My AMAZING Day at Crufts 2015!

So, that's it. Crufts 2015 is over. And what a weekend it was!

Saturday 7th March. The day I stepped inside the halls of The NEC as a guest to Crufts 2015.
When I woke up, I noticed that something was up. Usually, I'm the first one to wake up but yesterday all my humans were hustling and bustling about. What on earth was going on?! Well, after our two hour journey, it finally occurred to me that this trip was no normal trip.
Barks? Check.
Lots of things to sniff? Check.
Thousands of dog-mad humans? Check.
This could only mean one thing. I was at CRUFTS 2015!
The first exciting event of the day was trying to find the right entrance to go through. When your visiting as a canine, you have to enter through a special dog door- I felt like a V.I.D (Very Important Dog, that is)!

Obviously, it was then time to have photos with the Crufts logo... 

 Bench picture! Every competitor and display dog is given one of these benches so I had to pose with one like a proper show dog.

They may be far away but there are Great Danes in this picture. Yes, GREAT DANES. 

Crufts Crufts Crufts Crufts

At the sides of the show rings, my humans had to try and hide me from the competitors so that I didn't distract them. I mean, as if I would ever distract the gorgeous Wheaten Terriers...!

The first event we watched in the Main Arena was one that my humans watch every year: the International Freestyle Heelwork to Music competition! Every routine was original and there were some seriously impressive moves from these dogs. Definitely know which tricks I'm going to be working on now...! 

My human was a silly sausage and forgot her zoom lens... But here is a picture of a hilarious routine based on magic. At one point, the dog pushed the lid down over their human who was laying down inside the box and then pushed a (pretend) sword back and and forth. So clever!

The effort that had gone into some of the costumes was unbelievable. Just look at that!

And the winner is...  Slovakia! This poignant routine has the most adorable (and heartbreaking) ending. Watch the full routine here!

The Main Arena is seriously impressive. What a place to do doggie sports!

Me, posing with one of the many rings where the top dogs in each breed battle it out for their chance to win Best in Show. 

The judging of the lovely Airedale Terrier. 

My favourite photo of the day goes to... This gorgeous Standard Poodle, poking his head out of his crate! What a dude.

Fun fact: Crufts stretches across over 25 acres of the The NEC's halls. That's a lot of shopping to be done!

The tens of thousands of visitors that visit Crufts every year...

Woooo! A picture of me having a GREAT time!

 In the Dog Activities area of Crufts, you can learn about all the different things dogs can get up to, with typical breeds from each option available to meet and greet. My humans were particularly taken by this stunning Bloodhound. Just look at that sit!

A group of happy Retrievers!

One of my humans' favourite sections at Crufts is the Discover Dogs area, where visitors are able to learn about more than 200 breeds. Obviously, we had to take a trip to the Gundogs section, where I met some more of my breed- the English Springer Spaniels! Check out this stunning Spaniel.

I was probably the cheeriest dog in the world on Saturday!

So much to see and dog- come on, humans!

The irresistible Hungarian Puli. Man, I have serious hair-envy over their coats... So impressive!

Later, we visited the Young Kennel Club ring, which demonstrates the work of the next generation of dog handlers. The ring involves many of the same competitions that are held in the Main Arena, but for people that are from six years of age up to twenty-five. The work this organisation does to help young dog lovers is fantastic. 

After a look round all the stalls and rings, it was time to head back to the Main Arena to see everyone's favourite Goldies: the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team. Following their amazing display, every single Retriever in the team headed back into the arena to film something very special... Saturday Night Takeaway came to Crufts! The winner of Take Home the Ads was selected on the screen in the arena, whilst the Goldies ran, jumped and climbed around the ring. An extremely entertaining sight!

 It was then time for the Large International Agility Finals! As an Agility dog myself, this event is adored by my humans, and it did not fail to impress.

The course proved particularly difficult, with only TWO out of the fourteen competitors completing it with no faults. 

 The judge of this competition was an ex-YKC member, just proving what you can do within the organisation. The most challenging part of this course seemed to be where the tunnel and the dog walk are lined up beside each other, with quite a few of the dogs taking the tunnel instead of the climb!

