Page 106 - HOTdog Magazine 1-2.2018

106 HOTdog 1-2 / 2018
it? Much confusion reigned Toys were in the Crufts Dis- the overall winner
as exhibitors and trade cover Dogs area for the first
stand people were left un- time ever and the UK’s lat- The handlers came from all
sure as to what was permis- est recognized breed, the over the world and Yiannis
sible…..in the end, Facebook Barbet, paraded in the Good made one young man very
seemed flooded with people Citizens ring on the Friday. happy indeed to the point of
filming from the breed rings None of these three breeds a complete emotional break-
and even the main arena competed at the show. down in the ring!
itself; clearly an area for
Crufts to clarify next year. The show celebrated 40 Yiannis went on to say,
years of agility. Crufts is “Dreams DO come true
If you do like shopping for where the discipline of agil- sometimes! I was delighted
doggie items, then this is ity began in 1978 and is now to judge the International
the place for you with five seen all over the world in Junior Handling Competi-
halls of the cavernous NEC various guises and sizes! tion at the most prestigious
home to about 500 trade show in the World, Crufts! I
stands featuring the usual Another first was the stag- saw some really wonderful
ranges of foods and diets to ing of the UK Finals of the young handlers there. My
every artefact, clothes de- Eukanuba Champion Stakes Winner was the amazing boy
sign or pair of socks with a and also the UK Pup of the from Portugal, Antonio Flo-
dog on! Year which in turn meant res, a real talent with great
that the Eukanuba World future.”
• A FEW FIRSTS Challenge was shelved for
2018. European Breeder Check out the photos of
In fact the overseas entry Manager Mike Bloxsome Antonio who literally col-
was bigger than ever and confirmed that Crufts 2019 lapsed in a heap in the
helped maintain the overall should see the return of this main ring! I have personally
entry levels; three countries popular world event once known Antonio and his fam-
were competing for the first more. ily for years from shows in
time: Bahrain, Peru and Ka- Portugal and from the time
zakhstan. Germany for ex- • INTERNATIONAL he used to trail a stuffed dog
ample provided 319 dogs JUNIOR HANDLING around the ring as a toddle.
from 210 owners with some He has come on since then!
well known faces from the One feature of the big
German show scene in evi- shows nowadays is the at- • AND FINALLY
dence. Germany even topped tention correctly given to the
the often larger Russian en- future of our sport. In the Before Best in Show on
try which this year totaled form of international junior Sunday night, we saw the
297 dogs, making Germany handling, this year judged at very last performance by
the 4th highest country for Crufts by ex junior handler the imperious Mary Ray who
overseas entries. It will be and current judge and ex- for many years has been de-
interesting to look at the hibitor, Yiannis Vlachos from lighting the last night crowd
country stats at the forth- Greece. Yiannis said “Since with breathtaking displays
coming world show in Hol- I remember, I have always of canine freestyle…. I hesi-
land to see how things com- loved dogs. I started partici- tate to call it dog dancing.
pare. There were 3623 dogs pating successfully at junior Not so agile as she was a
from outside the UK and this handling competitions in the few years ago and now as-
shows a remarkable ongo- mid 1990s, always with dogs sisted by Richard Curtis,
ing trend and means that I didn’t know and various Mary has been the darling of
overseas dogs now make up breeds. My dream was to the Crufts crowd for so long
a sixth of the total entry of represent my country at the and has come up with such
the show International Junior Han- innovative routines to enter-
dling competition at Crufts, tain us all. On this her final
The Imported Register something that never came performance she received a
Breeds were competing in true, as until now there was special memento for Show
the groups at Crufts also not a Greek representative Manager Vanessa McAlpine
for the first time ever. The there.” Well now…there was and a huge ovation from the
only breed making its debut a Greek judge too! crowd.
was the Braque d’Auvergne,
which is a gundog Import There were only 4 boys out The famous Crufts ring
Register breed. White Swiss of the many countries rep- with twinkling lights was
Shepherd Dogs and Russian resented , one of whom was now all down to the last 7

Main Topic • Crufts 2018