It was a rather tumultuous year for the Royal Kennel Club with inside issues at the top. But for the outside world, Crufts looked as normal as ever.
An impressive 18,458 dogs were entered to compete in the show, while many others were entered for one of the other numerous competitions like Obedience, Agility, Flyball, etc. In total, 24,000 dogs took part in the whole spectacle, including cross-breeds and mongrels. Internationally, 3,952 dogs were entered from 51 different countries. More overseas shows are granted the “Crufts Qualifier” label, an effort to attract as many foreign exhibitors as possible, but is this increasing the quality of the dogs proportionally? Perhaps not of all dogs, but it’s a fact that both the Best in Show and Reserve Best in Show winners were dogs from abroad this time and both were absolutely gorgeous. France had 475 dogs in competition, Germany 405, the Netherlands 376, and Italy 360. Ireland followed with 327, Poland with 259, and Belgium with 213. Unfortunately, there is no total overview this year and I cannot give you any numbers of more remote places.
Crufts was on television already 75 years ago and ITV took over from BBC more than a decade ago, bringing live reports of the event. New this year was Apple TV, arriving with a crew of 130 members. Every evening the green carpet of the Arena was dotted with strange cubes with antennas on it, placed in strategic positions along the sides of the main ring in the Arena and one in the middle, whether it was for Obedience, Flyball, or the Show Finals itself.
Crufts is undoubtedly the world’s greatest dog festival. There is so much to see that you are forced to make choices. In four different places, competitions are going on during the day, apart from the dog show itself. Training demonstrations are all over, alternated by competitions. The Young Kennel Club, celebrating its 40th anniversary, is leading in this field, showing the spectators how to keep young people from hanging over their mobiles all the time and spending time with their best friends instead. These demonstration rings are all situated around the commercial stands. Anything you can imagine for your dog is for sale, any novelty is demonstrated here for the first time. All kinds of snacks, toys, grooming stuff, or accessories are to be found here, strategically placed so that you need to pass them to get to the rings.
Hall 3 is by far the biggest and contains the big food company booths where they welcome clients for a drink and treat the visitors with sometimes very unusual demonstrations. Agria, one of the main sponsors, offered a stunt dog company the opportunity to give some demonstrations. Others invited national celebrities. K9 Jets is a new American company, promoting itself in an open jet cabin targeting (wealthy) clients traveling to, for the present, a limited number of destinations along with their pets. Not cheap, but very practical for owners and their pets, as the pets are allowed with their owners in the cabin, enjoying a luxurious, non-stress first-class flight.
The number of trade stands is very large. You can find almost anything here, including art, food, drugs, therapy, charity, fashion clothing, hunting clothing, accessories, luxury jewels, boots, travel solutions, etc., enough to spend a whole fortune in a few hours if you want. No wonder that Crufts usually attracts about 150,000 visitors every year. Before you are in, it will cost you 21£ for children and 35£ for adults. And if you want to attend the Finals on Sunday, you need to purchase a separate ticket. But notwithstanding this, plus the price of a show guide or catalog, something to drink and eat, shopping, etc., Crufts proves to radiate magic and attracts more visitors every year.
This year, again, I crisscrossed the Discover Dogs Village and I must say that the presentation of some breeds is absolutely disappointing. Certain breeds were not correctly trimmed and were hardly representative of the breed. There should be a minimum quality on display if you want to give correct information to the public. The Discover Dogs Village must be a living dog encyclopedia wherein you only find correct examples of each breed. Of course, most stands had correct examples. Not all dogs need to be champions, but at least they need to be correct representatives of the breed. I saw Bouviers trimmed completely wrong and some Toy dogs were “razed” instead of trimmed according to the Breed Standard.
The Kennel Club’s Charitable Trust Foundation focused this year on two projects. The first is the training of dogs that can detect bladder cancer by sniffing dogs that may be infected. This helps to diagnose the disease as dogs can detect it at a much earlier stage. The second project is to provide scholarships to veterinary assistant students. For example, there was a mother who suffered from a chronic illness but saw her dream of becoming a veterinary assistant come true thanks to the help from the Trust Foundation. It is a fact that kennel clubs, and not only the Royal Kennel Club, have become aware that involvement in canine matters is much more than shows and sports; it is good that they started to broaden their perspective. But nothing is perfect. The law, forbidding the docking of tails, prevented a Dalmatian/Vizsla-cross from participating in the Obedience competition. The dog’s tail was docked as he was suffering from the Happy-tail Syndrome whereby dogs wag their tail uncontrollably and wound or break the end of their tail over and over again. Time to reconsider and adjust some rules!
When you can count on the help of more than 5,000 volunteers, a lot is possible. Every day the RKC manages to offer a great program in the arena from 8:30 in the morning! Most entertaining and popular seem to be the Agility and Flyball competitions. The interest in the International Junior Handling competition is also a topper. Another extremely popular item, and nice to see, is the Heelwork to Music and Freestyle competition. The winner was Lucy Heath from the UK with her Pomeranian-Maltese mix. It was one of the best-ever performances that I saw in this discipline, kind of funny and perfect at the same time. Another highlight is the West Midlands Police Dog display. Although almost every year the same scenario is coming back again, it still is enjoyable and spectacular to see.
