Karl Donvil reviews Crufts 2026, where strong entries and global appeal met format changes, with a Clumber Spaniel taking Best in Show.
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Best in Show Sh. Ch. Vanitonia Soloist, Clumber Spaniel, and Reserve Best in Show Am./Cro./Fin./Int. Ch. Black Majesty Some Say Ww24/25 Euw24/25, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
Was Crufts 2026 different compared to previous years? Yes! Was it better than previous years? Yes and no. Let me explain.
The Royal Kennel Club’s showpiece of excellence, Crufts has always been a financial success. This year, the decision was made to hire a management company to run the show, with the probable goals of more profit and making the RKC bookkeeping healthy again. A lot of money has been spent on the new branding now that the Kennel Club has been awarded the prefix “Royal.” Changing every logo, every flag, and every communication item is a very expensive operation and a lot of work in order to not overlook a single detail. Did it work? Probably, but the future will tell if the expenditure has paid off positively.
The price of a ticket for Sunday, including the Finals in the arena, was up again, from 35£ for an adult last year to 37£ this year. The other days, it was 24£ for adults, 16£ for children, and free for children under eight years of age. The price/square meter for a stand was also up. Yet still, 416 trade stands didn’t want to miss it. Thursday was quiet, as usual, but I had the impression that it looked busier compared to previous years. And from Friday on, it was clear that Crufts would be a giant success once more.
An extra hall was rented for the new Dog Grooming Championships. With 185 teams in competition, it was a big success, and every day the final winners were presented and judged in the main ring. That new hall also offered the opportunity to move the Young Royal Kennel Club activities to that hall. This change created more space in the other halls—and it was noticeable. On the other hand, it was not really crowded in the new hall (Hall 8) compared to elsewhere. A pity that it was not immediately visible, as the linking corridor was a little lost in between Halls 4 and 5. But I suspect the smell of the food trucks stationed in the corridor aroused curiosity for many. It is the only place where you can find food trucks in the halls, offering all different kinds of food: Italian, Greek, Asian… All the other places where you can find something to eat are in and around the piazza and the kitchens of restaurants there inside the building itself—not spreading the delicious aromas. I saw long rows of people lined up at the food trucks, and I suppose they were a big concurrence with the piazza restaurants.
What did not work was the Press Room. Normally I would not mention this as it is not of interest for the readers, but it was such a big chaos there that I wonder if it reflects the same chaos for the rest. Photographers had to pay 300£ for a license to take photos during the four days, while being cornered by many unlicensed amateurs who sold their photos cheaper before their noses. And if that wasn’t enough, photographers were forced to sit in the worst possible area in the arena to take proper photos of the winning dogs. Crufts/RKC seems to have forgotten the times when everything was done to offer the best possible opportunities to cover their show, made world-famous thanks to all the overseas press people.
In order to strengthen the bond with dog owners, the Royal Kennel Club has started up the Crufts Club, a new app with the main goal to focus year-round on all the facets of dog ownership, ranging from health and well-being content to training and feeding tips, discounts, etc. It creates a bond and an information platform for the benefit of dogs. An excellent idea, in my opinion, just like the Souvenir Show Guide, the Crufts magazine/catalog that is a real treasure of information for visitors to the show. Unless you need to follow the judging closely, this Show Guide is all you need, offering excellent info and explaining all aspects of various disciplines with dogs. In this edition, you could find an article about “Petlog,” a new microchipping database, and about first aid for your dog, the importance of a pedigree, the history of Crufts, how shows work, and an illustrated minimalistic breed encyclopedia. This magazine, about 200 pages thick, was for sale at the price of 15£.
The number of entries increased slightly this year by 123, up to 18,698. There have been better years, but as everywhere since COVID, the numbers have typically dropped here too. In 2018, there were still 21,023 entries! More and more, the success of Crufts seems to depend on the number of overseas entries. This year, 4,299 dogs came from everywhere in the world to participate. France is still leading with 538 dogs. Italy followed with 436, while Germany came close with 425. The Netherlands sent 353 and Ireland brought 335. While most of the foreign entries are from Western Europe, dogs from as far as Argentina, Peru, and New Zealand crossed the oceans to take part in this event. It is estimated that around 150,000 people paid a visit to the NEC and about eight million viewers followed this happening on Channel 4, More 4, and All 4 broadcasting for a total of 17.5 hours. Crufts has already been broadcasted for 76 years.
