One Brilliant Day at Crufts 2016!

That's it- the most prestigious competition of them all, Best in Show, has concluded Crufts 2016. Congratulations to little Devon, a West Highland Terrier, and her humum! 

Yesterday, my humans went to experience all the madness of the world's biggest dog show and, man, what a fantastic day they had.

Welcome to Crufts!

Show offers- one of the best things about the dog show. And the main reason why my humans usually come home with many random purchases.

Following the bit of shopping they did pretty much the second they entered the NEC, the humans visited the Dog Activities area to meet the dogs who participate the many dog sports on offer. Look at these gorgeous Gundogs...

Just look at the size of one of the FIVE halls that make up Crufts. Each of the halls are half-full of stands to buy hundreds of doggie things from and half cater for the breed competitions, which gradually whittle down the best of each breed for the Group Judging at the end of the day.

Handler and dog looking very smart as they show the judge what they've got.

My humans are HUGE lovers of heelwork to music so there was not a single chance that they were going to miss the International Freestyle Heelwork to Music competition in the Main Arena. This year's competition was of particularly high standard, with themes ranging from pirates, to golf, to grooving on a hoverboard...!

Whilst England won the competition, my humans thought that the Japanese representatives were equally as deserving of first place. They could not have performed more accurately!

And now for the agility. Always a favourite at Crufts, this year's course proved difficult, with many of the competitors racking up at least five fault points. However, the standard was, again, very high.

The crowd were loving the thrill of agility!

Just when you thought things couldn't get more intense, the flyball semi-finals were held. 

Absolutely crazy.

 It was so unbelievably noisy in the Main Arena- both the humans AND dogs were getting into the full swing of the competition!

The West Midlands Police Dog Team performed an exceptional display of their work.

Special mention to my fellow English Springer Spaniel (below), who also goes by the name of Jasper!

 Believe it or not, the German Shepherd in the picture below is only 11 months old. The puppies are trained from a very young age to become police dogs but they certainly do not hold back in those early stages!

Oh, yes. Following a range of exciting competitions and displays, it was finally time for the magnificent Southern Golden Retriever Display Team. They sure did not disappoint!

 What my humans love the most about this display team is the obvious adoration had by both the handler and dog towards each other. Even if the Goldie starts running laps around the arena (yes, that may have happened...!), the bond between each pair never fades. 

 After a four-hour stint in the Main Arena (my humans are pretty hardcore when it comes to dog shows), the humans went to stretch their legs and came across Clare Balding recording interviews for Crufts' airing on Channel 4. And just look at that Best in Show trophy!

The last photograph the humans took from their day is this one of the final judging of Best in Breed for the Border Collies. Simaro Cold as Ice, shown here, went on to win Best in Breed and then Best in Pastoral Group, earning himself in the Best in Show final. So gorgeous!

My humans had a truly marvellous day at Crufts and we are all devastated that it is nearly over for another year. Feel free to send me any pictures or messages you have from your time at the show- I love looking at them!

Well done to all the competitors from this year- here's to Crufts 2017 and, who knows, maybe an English Springer Spaniel will take home Best in Show...?!

Talk soon, Jasper x

CRUFTS WEEK!

The time is now, the week is here. Crufts is turning 125!

By now, competitors across the globe will be carrying out their final preparations: heelwork to music routines are being practised, obedience skills are being perfected and there's a lot of coat grooming to be done. 

As for us members of the general public, we simply have to empty the cupboards to make sure that there's enough space for future Crufts purchases, writing lists of the things we want to fill those cupboards with and planning what we want to see and do, when we're not relentlessly shopping.

There are HUGE amounts of displays, competitions and talks to be watched; so much, in fact, that things can get a little overwhelming. 

But, don't fret: 

I introduce my day-by-day breakdown of what I think you simply MUST see when you come to the NEC this week...!

Thursday 10th March: Toy & Utility Day

• 11:05- East Anglian Staffordshire Bull Terrier Display Team- despite so many campaigns to end the stereotype, Staffies are a breed that continue to get a bad portrayal in the media. This display team show exactly why their image is so, so wrong. Such a happy sight to see.
• 12:15- Freestyle Heelwork to Music competition- never does heelwork to music disappoint. Freestyle has more options for the competitors, which means some very creative ideas come through. Some of the most talented dogs performing effortlessly to music- amazing!
• 17:15- Young Kennel Club Agility Dog of the Year- across the weekend, the next generation of dog experts compete in the YKC Ring at Crufts, which I highly recommend giving a visit. However, for one of the YKC's biggest competitions, the agility finalists take to the Main Arena to give it their all. 