The RKC is doing a good job bringing the importance of dogs in people’s lives under the spotlight. And the best place to do this is at Crufts. The Hero Dog competition, formerly named “Man’s best Friend,” nominates five dogs each year and allows everyone to support his favorite via Tele-voting. This competition is extremely popular, but one can wonder what makes some candidates stand out from many other dogs, doing exactly the same. The first candidate raised 50,000£ walking the English coastline with his dog for charity. The second dog is the companion to a little girl, sister of a boy with severe autism and other disabilities, playing a comforting role in both children’s lives. The third dog, a Malinois police dog, lost one front leg in action, being hit by a car. He turned into the mascot of the police corps and visiting schools, care homes, etc. The fourth dog, a Gordon Setter, has already donated 22 kg of blood and helped save the lives of 160 other dogs. And the fifth is a rescued Chihuahua-cross that turned into a Therapy and Assistant Dog for her master. There are hundreds, thousands of Assistant and Therapy Dogs, and dogs that play a significant role in the lives of children and adults, and they all deserve a medal. But I just wonder if it is so difficult to select five dogs in a country that did something really outstanding like saving a person out of a burning house, or bringing a lost child or senior with dementia back home, or saving someone from drowning. With all due respect, I think a better search would bring us more extraordinary heroic acts.
Let’s have a look at the daily show competition. On Thursday we could find the Best of Breed dogs from the Terrier Group and the Hounds. In Terriers, 2,220 were competing. The Staffordshire Bull Terriers were the most numerous with 338 dogs. The Border Terriers followed with 249; strange, as it is not the most glamorous breed. The Jack Russell is the third most popular breed in the Terrier Group with 147 participants. The Hounds had a total of 2,717 dogs. Here we find many breeds with over 100 entries, but the most popular are the Dachshunds, all varieties together. There were 424 in total. The Whippets had 376 dogs entered, the Rhodesian Ridgebacks were 213, and the Beagles were 184. There wasn’t much public, which is normal because Tuesday is a working day. Friday too, but there were considerably more visitors.
The Utility and Toy Groups were up with 2,526 and 2,203 registered dogs respectively. In Utility, the Dalmatians were leading with 260 specimens, 188 French Bulldogs, and 176 Tibetan Spaniels followed. This Group had many breeds with more than one hundred entries. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniels were leading in the Toy Group with 290 competitors. The Longhaired Chihuahuas were 171, and the Pomeranians were 148.
Saturday was a very busy day with only one Group, the Gundogs. This Group holds the most popular breeds in the UK and in most countries. Eight breeds had even more than 200 entries. The Golden Retrievers, for example, were in the lead with 509, closely followed by the Labrador Retrievers with 485. It is for the first time that the Goldens passed over the Labradors. The English Springer Spaniels followed with 383, and the Flat-Coated Retrievers with 309.
On Sunday it was the Working Group’s turn with a total of 1,791 dogs entered. The Bernese Mountain Dogs proved to be the most popular in this Group with 159 entries. The Newfoundlands came close with 140, along with the Rottweilers and the Siberian Huskies, both with 138 entries. The Pastoral Group was the last one. This Group counted 2,557 entered dogs, again with some very popular breeds. The Border Collies were 300 altogether, then came the Shetland Sheepdogs with 257, and the Bearded Collies with 228. This Group had two breeds with only one representative, the Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laekenois) and the Turkish Kangal. From this year on, the Bologneser, the Coton de Tulear, and the Japanese Akita Inu gained Championship status for the first time, while the Polish Hunting Dog is the Royal Kennel Club’s newly recognized breed for this year.
And to finish, I want to share three facts worth mentioning with you. Starting with a new record: Freddy Osbourne is the youngest Crufts winner ever. Only eight years old, he won the Veteran Competition with his Smooth Fox Terrier, Penny. The second: The big finale was opened by Samantha Oxborough, a classical singer with a magnificent voice. Spread over the whole arena were her colleagues, all sitting with their backs to her. The reason? In real life, Samantha is, in fact, a member of the security group that watches the arena. Her colleagues had to scan the audience instead of looking at her. Fortunately, they were able to enjoy listening to her. And third: Usually someone from the British Royal family is visiting Crufts. This was the case as usual, but there was another Royalty this time, the Queen of Spain, Queen Sophia. She loves dogs and saw her dream come true, visiting the biggest dog event in the world, Crufts. She followed the evening finals from start to finish from the first row in the arena. It was not the first time that she was at a dog show, however. In 2022, she was also following the Finals in her own country during the World Dog Show in Madrid.
The Finals were a real surprise as the Best in Show and the Reserve Best in Show winners were both dogs from abroad. It was the winner of the Hound Group, the Whippet Una Donna Che Conta, nicknamed Miuccia, who was crowned as the ultimate winner of Crufts 2025, starting off by winning the Breed from 375 competitors and later her Group. Miuccia, who is four years old and handled by Giovanni Liguori from Italy, was cheered on when they were shaking hands with top judge, Patsy Hollings. Miuccia is owned by Mrs. Alessia Corradini of Italy.
