Crufts 2008 Day 1 Show Report
Good evening and a very warm welcome to Crufts 2008. This is the 105th time that the world’s greatest dog show has been held and it looks set to be the biggest and best yet. Last year’s record attendance of 153,000 visitors certainly set the benchmark high, but we’re confident that Crufts 2008 will be very special indeed.
Crufts is a celebration of all things canine, and by the time that Kennel Club Chairman, Ronnie Irving, officially opened the show, the halls and rings were a hive of activity with breed judging, agility and obedience to name but a few already under way.
The first breed judging began bright and early with the Shih Tzus kicking off proceedings as early as 8am. This year it was the turn of the Toy and Utility groups to get things going in the show rings so the halls around the NEC were buzzing with Bulldogs and Bichon Frisés and alive with Akitas and Affenpinschers. There were almost 6,000 dogs trying to catch the judge’s eye today alone so there was much to enjoy for dog enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
After all of the individual breed classes were decided, the action moved into the NEC Arena this evening for the Group judging. Firstly, Keith Nathan had the tricky job of choosing the best Utility dog to progress into Sunday’s prestigious Best in Show competition. He selected the Japanese Shiba Inu, Ch Janeryls In The Line Of Fire, owned by Mrs J Bannister from Telford in Shropshire.
Attention then turned to the Toy Group, as Geoffrey Davies selected his favourite dog to go forward to Sunday. He chose the Smooth Coat Chihuahua, Gibeltarik Happy Go Lucky owned by Mrs J Requena MBE from Gibraltar.
Away from the Group judging, there was a busy programme of activity in the Arena earlier in the day, with several competitions showcasing some of the best agility, flyball and heelwork to music, alongside two displays by the popular Crufts attraction, the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team.
At the show’s official opening this morning, Ronnie Irving was joined by the much-loved television actor, Neil Morrissey, who thankfully did not behave as badly as the sitcom character with which he made his name. Neil was on hand to promote the Pedigree Adoption Drive, a campaign aimed at raising £500,000 to be distributed to dog welfare organisations through the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. Neil was a big hit wherever he went throughout the show, happily taking time out from his work to sign autographs.
Another familiar TV figure seen around the show today was former Coronation Street actor Roy Barraclough MBE. Roy was at the event to help promote Dog Theft Action’s scanner appeal on their stand in Hall 2.
Perhaps the most famous ‘celebrity’ to grace the NEC today though, was actually fictional and four-legged! Gromit, the better looking, and some might say, better trained half of the internationally successful Wallace and Gromit duo was here to officially accept his new role as the new face of the Kennel Club’s Good Citizen Dog Scheme, the largest dog training programme in the UK, which he did in style with a dynamic dancing entrance and celebratory cake-cutting.
And don’t worry if you didn’t get a chance to see the human-in-a-costume sized version today because there’s still a 30-plus foot high inflatable Gromit swaying gently in the Birmingham breeze in front of the main entrance to the show! And with that rather tall tail, I shall bid you goodnight. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow to read all the latest news from Day 2 of Crufts 2008.
- Date:
- 06-Mar-08
- Last updated on:
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