Friday 11th March: Gundog Day

• 13:40- Rescue Dog Agility- what I love about Crufts is that it is an opportunity for all dogs to get their moment under the limelight. Rescue dogs are often unfairly considered as "difficult" dogs but this competition shows how far from the truth this is.
• 15:10- Agility- Large Novice and Medium ABC Final- Collies are known to be the most common breed to partake in agility so the Anything But Collies competitions give other breeds the opportunity to take centre stage. Who knows, the whole competition might be made up of Springers and just imagine how great that would be...!
• 17:55- Gundog Display (Philippa Williams)- well, if you're visiting on Gundog Day at Crufts, you simply have to see Gundogs doing what they do best- sniffing and fetching! Even I, as a very, very intelligent English Springer Spaniel, has to admit that what these Gundogs do is pretty impressive!

Saturday 12th March: Working & Pastoral Day

• 12:10- Dog Activities Display- always an insightful viewing, this display gives short examples of the sort of activities you could get involved in with your dog, from heelwork to music to obedience. 
• 13:00- Heelwork to Music- Freestyle International Competition: as mentioned in the previous post, this competition involves the very best of freestyle doggie dancers from the around the world, with one dog-and-human duo representing the countries involved. The diverse celebration of cultures through dancing dogs is just exceptional so I definitely recommend!
• 16:40- Southern Golden Retriever Display Team- well, if I hadn't made this clear enough already, this group is my ultimate MUST-SEE across the four days. They have displays on other days as well so don't worry if you're not heading to the NEC on Saturday!

Sunday 13th March: Terrier & Hound and Best in Show Day

• 12:20- Flyball Team Finals- thoroughly entertaining, the loudest of all dog sports has its finals on the last day of Crufts, so don't miss out on seeing who is crowned the winning flyball team from across the weekend!
• 12:40- West Midlands Police Dog Display- before watching this display, I had never witnessed the full extent of what is involved in the hound side of policing but the West Midlands team changed this. 
•  From 15:30, only Best in Show ticket holders are permitted to entry the Main Arena so bear this in mind when purchasing tickets to the show. For the lucky ticket holders, at 17:45, the one and only Mary Ray performs what promises to be a magnificent heelwork to music routine and then at 20:30 the biggest competition of the week comes to a close with the Best in Show final! Come on you Spaniels!

Full itineraries for the four days can be found here.

Of course, these are just a few of the hundreds of competitions going on at the NEC on 10-13th March and there is undoubtedly something for everyone at Crufts. Not only are there the shows in the Main Arena but there are many other rings for you to explore, as well as over four hundred stands so that you can shop for your pooches.

I hope everyone, including the competition winners Vaughan and Andrea, has a brilliant time at the show and I can't wait to see all your pictures!

Happy 125th Birthday, Crufts!

Talk soon, Jasper x

For more information on Crufts dog show, visit http://www.crufts.org.uk

To buy tickets to the show, click here or tickets can be bought on the door. Remember, under 12s get in free!

Spotlight On... Flyball at Crufts!

Most dog sports involve one dog and one handler competing against other dog-and-human duos. Flyball is unique in the fact that it is a team sport, made up of four dogs and four humans per team. Two teams race against each other to see who can complete the flyball run the quickest: four jumps up to a tennis ball box, release the ball and jump back again. Agility jumps and tennis balls- my favourite.

I have actually tried flyball and it is a lot, lot harder than it seems. One week, we turned up to a London flyball club, expecting that, as a slightly tennis ball- obsessed dog, I'd be up for running to grab the ball. Ah, well... No. My humans had this crazed idea that I would follow their instructions- er, who do you think I am? One jump and no more, tennis ball or no tennis ball. Now, my humans watch the flyball competitions in awe of their skill.

Flyball was introduced to Crufts in 1990, after the sport grew rapidly in popularity in the USA. The sport is similar to a human relay- the dog must complete their run back and forth before the next dog can do his run. If a dog doesn't bring back the ball or misses a jump, he must re-run, potentially adding time that could result in a loss. The first team to have all four dogs complete the run successfully win and this is repeated up to three times. At Crufts, the winning team goes through to the next heat, until the final. 

If you happen to be visiting Crifts when flyball is going on, I definitely recommend giving it a watch. It's loud, quick and pretty wild, making it a very exciting event indeed. Make sure you check out The Kennel Club website for more information on how you can get involved in flyball.