All the competitors did a fantastic job- well done to all!

 Our final viewing of the day: the Flyball Team Finals! Every year, this sport excites the audience beyond belief and this year was no different. Spot the Springer in the bottom right-hand corner of this picture...

 After an excruciatingly-close final, the Dream Team South-East took home the trophy for the flyball, thanks to their incredibly rapid Pointer, who ran last. Go team!

 On the way out, my humans had time to check out the filming set for the Crufts coverage on Channel 4, which had a very special feature...

The Crufts 2015 Best in Show trophy!

On the final day of Crufts 2015, the seven finalists from each of the groups came together for the prestigious final of Best in Show. There was no clear guess as to who the winner was going to be as all the dogs were just THAT good so the judge had a very difficult to decision to make. After some deliberation, he awarded the title of Best in Show to Knopa, the first Scottish Terrier to take home the title since 1929! Owned by Rebecca Cross, Knopa was bred in the U.S and won Best of Breed two years ago at Crufts. Reserve Best in Show was awarded to the Dublin, the Flat-coated Retriever with an extremely waggy tail, from Sweden. 

Congratulations go to all the winners from across the weekend- you all did a fantastic job!

This year's Crufts was, for me, the most special as I was able to attend myself and I truly did have an incredible day. 

Talk soon,

 Jasper x

For more information on the show, visit www.crufts.org.uk

To watch highlights from the show, click here  to be taken 

to the Official Crufts YouTube Page

Me, licking my lips at the number of the treats we brought home... Yum!

IT'S CRUFTS WEEK!

Maaaaaan, I cannot believe it. How has Crufts 2015 come around so fast?! It seems like it was only yesterday that my humans bid me farewell before travelling up to The NEC for Crufts 2014. Fortunately, the pain of knowing that they were going to have a brilliant day without me will be non-existent this year as, obviously, me, myself, and I will actually be attending... Eeeeek!

Just to make you all even more excited, here's a clip giving you a glimpse into the largest dog show in the world...

It looks incredible, right?! Who knows, maybe I'll be able to sneak my way on to the video for Crufts 2016 when I go to the show...

CRUFTS TV COVERAGE

Whether you're planning on heading to the show or are just looking forward to see the pictures online, make sure you tune into More4 at 6:30pm tomorrow for the first of four days' Crufts coverage! As Crufts kicks off with Gundog Day, fans of Springers like me should definitely not be missing the show as the first place in the Best in Show final will be awarded to one of the top dogs of the day. Agility, heelwork to music... All the best bits from the show will be programmed, so don;t miss it!

CRUFTS COMPETITION UPDATE
Just to let entrants into my competition to win two Crufts tickets know, the winner has been chosen and it is... Janet from Staffordshire! I hope Janet has a fantastic time at the show. Thank you all so much for entering- I wish I could give ALL of you lovely people (and dogs!) a pair of tickets to the show!

If you're heading to the show this year, I hope you have an incredible day! I would love to see some of your pictures from the day and hear your highlights from Crufts so make sure you either tweet me @Jasperthedoggie or just send me leave a comment below. If you sadly can't make it to The NEC for 2015, do not fret: each and every day, there is a livestream at https://www.youtube.com/crufts showing every second of what's going on in the Main Arena, so you can watch from 8:30am to 8pm if you so desire!

Here's to a fantastic Crufts 2015 (and hopefully a Springer winner!)

Talk soon, 

Jasper x

For more information on Crufts 2015, visit www.crufts.org.uk 

Tickets to the show can now only be bought on the door- have a marvellous day!

What Not to Miss at Crufts 2015- Saturday and Sunday

In Part Two of 'What Not to Miss at Crufts 2015', I've short-listed some must-see events in the Main Arena on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th March...

Saturday 7th March
Saturday marks the day that the best terriers and hounds from all across the world come to battle it out for a place in the Best in Show finals- as well as the day one certain English Springer Spaniel is welcomed in The NEC... Meeeeeee!

