The Kennel Club and Crufts

Finding dogs for shows was a problem as the dogs entered in the catalogue were either absent. Confusion reigned supreme among the foreign dogs, some of which had no numbers at all. Contrary to rules today, each dog had the name and address of the owner displayed on a label attached to the collar, leaving the judge in no doubt as to which dogs belonged to whom.

Although there were many high-quality specimens shown at shows in the 1860s, by the close of the decade it was recognized that many undesirable practices still took place and various local clubs attempted to apply some reform, but they lacked harmony in their policies and finances presented a problem. Someone who had been involved in the organization of some shows and recognized the problem was Mr. Shirley, who had started to exhibit dogs himself in 1870. He decided to set himself the task of forming a permanent body which was to become the Kennel Club. In April of 1873 a small group of people met f in a three-roomed flat and this meeting led later that year to the Kennel Club's first show at Crystal Palace with an entry of 975.

The beginning of the dog kennel club
The first general meeting of the Kennel Club took place in Birmingham's Great Western Hotel in December 1874, the same year as the Club published its first Stud Book containing the pedigrees of 4,027 dogs divided into 40 different breeds and varieties. The Kennel Club was still a young club, but it took bold steps as by 1880 it had put out an edict that all dogs entered at shows held under its rules had to be registered with the Kennel Club, something which was well received by many. In this way the Kennel Club established itself as a governing body which levied taxes on dogs for exhibition, and since then Britain's dog showing world has not looked back.

There were objections from some quarters, especially the Birmingham Dog Show Society, whose committee was in it self very influential. By 1885 two delegates of the Society were allowed to sit on the Kennel Club's committee and an amicable agreement was reached, albeit after a hard fought battle.

The Kennel Club had popularized the sport of dog showing and had elevated it from venues such as bars and public houses to fashionable locations including Crystal Palace, Ranelagh and the Botanical Gardens. Through the Kennel Club people could obtain pedigrees for their dogs and were happy for their dogs to be included on permanent registers. The Club also acted as a court of appeal so that wrongs could be set right, and dishonesty was made both difficult and dangerous. It was said that the Kennel Club had done for dogs what the Jockey Club had done for racing - praise indeed.

People at dog shows
Only toward the end of the nineteenth century and with the intervention of the Kennel Club Was a certain respectability brought to the dog-showing world - until then the majority of 'dog fanciers' were by no means the elite of society. As decades moved on, more and more eminent people began to take part and to lend their support to shows - even Queen Victoria became an exhibitor. An active breeder and occasional exhibitor, the Prince of Wales, later to become Edward VII, was made the Kennel Club's Mi in 1875. His wife, Queen Alexandra, was much involved with Borzois, Basset Hounds, Chow  Chows, Skye Terriers, Japanese Spaniels and Pugs, and together the couple regularly visited s, attending not merely in a formal capacity, because they enjoyed seeing good dogs.

Her Grace the Duchess of Newcastle did much to raise the tone of dog shows by her per-patronage and the Countess of Aberdeen, one greatly involved with Skye Terriers, was ness of the Ladies Kennel Association. Dog shows had certainly brought together all classes of society and many a judge commented that he often had dogs from distinguished kennels competing alongside those belonging to members of the working classes. However one cannot help but think that sometimes the privileged classes were shown certain favor, such as the time when Queen Victoria wished to exhibit three Pomeranians of a color not usually shown in England. This resulted in a special classes being provided for them and two were jointly awarded first prize. However, over the last century or so, dog showing has become a great leveler, and to this day members of the royal family still visit Crufts each year and chat enthusiastically to excited exhibitors and judges.

Crufts is established
At the tender age of 14 Charles Cruft was already growing weary of academic studies and knew that he had no desire to join his father's jewelry business, so he applied to work for Mr. James Spratt, the dog biscuit manufacturer. Cruft joined as an assistant in Spratt's shop and soon became one of the first commercial travelers, a job which brought him into close contact with dog owners both in the UK and abroad. Before too long, Cruft had become Spratt's right hand man and had built up strong connections with owners of shoots and with head gamekeepers. He became manager of the company's show department, as by now Spratt's had grown enormously, becoming a limited company.