Next to her, the majestic Tibetan Mastiff, Viking, took place as Reserve BIS. Dzhozias Viking, owned by Valentin Molnar from Romania and bred by Olga Nvoronova in Russia, was handled by Gabriele Stafuzza from Italy. This is the first time this breed has made it to Best in Group.
Once more, we can look back at another splendid edition of this show, probably the biggest yearly dog event in the world. Whether you come for shopping or your favorite dog sport, to follow your breed being judged in the ring, or just to enjoy the fun at every corner of the halls, Crufts will never bore you. But watch out! Crufts is addictive and contagious. It will have you itching in January-February, and before you know it you’re on your way again to Birmingham NEC. See you there next year!
Judge: Mrs. E. P. Hollings
Int./Multi. Ch. Una Donna Che Conta Euw23
Whippet
Mrs. A. Corradini
Dzhozias Viking
Tibetan Mastiff
Mr. V. Molnar
Judge: Mrs. K. Moores
1. Ch. Zheridons Blanche
Spaniel (Cocker)
Mr. D. C. Todd & Mr. M. D. Rahman
2. Ch. Wilchrimane Frankly Darlin
Pointer
Miss Siddle, Mrs. Siddle & Mrs. Medeiros
3. Ch./Int. Ch./Nld. Ch. Lab Spb Gazprom Ew23/24
Retriever (Labrador)
Mr. S. Nugteren
4. Ch. Vanitonia Soloist
Spaniel (Clumber)
Mr. L. A. S. Cox
Judge: Miss M. Persson [Sweden]
1. Ch. Int./Multi. Ch. Una Donna Che Conta Euw23
Whippet
Mrs. A. Corradini
2. Am. GCHG Zaida Bint Muti von Haussman
Afghan Hound
Mr. R. Podesta & Mr. S. Pfeil & Mr. J. Donahue & Dr. A. Sobrado
3. Ch. Caredig Mafioso
Irish Wolfhound
Mrs. D. E. Tebbutt
4. Nor./Swe./Dk./Fin./Hr./Nord. Ch. Bazinga Make Love Not War
Pharaoh Hound
Mr. S. T. Hansen & Mrs. L. Stark & Mr. R. Stark
Judge: Mr. K. Young
1. Shepherds Of Paradise Tsss Milk Shake Please!
Australian Shepherd
Miss P. Laroche
2. Ch. Corimist Destiny By Design
Bearded Collie
Miss N. Whelan & Ms. J. Young
3. Ch. Fayken I Am Love JW
Border Collie
Mr. R. K. Green & Miss J. Ratcliffe
4. Se./No./Fin. Ch. Vi’skaly’s Klas Pontus Arnoldson
Pyrenean Mountain Dog
Mrs. I. Mattisson-Sandstrom
Judge: Mr. A. Westwood
1. Totgree’s Hannabell
Jack Russell Terrier
Mr. S. Sgura
2. Cze. Ch. Edbrios Tequila
Kerry Blue Terrier
Ms. J. Poulova & Mr. P. A. O’Brien
3. Ch. Perrisblu The Phantom
Welsh Terrier
Ms. C. Cole
4. Ch./Sui. Ch. Awbrooksky Never Back Down JW Ww23 Border Terrier
Mr. R. & Miss L. Goddard
Judge: Mr. T. Allcock OBE
1. Ch. Gleniren Miracle Starmaker
Papillon
Mrs. I. & Mr. G. Robb
2. Am. Ch./It. Ch. Cinecitta Oliver Stone
Maltese
Mr. F. Prosperi
3. Ch. Lireva’s Wildest Dreams
Pomeranian
Mrs. A. M. Cawthera-Purdy
4. Fr. Ch./Int. Ch. Definitely Maybe Drop It Like It’s Hot
Chihuahua (Smooth Coat)
Mr. J. Borges, Miss M. Jolidon & Miss H. Luy
Judge: Miss E. A. Ingram [Ireland]
1. Aidante Georgia On My Mind Jew23 Ww23/24
Miniature Schnauzer
Mr. A. I. Lucin & Mr. J. G. M. Gonzalez Mendikote
2. Int./Dk. Ch. Xisang´s Roxana
Lhasa Apso
Mrs. R. F. & Ms. N. F. Søgaars
3. Ch./Ir./Am./Lux. Ch. Gallantib’s Oslo Ir. Jch. Cw 23/24
Tibetan Spaniel
Mrs. S. O’Brien
4. Ch. Vormund Xmas Bonus
Japanese Shiba Inu
Miss M. Dunhill-Hall
Judge: Mr. T. Nagrecha
1. Dzhozias Viking
Tibetan Mastiff
Mr. V. Molnar
2. Ch. Sandbears Masterpiece
Newfoundland
Ms. S. Blake
3. Multi. Ch. Contract With The Devil Sielos Misterija Euw Int. Jch.
Alaskan Malamute
Miss G. Tamasauskaite
4. Ch. Fantasa Lucky Seven
Rottweiler
Miss M. Dunhill-Hall
