Hound day. There is so much happening at this show that it is impossible to see all that you might wish to see and since my primary interest these days is Hounds that is where I spent most time.

Perhaps the most notable feature of this day was the number of "foreign" dogs competing. With the Pet Passport Scheme it is now possible for dogs from the Continent (and elsewhere) to compete at this show after qualifying in their own countries.

The Afghan Hound winner was a French dog along with a number of other Best of Breed winners who came from outside of the U.K. A considerable number of breed winners were also sired by imports including the Saluki Best in Group winner who was by an Australian dog and looked very much like his multi-titled grand sire.

One of the more interesting sights on this day was to see the famous herbalist, author and sighthound breeder Juliette de Barclay Levy talking to Ros Bacich. In an interview broadcast on the BBC Juliette claimed to be one hundred and two years old - she is still quite sprightly.

Britain is the home of Terriers and unfortunately I did not get to see too many but again noted that the Group was won by a "foreign" dog - the Wire Fox Terrier from Sweden. The canine foreign invasion has begun and I guess we will see more and more dogs from outside the U.K. competing at this show. As a consequence it will over time become the showcase for the world's best dogs.

Day Three, Saturday 9th March was Toys and Utility. As this day wore on the congestion of the previous two days paled into insignificance as the crowds of spectators around the rings, the commercial exhibits and the special events rings made it all but impossible to move around.

As usual the Toy Group produced some wonderful specimens - the Cavaliers, Chihuahuas, Maltese, Pekes, Pugs and Maltese with large numbers and superb presentation certainly caught my eye. Here again the influence of imported dogs was evident with the Australian Silky Terrier winner coming from Finland. The Group was won by the Peke which was also top dog all breeds for 2001 with the Pug, Yorkshire Terrier and Long Coat Chihuahua filling out the placings.

The Utility Group provided some very competitive breeds and some very interesting judging. I watched some Miniature Schnauzers, Lhasas and Shih Tzu as well as Shiba Inu where friends had exhibits. However I spent considerable time at the Standard Poodle ring where Norman Butcher (Tuttlebees) was sorting them out. Many will remember the Tuttlebees Poodles (Toys and Miniatures) shown here many years ago by the late Molly Burton.

Good All-rounders are wonderful to watch, particularly in coated breeds where their hands tell you far more than you can see with just visual assessment from outside the ring. The Best of Breed winner here was a white dog from Norway handled by a Swede and what a stunning combination it was. This dog went on to win the Group and Best in Show. The "foreign" invasion had certainly begun.

To this stage the six groups had averaged around two and a half thousand entries each but Sunday 10th March saw the massive Gundog Group on display with nearly five thousand entries. Having a long standing involvement in this group I wanted to see as much as possible. Naturally my first port of call was the English Cocker Spaniel rings. I felt that this breed has slipped in quality over time but still kept coming back to the judging in the hope of seeing a "star".

One breed that surprised me was the Irish Red and White Setters. It is not that many years ago that this breed was virtually in a "rescue" situation with very few exhibits and very poor quality. I even judged some at an Open Show in London a few years back and while the quality had improved they could hardly be called competitive show dogs. What a difference the breeders have made in a relatively short time with seventy five exhibits on show and the Best of Breed winner easily making the cut to the final eight and most unlucky not to make the final four.

To me the most interesting breed here was the Flat Coated Retrievers. A few years ago I judged Flat Coats in Sweden where the quality was exceptional - those dogs defined quality for me in a breed where I had not known it before. On this occasion the breed added some style and showmanship in the best specimens and the breed winner went on to win the Group, with the Welsh Springer (another breed with outstanding quality) and the Weimaraner and Irish Water Spaniel filling the placings.

The Best in Show judging was the sort of theatrical event that one expects from a show of this size. Best in Show went to the Standard Poodle which put in a wonderful performance and earned the approval of the large crowd. Runner Up went to the Peke lacking a little of the sparkle he showed the previous day. I thought that the Flat Coat put in a great performance and on another day might have been more highly rewarded.

Now while the judging is interesting and sometimes exciting there are numerous other things going on at this exposition and perhaps the most impressive part is the numerous ways that the Kennel Club promotes dogs to the general public. These include the newly formed Companion Dog Club which caters for non purebred dogs, the Young Kennel Club (formerly the Junior K.C.), the Discover Dogs promotion where breeders and exhibitors are available throughout the show to talk to anybody who wants information about a breed, the Special Events Rings where there always seems to be something happening, demonstrations of Obedience, Fly Ball, Agility and Heelwork to Music among other attractions which always seem to attract large crowds.

Additionally the Kennel Club in conjunction with the B.V.A. promotes Health Schemes for Hip and Elbow Dysplasias and inherited Eye Disease as well as the DNA screening schemes run in conjunction with the Animal Health Trust and Cambridge University Veterinary Centre.

The K.C. also promotes DNA profiling in conjunction with the A.H.T. to provide proof of parentage and identification. Coming from a background in canine administration that fails in this country because of petty jealousies, interstate rivalries and mutual back scratching one cannot help but be impressed by the endeavors of the Kennel Club to promote dogs and dog welfare.

So what were the most memorable things about this spectacle ? Obviously the sheer number of dogs and the high quality in so many breeds stand out as well as the incredible organization that is put into this event both before and during the four days. Perhaps the most spectacular events were those immediately preceding the judging of Best in Show.

This started with the finals of the Agility where we saw some incredibly fast and agile dogs and handlers - good fun ! Then the finals of the Fly Ball - what incredible speed and precision and timing and great fun.

The next event was the demonstration of gundog retrieving given by a gentleman who brought into the ring about eight dogs of various Gundog breeds -Cockers, Springers, and Retrievers etc., all off lead and bursting with enthusiasm but under total control as they were sent individually to seek, flush and retrieve from bushes and scrub that had been strategically places around the ring. A truly wonderful display of dogs doing what they were bred for and enjoying every moment of it.

Next as the strains of American Patrol came over the speakers Mary Ray and her Border Collie burst into the ring for a demonstration of Heel Work to Music - rather more like dancing with dog ! Mary, dressed in military style, had her dog weaving and dancing about her and with her all to a series of Glen Miller and similar WW11 tunes. Then just as you thought this lady had exhausted every possible manoeuvre a second dog charged into the ring and after doing a circuit joined the other dog and trainer in a demonstration that lifted the spectacle to another level with the audience cheering and clapping the performance. Sensational Stuff !!

I note that Mary Ray will be visiting Australia in September and it is unfortunate that the prices being charged just to see her work with dogs will preclude most from seeing her.

Yes Crufts is crowded, congested and frequently cold but it shows the world what can be done in dogs whether it be in the showring, in special events like Agility and Fly Ball or in promoting research into preventing disease but most of all it demonstrates (all in one place) that it is not only about winning in the showring but also about participating and enjoying your dogs.

I spoke to a number of people who were attending Crufts for the first time and they were evenly divided as to whether they would return for another dose of this exhausting four days but they were unanimous that they were glad they came. So no matter what your canine interests are there is sure to be something to interest you there and as a spectacle there is nothing else quite like it and with the future influx of overseas dogs it is sure to become even more interesting.

May 2002
Jim Hickie
Gengala, Australia
Email (jhickie@wxc.com.au)

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