Posted on April 10, 2010 – 20:34 in Features | Stephan
Crufts 2010
By Rufus Exton
Crufts is the biggest dog show in the world. It began in 1891 when a dog biscuit manufacturer, a Mr. Charles Cruft launched the “First Great Terrier Show” in Islington, London. Since then the show has gone from strength to strength. Until last year, when the BBC pulled its sponsorship amid claims that the Kennel Club was endangering the well-being of its dogs by allowing breeding practices which were reportedly little more than canine eugenics. The Kennel Club closed ranks, their sponsors pulled contracts and the 2009 event was a decidedly edgy affair.
It’s difficult to know whether much really changed in a year, but the word ‘healthy’ seemed to feature proudly this year and the corporate sponsors were back in force. The dogs were little changed; ranging from ecstatic to bemused and on to what looked like morbidly embarrassed while their owners were as entertaining as ever; a band of highly competitive eccentrics at the top of their game, enjoying the biggest celebration of their year. The dogs are undoubtedly the most beautiful, most carefully groomed in the entire world. Their owners, on the whole, are not quite so well turned out. Yet their pride is infectious and it is impossible not to be charmed by their love for their animals. When you meet someone who seems oblivious to the fact that they have the same hair colour and similar snout to that of their dog it is near impossible to retain any kind of composure.
Taking photographs at Crufts is like shooting fish in a barrel, you can’t fail to hit something. Yet at the same time, that is what makes it such a vexing event; there is simply too much going on to retain any kind of control, any hope of focus. The size of the event is exhausting, there is always something bigger, fluffier, weirder around the corner. There is pomp, artifice, ludicrous big business and characters to match. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Even if you are not a dog lover Crufts is a captivating event; a congregation of everything wonderful and weird that you could ever expect from a man and his dog.
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