• At 10:30, it is the Small Agility Team Semi-Finals, where- believe it or not- teams of the smaller canines in the world compete against one another. Super exciting stuff.
• Following the two agility competitions, it is time for perhaps my favourite competition out of them ALL at Crufts- Heelwork to Music International Freestyle Competition. I don't think my humans have missed this event once as it is just so good! Handlers and dogs from a large range of countries perform freestyle heelwork to music to take home the trophy... Team England!
• Oh yes. At 16:30, the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team take to the Main Arena. This group have performed at Crufts for as long as I can remember, but they continue to get asked back every year for one reason only- because they are BRILLIANT. If you're going to see one thing at Crufts this year, make these goldies that thing.
• Awwhhoooo- at 17:45, it's time for the final of the noisiest dog sport at Crufts- Flyball! Make sure you save your voice for this competition as there is no doubt that you will want to cheer on your favourites (usually the team with a Springer in...). Be there.
• Ending the day are the Terrier and Hound Group Judgings. Witness the walks of the best in these groups, as one terrier and one hound are awarded a place in the ultimate final of Best in Show. Out of these groups, we'd love to see a Beagle make the final, but we're just going to have to wait and see...

Sunday 8th March
The final day of Crufts 2015... It's sad, but it has to end at some point. Fortunately, to liven the spirits of all dog-lovers, Sunday's programme is fantastic, with the mighty Best in Show concluding what promises to be a brilliant four days. This is definitely the day to go if you're a fan of the Utility and Toy breeds as The NEC will be FULL of them...!

• This year, it seems that Sunday 8th is the day of the displays, with displays from the Southern Golden Retrievers and West Midland Police Dogs as well as many others. A lot of work always goes into these displays so it is definitely worth watching at least one, You will not be disappointed!
• From 15:30, the Main Arena is only open to Best in Show ticket holders so if you're lucky enough to have tickets, make sure you don't miss the Agility Championship Finals at 16:55! Witness the best agility handlers and dogs battle it out to be crowned Crufts Agility Champions. If you don't have tickets however, don't fret- earlier in the day is the second round of the Agility Championship so make sure you don't miss these!
• The final group judgings of Crufts 2015 are for the Utlity and Toy breeds. This is the last opportunity for dogs from all across the globe to show the judges what they've got to win the honour of a spot in the Best in Show final.
• At 20:30, it is time for one gundog, utlity, toy, terrier, hound, working and pastoral breed to take to the Main Arena for the arguably most prestigious dog competition in the world- Best in Show. Last year, Ricky the Standard Poodle won the title so who's going to be lucky enough to follow in his lead? 

Talk soon,

 Jasper x

For more information on Crufts 2015, visit www.crufts.org.uk

Tu buy tickets to the dog show (which I thoroughly recommend doing!), click here 

What Not to Miss at Crufts 2015- Thursday and Friday

With Crufts almost within reaching distance, it is time to start planning what you're going to do at the dog show as, after all, it is the largest one in the world! To make it easier deciding what to see and do, I have written a day-by-day breakdown of the events that I wouldn't want to miss, so here it is for the first two days of the show, Thursday 5th and Friday 6th March...

Thursday 5th March

This year, the first day of Crufts hosts the Gundog judging at the end of the day, which is obviously my favourite day to attend!

• If you're going this day, you are lucky enough to have almost two-and-a-half hours of agility first thing in the morning, so if you are a big fan of the sport, head to the Main Arena at 9am.
• At 11:55, the Freestyle Heelwork to Music competition takes place, which is definitely one of my favourite events to watch. Watch the competitors run rings around their owners- literally! One can only dream of being as good as these guys, so this competition is definitely worth a viewing.
  
• At 14:15, the Dog Activities Display takes place in the Main Arena, which introduces you to a variety of dog sports that you can get involved in. Last time I watched this display, a gorgeous Great Dane demonstrated heelwork to music alongside a Chihuahua. A very comical sight indeed.
• At 15:10, the noisiest dog sport of them all takes to the Main Arena- Flyball! Arguably the most exciting of dog activities, flyball consists of teams of dogs running as fast as they can (which is very fast) down a lane of jumps, picking up a tennis ball and then returning, in a relay format. Definitely a must-see event throughout the weekend.
• At 17:15, it's time to take a seat for the evening section of the day, starting with the YKC Agility Finals. This event showcases the talent of the next generation and is one of the top competitions for the under 18s.
• At 18:50, the Gundogs take to the Main Arena, where they will be judged on their condition, temperament and movement. At this point, the humans and I will be embarrassingly supportive of the English Springer Spaniel... Come on, you Spannas!