COMPETITION NOTICE: the competition to win one of two pairs of tickets to the world's biggest dog show, Crufts, on 10-13th March is now closed. The winners have been selected so entrants should keep checking the post to see if they were one of the lucky winners... I truly do wish that you could have all been winners - thank you for your entries!

Less than two weeks until Crufts now...!

Talk soon, Jasper x

For more information about Crufts, visit www.crufts.org.uk.

To gettickets to the dog show, click here. 

Remember: all children under the age of 12 get in FREE!

Spotlight On... Heelwork to Music at Crufts!

Possibly the most entertaining competition at Crufts for me (and my humans) is Heelwork to Music. The name gives a good idea of what this doggie activity entails: one dog and one human boogie away to some music. Though, admittedly, it is a tad more involved in that, as I have experienced myself quite a while back...

At Crufts, competitors must perform technically complex, rhythmic and varied choreography to music for up to four minutes in length. Each act is judged on programme content (the difficulty and range of movements), accuracy and execution of movement (how well performed it is) and music interpretation (how it fits with the music).

 There are four competitions centred around Heelwork to Music: Heelwork, Freestyle, International Heelwork and International Freestyle. The main difference between Heelwork and Freestyle is the content that must be put into a dance routine. To be entered into the Heelwork category, a minimum of two-thirds of the performance must include heelwork whereas, for the Freestyle category, a maximum of one-third  of heelwork is permitted. The International categories are the same, but with a competitor representing countries around the world- these in particular get very competitive!

Heelwork to Music was first brought to Crufts by doggie-dancing expert Mary Ray back in 1992, and the sport has grown in popularity ever since. Not just one but TWO dog-and-human duos have won ITV talent contest Britain's Got Talent since the show began; Ashleigh and Pudsey in 2012 and Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse last year. My humans were lucky enough to catch the former pair competing at Crufts before they won the content, taking first place in one of the Young Kennel Club competitions- they truly were brilliant.

From my (humans') many years of attending Crufts, there has been one Heelwork to Music routine that I simply cannot forget. Although Linda de Smet from Belgian did not win the International Freestyle in 2011 with this routine (I still think they should have!), their routine was charming, original and had the BEST finale... Give it a watch below!

Heelwork to Music is always a great watch at Crufts, and I highly recommend visiting either the Main Arena or the Young Kennel Club ring to see one of the competitions! More information on how to get involved in the sport can be found here.

REMINDER: the competition for tickets to Crufts 2016 closes on Friday 26th February so make sure you don't miss out on your chance to win your way into the doors of the NEC on 10-13th March. You can enter here!

Talk soon, 

Jasper x

For more information about Crufts 2016, visit www.crufts.org.uk

To buy tickets to the show, click here

WIN TICKETS TO CRUFTS 2016!

It's competition time!

Oh yes- the Kennel Club have kindly given me not one, but TWO pairs of tickets to Crufts dog show to give away to a couple of you out there! With children under the age of twelve getting free entry, you could be treating the whole family to a doggy day out.

The first Crufts was held in 1891, in London. Now, the show takes place across five halls of the NEC, Bimingham and over four days- from Thursday 10th- Sunday 13th March 2016.

To be in with the chance of winning a pair of tickets to the world's biggest dog show, all you need to do is answer the following question correctly:

What birthday does Crufts celebrate this year?

A) 50th Birthday

B) 100th Birthday

C) 125th Birthday

Send your name, address and answer to jasperthedoggie@hotmail.co.uk or using the contact form  on the right side of the page and you could be making your way to Birmingham!

The deadline for entries is Friday 26th February.

But don't worry if you don't come out as one of the lucky two winners- tickets to the show can be bought here

To find out more about the show, visit www.crufts.org.uk

Good luck, and I can't wait to see you there!

Jasper x

10 Reasons Why You Won't Want to Miss Crufts 2016!

With just over one month until Crufts takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, it is time to get organised. Of course, you can just turn up to the show and decide what you want to see and do there and then but, in my house, we plan which events we want to watch as soon as the schedules are made available. For example, our whole Crufts experience evolves around the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team, who are taking centre stage on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th March in the Main Arena (don't miss them!).

Here are ten reasons why this year's Crufts is a must-go-to event in the dog calendar- see you there!