Crufts is a treat for everyone. If you love fun and dance, there is the Freestyle to Music competition. If you dream of participating, follow the Junior Handling competition. If you like to learn, go to the Grooming competition. If you want to find out how to train your dog, go to the Obedience competition. If you like action, there are the police team and army demonstrations, and Flyball and Agility are a guarantee for lots of fun too. And if you just don’t know what kind of dog would fit you best, take your time to visit the Discover Dogs village and get informed of the pros and cons of every breed.
As usual, we could get acquainted with newly recognized breeds. This year, it was the Hungarian Mudi, a small but intelligent Hungarian herding dog, the Icelandic sheepdog, a small-sized dog with double declaws on both hind legs, and the Pyrenean Mastiff, a colossal dog, protecting the flocks of sheep in the Pyrenean Mountains against wolves, bears, and other predators. The breed with the fewest representatives was the Komondor. Only three were entered.
On Thursday, the Working Group opened the Group judging. In total, 1,720 dogs were entered in this Group. The most popular breeds were the Siberian Huskies, the Newfoundlands, and the Bernese Mountain Dogs with 156, 146, and 148 entries respectively. A total of 2,480 entries for the Pastoral Group was nice. Here, the Border Collies took the lead with 310 entries. Also, the Shetland Sheepdogs did well with 265 competitors, followed by the Bearded Collies and the Australian Shepherds, good for 200 and 183 entries respectively.
On Friday, the Terriers and the Hounds were on term. Among the 2,225 Terriers, the Staffordshire Bull Terriers were best represented with 393 specimens. The 235 Border Terriers were all judged in one ring only. The Jack Russells took third place with 134 dogs. With their growing popularity, the 403 Whippets were leading in the Hound Group, far ahead of the Rhodesian Ridgebacks with 220 dogs and the Beagles with 188. If we consider all the Teckel varieties as one breed with different sizes and coats, they are the overall best-scoring breed with 665 dogs in competition.
In the Utility Group on Saturday, there is a comparable situation where all the Poodles in all its varieties are good for 364 entries. And also, here we have a popular breed in one ring only! I am talking about the 265 Dalmatians. The Bulldogs were second with 192 entries and the Tibetan Terriers on their heels with 181 dogs. In total, this Group had 2,607 entries.
The second Group on Saturday was the Toy Group with 2,174 competitors. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniels proved to be the most popular, good for 282 dogs. Long and Smooth Coat Chihuahuas were good for 277 entries. The Papillons are also gaining in popularity; 193 were competing here.
The Gundog Group has several of the most popular breeds, that’s why it is impossible to combine it with other Groups. Indeed, 4,535 dogs would be difficult. The Labrador Retrievers and the Golden Retrievers together are good for almost a quarter of the entries, the first with 547 dogs, the second with 529! But also, the Flat-Coated Retriever is popular, proof are the 330 that were entered here. And the 244 Irish Setters is also a very respective number.
Seeing all the Best of Group winners nicely lined up in the main ring, where Mr. Tamás Jakkel from Hungary, President of the FCI, was honored to pick out the Best in Show, was a joy for the eye. All seven were absolute top dogs. I think that many were surprised that the Clumber Spaniel was chosen BIS. It was perhaps not the most flashy breed of the seven, but seemingly the favorite of the public. This is often the case. Could it be possible that it has to do with the fact that the audience is already familiar with the winning dog of the day and supports him to win the finals? But to the judge, what really matters is how close he came to the ideal image of his breed. Runner up to BIS went to the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen, the very same dog that won BIS at the World Dog Show in Helsinki last year.
Crufts is not only a dog show; it is much more than that. And it is not like a World Dog Show. With hundreds of trade stands, it is a market, a fair where you can see and find out what is new on the market, from toys to clothes to food, and even to cars. You can visit the Discover Dogs village to learn more about your favorite breed before you decide to buy one. Crufts also offers a unique possibility to get “infected” by one of the sports for dogs. You can talk to vets, dog trainers, charity volunteers, etc. You can see how dogs are groomed and the time that needs to be invested to get your dog to look like the dog you’ve always dreamed of. Crufts offers an excellent day off with the family, and it lets your kids discover a totally new world. You can go and see the judging, but you can also participate if your dog is a Crufts Qualifier. And most overseas participants are, in general, not disappointed if their dog is not placed—proof that losing among good quality is not a shame.
