A taste of Crufts, the largest dog show in the world

March 3, 2020

With agility, obedience, flyball and other competitions, Crufts is an opportunity to feast your eyes on some of the most beautiful—and best trained—canines.

The 129th edition of Crufts, the event that “celebrates every aspect of the role that dogs play in our lives” and which according to Guinness World Records is the largest show of its kind in the world, will bring thousands of dogs and hundreds of thousands of dog lovers to Birmingham in the United Kingdom on March 5-8, 2020. The 4-day event is organized by the Kennel Club, the UK’s largest organization dedicated to canine health and welfare, and can be viewed by Canadians via the show’s YouTube channel.


Crufts 2020: In numbers


  • 20,000 dogs attending
  • 17% of dogs come from outside the UK
  • 42 countries represented (“from Australia to Ukraine”)
  • An arena with 6,000 seats
  • Expected attendance of 200,000+ people
  • 500 journalists from around the world


The event was founded in 1891 by showman and dog lover Charles Cruft. Over the past 130 years it’s undergone a wealth of transformations and upgrades to keep up with the times, and is loved for its prestigious “Best in Show” competition as well as other crowd-pleasing contests including speed, agility, obedience, flyball and heelwork.


Crufts 2019 “Best in Show” winner Papillon with owner K Roosens


Dogs, dogs everywhere
Crufts is a celebration of all things dog, which highlights the role of working, hero and rescue dogs, and provides an exceptional educational opportunity for dog owners—and potential dog owners—to “meet and greet” over 200 breeds and Kennel Club Assured Breeders, rescue charities and breed experts … a great way to find out what breed is right for you, and how to buy, train and live a happy life with your dog.


Southern Golden Retriever display team.


Crufts is also a trade show extravaganza where hundreds of exhibitors sell anything and everything for dogs and their owners.


To view a fun, heart-warming performance at Crufts 2019 by Kratu, a rescue dog, click here.


Find out more about Crufts on their website and Facebook page.


Credits:
Cover: © Beat Media and the Kennel Club
Photo 1: © Beat Media and the Kennel Club
Photo 2: © Beat Media and the Kennel Club