1. It's Crufts' Birthday: this year, celebrations will be going all out as we commemorate 125 years of Crufts dog show. It promises to be a very special year...
2. I've mentioned them already in this post, and this certainly won't be the last you hear of them this year, but the Southern Goldies Display Team are always the highlight of the Main Arena for me. A bunch of happy retrievers trotting along to pop music, whilst performing obedience tricks. Amazing.
3. The shopping. Oh my paws. If you're one of the many people who prefers buying things for their dogs than themselves, you will love the array of stalls at Crufts. Halls and halls of dog beds, dog jewellery, dog treats and dog toys... Oh, I love Crufts.
4. There are a number of display rings at Crufts and one of my favourites is the Young Kennel Club ring. Watching young dog handlers and their beloved pets compete against one another in the same exciting sports as the adults is truly inspiring and always great to view.
5. The Discover Dogs zone welcomes over 200 different breeds of dog for you to meet and greet. From the popular English Springer Spaniel (ah, yes, that's me) to the rare Hungarian Puli, try and have a snuggle with as many varieties of dogs as possible!
   
6. On Day 2 of Crufts (Friday 11th March), the Vulnerable Breeds competition takes place in the Main Arena to raise awareness of the breeds that are currently in decline in terms of ownership.  Often, the breeds in the competition will be of a surprise: some you may never have even heard of, and some you may never have expected to be a vulnerable will take part.
7. You have the chance to meet celebrity dogs. Remember Harvey from the Dogs Trust advert? My humans have met him at Crufts- and you could too! Many famous dogs from the Internet, the small screen and big screen all flock to the world's biggest dog show to meet their adoring fans. They might even give you their pawtograph (if you're lucky...!)
8. Free stuff: every year, my humans scavenge around every stall in the NEC for complimentary samples, magazines and even the odd free toy. Last year, when I went, I joined in, finding every dog bowl of food on the floor- so good.
9. It's international: in 2015, 2,995 dogs FLEW to Crufts to compete. Ever wanted to meet an actual Australian Kelpie, a truly Siberian Husky or a Chinese Pekingnese? Well, there's no place more likely than Crufts (apart from the original country of the breed, perhaps)!
10. Want to be able to say that you've been to the biggest dog show on the planet? I thought so. Each year, Crufts welcomes tens of thousands of visitors from across the globe into the mad world of dogs- and one of them could be you.

My humans are attending the show on Saturday 12th March and can't wait to see you there!

Talk soon, 

Jasper x

If you would like more information on Crufts 2016, visit www.crufts.org.uk

To buy tickets to the show, click here and, remember, under 12s get into Crufts for FREE!

125 YEARS OF CRUFTS!

As it is now February, we can officially say that the world's largest dog show, Crufts, is next month!

On 10-13th March 2016, tens of thousands of dogs will be taking to The NEC, Birmingham, to compete in a range of competitions, from agility to heelwork to music to Best in Show! As many of you will have now realised, my humans and I are slightly fanatical about the dog show; last year, you may remember, my humans even managed to get me a dog pass into the show to experience the life of a show dog!

Picture from www.crufts.org.uk

This year is a particularly special year for Crufts, as the show turns a whooping 125 years of age. Yup, the dog show began right back in 1891, when Charles Cruft booked out the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington for three days from 11th to 13th February. The first year of Crufts had 2,437 entries across 36 breeds of dog- quite different to the 30,000+ dogs that visit the show each year now!

The show has also moved venue since its first staging: in 1948, Crufts moved to Olympia, London, under Kennel Club auspices after Charles Cruft passed away and, in 1979, the show moved again to Earls Court, as it grew in size. 100 years after the first show and Crufts moved yet again into the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, where it has taken place ever since.

Arguably the biggest title of the weekend is Best in Show, which is awarded to one dog out of every breed entry on the Sunday night of the event. Although Crufts now would not seem the same without this prestigious award, I was very surprised to learn that Best in Show was only first held in 1928, with a Greyhound named Primley Sceptre taking home the prize. Since then, 77 more dogs have won Best in Show, with the most recent winner being little Scottish Terrier Knopa.

With Crufts just a few weeks away, people are now placing their bets on which breed 2016's Best in Show winner will be. As usual, I am very hopeful for a fellow English Springer Spaniel to take home the trophy but we just going to have to wait and see...

Learn more about the history of Crufts since it began in this adorable video, here:

My humans cannot wait to attend this year's anniversary Crufts and hope to see you there!

Talk soon, Jasper x

For more information on Crufts, visit www.crufts.org.uk

To get tickets to the show, click here. 

It's definitely worth booking your tickets in advance as, not only will you be skipping the queues, you will be saving on the door ticket prices too. And, remember, under 12s' entry into the show is FREE!