Crufts is a total spectacle where you will certainly not have enough time to visit and see it all in one day, in four days, or even in several years. There is so much to do and see, so you are forced to make choices because it is just impossible to see it all. You can sit from nine in the morning till eight in the evening in the arena, watching the many displays and competitions, and never be bored. And you can also do that in one of the four display rings in the other halls. The regulars, however, come for another reason; Crufts is the most international meeting place for dog enthusiasts in the world. You meet people and make friends here, and it doesn’t matter where they are from because there is a common interest and a central point for meeting up once a year. And before you know it, you will become addicted—and every start of a new year, you will start itching to return again.
Judge: Dr. T. Jakkel
Sh. Ch. Vanitonia Soloist
Clumber Spaniel
Mr. L. A. S. Cox
Am./Cro./Fin./Int. Ch. Black Majesty Some Say
w24/25 Euw24/25
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
Mrs. I. Raic
Judge: Mrs. A. Moss
1. Sh. Ch. Vanitonia Soloist
Clumber Spaniel
Mr. L. A. S. Cox
2. Sh. Ch. Zheridons Blanche
Cocker Spaniel
Mr. D. C. Todd & Mr. M. D. Rahman
3. Int./Multi. Ch. Caci’s Fifty Shades of Music
Ww23/24/25 Euw-25 Nordv-25
Flat-Coated Retriever
Miss Jenny Andersson
4. Alolfrana Electra
Irish Setter
Mrs. R. D. Danks-Kemish
Judge: Mr. P. Freer
1. Am./Cro./Fin./Int. Ch. Black Majesty Some Say
Ww24/25 Euw24/25
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
Mrs. I. Raic
2. Multi. Ch. Aziz Yarish
Saluki
Miss K. Hosiawa
3. Am. GCh. Zaida Bint Muti von Haussman
Afghan Hound
Mr. R. Podesta & Mr. S. Pfeil &
Mr. J. Donahue & Dr. A. Sobrado
4. Int./Se./Nor./Fin. Ch. Zaprof’s The Mythmaker
Borzoi
Ms. Lena Hamel
Judge: Mr. G. Hill
1. Ch. Penliath Bill Me Later
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Mrs. C. B. & Miss N. L. Blance
2. Ch. Edglonian Slack Alice
Shetland Sheepdog
Miss D. Pearson
3. Bugaboo’s Dream Big With Bottom Shaker
Old English Sheepdog
Mr. Koroknai
4. Ch. Mybeards Sweep
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Miss L. Mottram
Judge: Mr. C. Powell
1. It. Ch. Under Pressure Foxhouse
Lakeland Terrier
Mr. J. Schembri & Mr. W. Brown-Cole & Ms. C. Davani
2. Ch. Flaxela Perfect Storm
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Mrs. P. & Mr. J. Clarke
3. It. Ch. Taggiasca
Irish Terrier
Ms. A. M. Tureen
4. Ch. Tinkave Vibe At Belleville Ww25
Norwich Terrier
Mrs. C. S. Thompson-Morgan & Mrs. J. R. Lazenby
Judge: Mr. D. Guy
1. Ch. Ellemich American Express
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Mrs. M. Chapman & Miss T. Ireland
2. Ch. Sugarlane Gibbonback
Affenpinscher
Mr. A. Stewart & Mrs. M. Boulcott
3. Ch. Benatone Glint Of Gold
Maltese
Miss S. & Mrs. R. Jackson
4. Ch. Artmeis Raise The Stakes
Italian Greyhound
Mrs. J. B. Amsel & Mrs. H. Rishworth-Cutler
Judge: Mrs. S. Jakeman
1. Ch. Wellingley Won For The Road JW
Miniature Schnauzer
Mr. T. B. Braithwaite
2. Ch. Cubalibre Wishing Star JW
Dalmatian
Mrs. B. Quayle
3. Sargas Des Legendes De Retz Jww
Eurasier
Mr. Martineau
4. Ch. Dream High Kai Kennel Afterglow Adrenaline
Poodle (Toy)
Mr. T. Isherwood & Mr. J. Lynn
Judge: Mr. K. Young
1. Dzhozias Viking
Tibetan Mastiff
Mr. V. Molnar
2. Fantasa Strike While It’s Hot
Rottweiler
Miss M. Dunhill-Hall
3. Ch./Lux. Ch./Bel. Ch. Korifey Vanquish JW
Doberman Pinscher (Dobermann)
Mrs. A. L. Jones & Ms. I. Ushakova
4. Ch. Goldanias Diva Princess
Great Dane
Mr. Mick Stanton
Dog Shows
Crufts 2026 celebrates 135 years with new features, expanded events, and top honors for Clumber Spaniel “Bruin” and PBGV “Meghan.”