Cruft leaves sprats
Cruft realized that if dog shows were properly organized they would improve the quality of pedigree stock, as well as encouraging people to keep better-bred pets. He also recognized that the level of show management was still lacking in many quarters and that this would need to be improved. Charles Cruft had already become well known in the world of dogs and in 1878 he was placed in charge of the great Paris Exhibition. His early experience of Continental dog shows was to stand him in good stead, as foreign dogs were late: exhibited at his own shows and foreign judges secured. Although he moved on from Spratt's, Cruft never forget his debt of gratitude to the company and always retained cordial relations, indeed frequently dogs at Crufts shows were both   I fed and benched by Messrs Spratt's.

Cruft's first show
In 1886 Cruft announced the First Great Terrier Show, held in the Victorian music hall called the Royal Aquarium at Westminster. With 57 classes, the show attracted 600 entries, most of which were registered with the Kennel Club. Public attention was drawn to the show, helped by full coverage in The Times. Cruft was also involved as secretary of various other shows, but the next year his chief interest lay again in a show of Terriers, this time held in Westminster's St Stephen's Hall. Sir Humphrey Trafford, himself a keen exhibitor, was appointed as President, and the Cruft s veterinary surgeon was also surgeon to the Kennel Club. Consistency and efficiency of those working at the show contributed greatly to its success. The second show saw 75 classes, though rather fewer dogs entered this one.

Although the railway services were not then highly regarded, London and North Western Railway announced special arrangements to convey dogs to this show as Charles Cruft had realized that, however good the show, dogs needed to be transported easily, so he liaised regularly with the railway's representatives.

The first of the two Terrier shows that were held in 1888 is notable for the fact that various labels had been attached to the wrong dogs, causing a great muddle and prompting a change to the numbering system.

Classes and numbers of entries rose steadily to 164 classes at the final show to be held at the Royal Aquarium in 1889. The special prizes on offer had also increased considerably, and the most valuable cup, worth 50 guineas, was offered for the best Dandie Dinmont. Two other cups were valued at 25 guineas each. Cruft's was fast gathering momentum so that by the following year entries were in excess of 1,500 and the prizes were worth around £1,500. Although the show was still officially known as the Great Terrier Show, it had become increasingly clear that this was, in reality, Cruft's own show.

Prizes and classes galore
Splendid prizes were on the increase, such as the solid brass dog kennel of the Queen Anne period offered for the best Yorkshire Terrier, while winners of the valuable cups presented in the Team classes each took home a gold medal to commemorate the win. But despite the prestige of this annual event, following the show of 1890 more n one critic commented that the quantity of dogs was more remarkable than the quality. There were indeed some very strange classes scheduled, perhaps the strangest being that for 'Stuffed dogs, or dogs made of Wood, China etc' Entries in this unusual class included two terracotta Pugs, a marble statuette of a Toy Spaniel and two cases of stuffed dogs.

An annual event
By 1891 the show was advertised as Cruft's Greatest Dog Show, the first at which all breeds were invited to compete, with around 2,000 dogs making almost 2,500 entries. The judge’s num bered 20 and they had 12 rings in which to officiate. Entries from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert added prestige to the show. The Royal Agricultural Hall remained its home until 1939, excepting the years 1918—20. By the close of the nineteenth century entries had risen to well over 3,000 and royal patronage continued, not just from British royals but also from great names abroad, such as Prince Constantine of Oldenburg, Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia and even the Czar himself who sent many Russian Wolfhounds from his own kennels.

Cruft's in the twentieth century
In the twentieth century the administration of Cruft's show became very well organized and Charles Cruft himself became Secretary and Director. Until the 1930s regulations changed little, excepting for opening the show to dogs from any part of the world. Challenge trophies and special prizes, though, could only be competed for by members of Cruft's International Dog Show Society, involving a subscription fee of one guinea.