Friday 6th March

Day Two of Crufts 2015 is Working and Pastoral day so attendees will be able to meet dogs from Mastiffs and mountain dogs to collies and Komondors. 

• Once again, the first events of the day in the Main Arena are agility competitions. Of particular notice, the competition at 10:35 is an ABC one, meaning  Anything But Collies can compete (as long as they're canines, of course).
•  Following this, is the Rescue Dog Agility competition at 11:05 which recognises the turnaround that can be made to a dog's life after adoption.This makes for a slightly emotional viewing, as it is incredible to see what these dogs can do after having not-so-brilliant parts of their lives.
• At 15:10, witness a rapid display of the Trailrunners. A group of runners with their dogs will show what is involved in Canine Cross Country and will be doing sample races of what it takes.
• Later on, at 17:45, the Scruffts Finals take place in the Main Arena. Scruffts is a fairly new concept at Crufts, as it involves varieties of cross-breeds, all competing to win Family Crossbreed of the Year. 
• Concluding Day Two of Crufts 2015 are the Working and Pastoral Group Judgings. Every year, my humans ensure that they see at least one group judging, as they like to be able to support the dog they saw at the show in the Best in Show finals on the Sunday. Out of these two groups, we're hoping for a Great Dane and a Old English Sheepdog winner. Paws crossed!

If you're hoping to attend Crufts 2015 on either (or both!) of the first two days at Crufts, I wish you the very best day/s imaginable. Personally, I've decided to head to The NEC on Saturday 7th March so if, like me, you are visiting the show in the latter half of the four days, do not fret- a 'What Not to Miss' guide will be posted very shortly!

Just a quick reminder- the deadline for the competition to win two tickets to Crufts 2015 is TONIGHT so, if you have entered already, make sure you click here  to find out how to enter.

Talk soon, Jasper x

For more information on Crufts 2015, visit www.crufts.org.uk 

To buy tickets to the show, click here 

Best in Show: Who's Going to Win?

With less than THREE weeks until the largest dog show in the world, Crufts, the last few preparations are taking place to ensure that the show is as successful as ever. This is especially the case with the owners of Crufts entrants. Years of work have been devoted into the dogs of the dog show world, many along with the aspiration of winning the esteemed title of 'Best in Show'.
The question on everybody's mind is who is going to take the title home this year?
I look back at the past 5 winners of this prestigious title...

2010: Yogi the Hungarian Vizsla

Five years ago, Yogi was awarded the first Best in Show of the decade. Out of the 187 different breeds competing at Crufts 2010, Yogi was awarded the honour of this renowned title and, by doing so, made him the first Hungarian Vizsla to claim the magnificent trophy. Close, but not quite, Rico the Scottish Terrier, from Russia, took home Reserve Best in Show.

http://www.thegooddogguide.com/lincolnshire/
grimsby/dog-pet-food-delivery-services/tower-pet-products/17900

2011: Jet the Flat-coated Retriever

The 120th Crufts dog show title of Best in Show was awarded to nine-year-old Jet, who had already won a Crufts title- Best in Breed, at the 2008 show. Bred by Jim Irvine, the cheerful dog beat 21,422 dogs to win the top spot at the dog show. after being crowned Best Gundog in Saturday's Best in Group competition. Reserve Best in Show was awarded to Jilly, the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, who you may hear about again later on...!

