| Crufts entries hold steady for 2019
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Issue: 08/02/2019
Over 20,600 qualified dogs will be heading for the NEC in Birmingham from 7th-10th March to compete at Crufts 2019. They will make a total
of 22,977 class entries.
The Kennel Club has announced that 20,631 qualified individual dogs will this year be taking part in the Breed Judging, Gamekeepers' Classes and the Obedience and Agility Championships at Crufts. That is 401 dogs less than last year's figure of 21,032 a reduction of some 1.9 per cent.
It has to be remembered, of course that all dogs entered at Crufts have to be qualified at other shows, and last year the UK qualifying shows were down by some three per cent. This means that Crufts has actually performed rather better than the totality of other general championship shows in the UK over the course of last year. Even at 20,631 dogs this show has stayed well within the numbers that the show has been experiencing over the last few years.
Taking account of all the various other dogs present for Discover Dogs and Displays etc, Crufts will welcome a total of around 27,000 dogs this year. They will take part in a wide variety of competitions and displays over the four days of the show. Last year, a record attendance of over 165,000 visitors attended the event.
The KC says: "As well as the breed class judging which leads to Best in Show, visitors will be able to watch some of the world's finest dogs and handlers in action across a range of disciplines including agility, obedience, heelwork to music and flyball.
"The Obedience Championship for Dogs will take place on Saturday 9th March, with the Obedience Championship for Bitches on the Sunday. The Agility Championships will also take place on the Sunday.
"Other highlights of a busy programme taking place in the Resorts World Arena are the Kennel Club Friends For Life competition, which celebrates those dogs in our lives that provide lifetime service, support, love and devotion, and the final of the nation's favourite crossbreed competition, Scruffts".
At time of going to press no information had yet been received about the overseas element of the Crufts 2019 entry. Hopefully we will be able to report on that next week.
Goldens lead the way
Top breed entry again this year is the Golden Retriever at 537, just ahead of Labrador Retrievers which have 531 dogs entered. Both breeds are significantly down on last year when Golden Retrievers had 592, again just ahead of Labradors last year at 581.
Other breeds with 250 dogs or more this year are:
Whippet - 416
Cocker Spaniel - 357
Staffordshire Bull Terrier - 350
Flat Coated Retriever - 338
Border Collie - 330
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - 305
Border Terrier - 275
Bearded Collie - 273
Beagle - 268
Irish Setter - 253
Chihuahua Long Coat - 251
The following breeds have this year fallen out of the 250 entry bracket: Bulldog at 233, Shetland Sheepdog 235 and French Bulldogs with 204.
Biggest increases
The top ten breed increases over last year, in terms of the numbers of dogs entered, have come in the following breeds:
Border Terrier - 56
Australian Shepherd - 54
Beagle - 46
Japanese Spitz - 41
Lowchen - 32
Miniature WH Dachshund - 31
Dalmatian - 28
Jack Russell Terrier - 26
King Charles Spaniel - 25
Deerhound - 23
Lhasa Apso - 23
Biggest falls
The biggest decreases in the number of dogs entered as compared to last year have come in the following breeds
Border Collie - 60
Irish Setter - 59
Golden Retriever - 55
French Bulldog - 52
Labrador Retriever - 50
Bullmastiff - 45
St Bernard - 39
Japanese Chin - 33
Basset Hound - 32
Tibetan Terrier - 30
Bullldog - 30
Imported breeds
For those rarer breeds not on the main KC Breed Register but on the Imported Breeds Register the entries are as follows:
Working - Entlebucher Mountain Dog - 9; Pastoral - Hungarian Pumi - 26, Bergamasco - 4, Picardy Sheepdog - 7, White Swiss Shepherd - 18, Hungarian Kuvsasz - 3, Swedish Lapphund - 0; Hound - Basset Bleu de Gascogne - 6, Grand Bleu de Gascogne - 0, Segugio Italiano - 2, Azawakh - 3, Bavarian Mountain Hound - 8, Black & Tan Coonhound - 12, Griffon Fauve de Bretagne - 3; Toy - Russian Toy - 34; Utility - Xoloitzcuintle (Mexican Hairless) - 27, Korean Jindo - 11;
Gundog - Korthals Griffon - 3, Braque d'Auvergne - 8, Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer - 2, Portuguese Pointer - 8
Something for everyone
Tom Mather, Crufts Chairman, said: "Crufts offers something for everyone and this year looks like being no exception. Visitors to the show will be able to see dogs and their handlers taking part in a variety of activities and displays and we would urge anyone looking to buy a puppy to visit the ever-popular Discover Dogs area where they will be able to meet the breeds up close.
"We feel honoured to welcome dogs from a wider variety of breeds than ever before, representing all corners of the globe. The fact that people travel far and wide to enter this prestigious event proves that it really is the world's greatest dog show.
"With Crufts also hosting the Eukanuba World Challenge for the second time in three years, it is a fantastic opportunity to have the entire dog world in one place celebrating the most successful and famous dog show in the world. This will throw the spotlight on the magnificence of pedigree dogs and enhance the partnership the Kennel Club has with Eukanuba, supported by the FCI.
"We thank everybody who has entered the show and look forward to welcoming all the dogs and their owners, who make Crufts such a wonderful event, whether it is those who have been loyally returning year after year or those who are experiencing the show for the first time."
OUR DOGS COMMENT: The success of Crufts can also be seen in the fact that Eukanuba remains a very committed Principal Sponsor of the show and this year Crufts will welcome back not only the finals of the UK Eukanuba Champion Stakes and UK Eukanuba Pup of the Year competitions but also, for the second time in three years, the Eukanuba World Challenge with winning dogs from all over the world.