After the First World War
Each dog was fed and attended to without additional charge and the exhibition of canine appliances became a regular feature of the shows. This was the beginning of the many trade stands seen at Crufts today and was a popular feature with carriages, dog kennels, bedding, clothing and other useful items.

During the years of the First World War, Cruft was aware that he needed to preserve public interest and in 1915 held an exhibition of canine heroes. There were also army and navy classes in which exhibits were owned by those who served.

Although the show came to a temporary end in 1917 it was once again back on the canine lovers' 1 calendar for 1921 with encouraging entries and continued royal support.

By 1922 the Papillion had created something of a novelty at the show and the Afghan hound attracted a great deal of attention. In 1925 Miss Harding ham became assistant to Charles Cruft and it was she who was to take over as secretary upon  Cruft's death 17 years later.

The jubilee show
As the show approached its golden jubilee year in 1936 entries rose higher and higher and the number of scheduled breeds totaled 80. There I was increased support for foreign dogs and overseas judges frequently found themselves taking the   ] centre of the ring. Entries for that jubilee show amounted to the phenomenal number of 10,650, made up from 4,388 dogs. There were 898 Labrador Retrievers, 766 Cocker Spaniels and 226 Golden Retrievers, with Cairns heading the Terrier Group with 296. Already Alsatians (now known as GSDs) had become popular with 255 entries, but winning over them all that year was the Chow Chow Ch Choonam Hung Kong who took the prestigious Best in Show award.

Kennel club takes over
For many a year the name 'Cruft' had been synonymous with dog shows and Cruft's shows were financially a great success at a time when it was possible to make a personal profit from shows, something no longer allowed by the English Kennel Club. Charles Cruft died in 1939 and three years later his wife decided that she no longer wished to run this famous show, although she wanted the name to be perpetuated, so asked the Kennel Club to take over the organization. The Second World War intervened, but in October 1948, the first Cruft's Show organized by the Kennel Club took place at London's Olympia, with all 92 breeds scheduled. This proved to be an immediate success with exhibitors and public alike, and the show has undoubtedly gone on from strength to strength ever since.

Since 1891 the show's catalogue had included brief descriptive details of each breed with a photograph or engraving, a tradition which continues today and is invaluable for visitors to the show wishing to distinguish the various breeds. By 1959 the show's running costs caused entry fees to be increased, much to the dismay of some, but still there was a new world record entry of 13,211. By now the Kennel Club had banned monorchids and cryptorchids from the show, after an earlier survey revealed that about 10 per cent of exhibits had been cryptorchids. Other than this no restriction had ever been placed on entries to a show in Britain but in 1965 the committee decided to strict the size of the show, initially by not allow-; puppies under the age of eight months to be own. However, this only produced very limited control over entry sizes, so qualification by dint of inning a prize at a championship show during he previous year came into effect. Since, the qualifications for Craft's have come more stringent as the ears have progressed.

A new venue
Olympia was increasingly considered a venue with cramped and dreary conditions for this prestigious show but despite adverse comment the show remained there for a few more years. In 1974 the show's red and yellow colors used by Charles Craft were changed to the more restrained light and dark green shades and the apostrophe in the word Cruft's was dropped, changing the name of the show to Crufts.

In 1979 Crufts moved to London's Earl's Court and changes were made to the big ring to create more drama and glamour. There was also an increased number of trade stands, seemingly an ever growing aspect of Crufts show.

The show remained at Earl's Court until 1990 and from its centenary show the following year moved to Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre. This venue offered much increased floor space and good access by road, rail and plane although a high proportion of exhibitors and visitors, especially from abroad, had reservations regarding the choice of venue. Now the show has extended to four days and more and more halls have accommodated this enormous show so, although there is still a pang of sadness about the move out of London, the majority now agree that it was well worthwhile.