Founded by Charles Cruft in 1891 the show is now into its 121st year.

Charles Cruft was known as The British Barnum for his flair in attracting publicity for his shows. He originally began work in his family jewellery business, before leaving to join James Spratt, an electrical engineer with a very inventive mind who, in 1860, opened a firm called Spratt’s Patent Limited.

James Spratt set up his firm to manufacture and market the most recent of his inventions, Spratt’s Meal Fibrine Dog Cakes.
Charles, (who never owned his own dog), soon started running terrier shows and organised his first show, open to all breeds, in 1891. He continued to run the shows on a yearly basis until his death in 1938.

Ten years after Charles Cruft died (1948) the Kennel Club, (founded 1873); assumed management of the show and it has continued to go from strength to strength.

Cruft’s Show always had an apostrophe right up until 1974 when this was dropped.
From then, to present, it has been known as Crufts

Breeds which are eligible for Crufts are classified into seven different Groups.
These Are;
Gundog Group  #example - Spaniel (Cocker)
Hound Group   #example - Afghan Hound
Pastoral Group  #example - Bearded Collie
Terrier Group #example - Parson Russell Terrier
Toy Group  #example - Pomeranian
Utility Group #example - Akita
Working Group #example - Boxer

At open shows there are other classifications
A.V - Any variety in all groups #example -  Working, Pastoral, Gundog etcetera
A.V.N.C - Any Variety Not Separately Classified #example - Hound, Gundog etcetera

All dogs have to qualify on a yearly  basis in order to attend Crufts, unless, that is, your dog has qualified for entry into the Kennel Club Stud Book. Ozzy, our Stud Dog, is entered in the Stud Book.

Entry in the Kennel Club Stud Book, qualifies that dog to attend Crufts for life. NO further qualification is required.



A Boxer has never won Best in Show at Crufts, however Troy's half sister, the beautiful Champion Santonoaks Be-Bop-A-Lula, made breed history at Crufts 2000 by becoming the only Boxer in history to win the working group and appear in the final line up for Best in Show. Lula And Troys pedigrees are almost identical. This feat has now been surpassed by Ch/Ir Ch Winuwuk Lust At First Sight aka Max who has won the  Working Group two years in succession - 2010 and 2011

A very good book which gives the FULL history of Crufts is called CRUFTS – The Official History, Written by Frank Jackson isbn number 0 – 7207 – 1889 – 9

Crufts 2012 had an entry of 21,029 dogs over the four days. Visitor attendance figures not available at time of report

The eventual Crufts 2012 Best In Show winner was Elizabeth (Ch. Zentarr Elizabeth) a Lhasa Apso owned and shown by Margaret Anderson from Coventry.