The Crufts dog show was named after its founder, Charles Alfred Cruft. He worked as a general manager for a manufacturer of dog biscuits. While he traveled across Europe to expand the business, he attended many dog shows and even was invited to help organize some of them.
In 1886, the future Duchess of Newcastle approached Cruft to run a dog show for terriers in London. The First Great Terrier Show took place on March 10, 1886 at the Royal Aquarium. The show was a success so it was decided to make it a regular affair. The first show named after Cruft – Cruft’s Greatest Dog Show – was held in 1891.
Cruft continued to run the show until his death in 1938. Following his demise, Cruft’s widow sold the show to The Kennel Club. The event went on a hiatus during World War II and was relaunched in 1948. The apostrophe was dropped from the show’s name during a rebranding that took place in 1974. Since then, the event has been known as Crufts.
Over the years, Crufts has grown to become one of the world’s largest dog-related events. Its program is built around a championship conformation show. Crufts is not an open competition; a dog is eligible for entry by successfully competing at a Kennel Club licensed championship show. Contenders compete in a hierarchical fashion. The winner is awarded the title Best in Show, a trophy, and a small cash prize.
Along with the Best in Show competition, Crufts hosts a dog agility competition, an obedience competition, a flyball competition, and a musical canine freestyle competition known as heelwork to music in the UK. The show also features the Young Kennel Club Kids’ Zone, the International Junior Handling Competition, and other events and activities for children and young adults. Other major highlights of Crufts include a large trade fair, special shows and demonstrations, competitions and displays for crossbreeds, and the Discover Dogs area.