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/234491/
Crufts-2011-Jet-retrieves-his-third-Crufts-win

2012: Elizabeth the Lhasa Apso

Back in the year of the London Olympics, Elizabeth took home the first of many wins for Britain! Owned by Margaret Anderson, from Coventry, Elizabeth was seven when she won the title and picked up the nickname 'Elizabeth the laid-back Lhasa' after proving herself to an extremely chilled dog for one who had just one the mighty title. Reserve Best in Show was Brutus, a well-travelled three-year-old Newfoundland from Slovakia.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/crufts-2012
-best-in-show-winner-758286

2013: Jilly the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

Recognise the name? Well, four-year-old Jilly was awarded the title of 'Best in Show' by judge Mr Geoff Corish, two years after being placed as Reserve Best in Show! Another local dog, cheery, little Jilly is owned by Sara and Gavin Robertson and is from Wallingford, Oxfordshire. The Reserve Best in Show in 2013 was Romeo, a lively Labrador Retriever.

http://crufts.fossedata.co.uk/Default.asp?ShowYear=2013

2014: Ricky the Standard Poodle

Last year, Ricky beat 21,000 other entries to win arguably the most notable dog title of them all. Handled and co-owned by Jason Lynn, from Preston, Leicestershire,  2-year-old Ricky was awarded the title after assessments on his condition and health, temperament and movement. Runner up was Samoyed who goes by the very comical name Dan The Man.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/463997/Bouffant-
poodle-is-Best-in-Show-at-Crufts-2014

2015: Well, we're just going to have to wait until 8th March to find out! Personally, I would love an English Springer Spaniel to take home the title of Best in Show but I'm sure whichever doggie does get awarded the trophy will be a deserving winner. In 2013, my humans were lucky enough to see Jilly win Best in Show, and they said that it was a fantastic experience being there in person to see the event. 

Remember, there is still time to enter my competition to win a pair of tickets to Crufts 2015! Click here to find out how to enter.

Talk soon, Jasper x

If attending Best in Show, or even any of the Group titles, appeals to you, tickets can be bought here. You won't regret it!

For more information on Crufts 2015, visit www.crufts.org.uk

WIN TICKETS TO CRUFTS 2015!

Ever fancied going to the largest dog show on the planet? Well, here's your chance.
Thanks to the Kennel Club, I have a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader.
Ohhh yes, you heard me- you could be going to Crufts 2015!

For the chance to win these tickets, all you have to do is correctly answer the following question...
(Pssst... You can find the answer in my previous blog post, here!)

Last year, a very handsome doggie took the prestigious title of Best in Show, but what breed of dog was he?

A) Golden Retriever

B) English Springer Spaniel

C) Standard Poodle

Send your answer, along with your name and address, to jasperthedoggie@hotmail.co.uk or use the contact form to the right. 
Deadline for entries: Sunday 22nd February

Good luck everyone!
Jasper x

To find out more about Crufts, visit www.crufts.org.uk
If you fancy buying tickets to Crufts 2015, click here

It's That Time of Year Again... Yippee!

Any guesses for which event I'm getting excited about?
It's action-packed.
It's dogtastic.
It's the biggest dog show in the world...
It's Crufts!

That's right- Crufts is only 31 days away!

From 5th to 8th March, 22,000 dogs will be battling it out for their chance to win the prestigious Best in Show title at the NEC, Birmingham. Last year, Best in Show was won by Ricky the Standard Poodle but who will win it this year, I wonder?
And, for the first time ever, one very special guest will be at the show.
Me!
My human has kindly been given a pass to Crufts that allows for me to be taken in with her. For years, I've been wanting to go and now I have been given the chance to! But that's not all.
Very soon, I am going to be giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky reader- and that could be you!
Make sure you keep checking back here for your chance to win.

So, what's to do at the show?

Well, there is an ENDLESS list of things you can do at Crufts. My humans' personal favourites are the doggie sport competitions, such as the International Heelwork to Music competition, agility finals for dogs of all sizes and the loudest of them, flyball!

In addition, there are over 400 trade stands to shop until your heart's content from, many of which who will running some very special offers, exclusive to the show. Trust me when I say this: every doggie need you have will be covered at this dog show.

And that's not all! To see what my human got up to on her trip to Crufts last year, click here

Under 12s have FREE entry into the show, so why not treat the family to a day that never fails to be tremendous fun?

I will be blogging more Crufts related posts in the run-up to my favourite event of the year, so make sure you don't miss out!

Talk soon, Jasper x

For more information on the dog show, www.crufts.org.uk
To buy tickets to Crufts, click here