Crufts 2014 – A Recap

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by Kerry Rushby

The World’s Biggest Dog Show finished in style with a Standard Poodle named Ricky – CH AM CH Afterglow Maverick Sabre, taking the top honor.

After the success of Ricky’s BIS win, the real Maverick Sabre artist also tweeted the joy of a Poodle winning the World’s greatest dog show! Soon, Ricky the Maverick Sabre was trending on twitter and the web for a fair few days.

For this year’s Crufts Dog Show, held at Birmingham NEC Arena, Birmingham UK, a record breaking 159,536 people walked through the doors over the four day event, 21,614 dogs were entered in to the show, a 2.5% increase on UK entries from 2013, making this year’s total of 18,951 and 25% increase on overseas entries, totalling 2663 dogs from over forty countries worldwide. This was Crufts biggest year since 2008.

Once again Eukanuba was the principal sponsor of Crufts, live streaming of all main ring events meant they were featured all over the world, with YouTube and Facebook shortly following with breed and group judging results and news.

Best in Show Judge Mr Jack Bispham from Preston, North West England had the honor in selecting the Supreme Champion. Jack writes, ‘This has got to be my judging pinnacle, and one which I consider to be a very great honour to be invited to judge the BIS at this years World’s greatest dog show’.

Jack had the seven dogs selected before him from highly esteemed judges, who are all respected in their breed and groups. Winner of the Working Group, Rottweiler, Ch Minaelea Black Mambo, selected by Frank Kane, Pastoral Group winner, Samoyed, Ch Nikara Diamond Dancer, selected by Valerie Foss; Michael Quinney selected the Irish Wolfhound as his winner in the Hound Group, Ch Just In Time of First Avenue. Terrier Group judge Gerard Morris selected the Wire Fox Terrier, Ch King Arthur Van Foliny Home. In the Utility Group came the eventual Best in Show winner, Ricky, the Standard Poodle, Ch Am Ch Afterglow Maverick Sabre, selected by Ken Sinclair. In the Toys, Renee Sporre-Willis from Sweden chose the Pomeranian, Pol Ch Unbeaten Premiera as her final winner. Gundog expert, Penny Williams judged the final group and selected the American Cocker Spaniel, Sh Ch Afterglow Pearls A Singer as her group winner.

Many have criticized the number of overseas dogs coming to Crufts and winning the top honors. The support from overseas dogs has been overwhelming from the UK Kennel Club and they are encouraged by the continued support. Results from the majority of breeds exhibit that over 50% of breeds have overseas dogs as main winners at this years Crufts.

Winning Reserve Best in Show was the Samoyed, Ch Nikara Diamond Dancer. This is the second time that a Samoyed has taken Reserve spot at Crufts. A great win for the breed and for proud owners, Val Freer and Sue Smith.

Back to Ricky and Jason, the handler and co breeder, who have become even more well-known after this win, with TV appearances and (thankfully) very positive articles in the British press.

Jason, speaking a few days after the win said, “Post-Crufts and the reality of what has happened is sinking in… all of this really DID take place! I am almost hesitant to add anything else… only to express the tremendous gratitude that we are feeling right now. The support we received for Ricky, Pearl (Gundog Group winner) and ourselves during the course of those four days at the NEC was heartening, and palpable! And for the rest of our lives we will never forget how it sounded and felt in the NEC that night, when Ricky and Pearl left their marks in dog show history….I’m so grateful to have been there!”

Mike and Jason enter the record book as being the only breeder of TWO Group winning dogs to enter the Best in Show ring at CRUFTS in the same year, that being the Standard Poodle and American Cocker Spaniel. An amazing achievement for a long-established, world famous kennel ‘Afterglow’. My hat is off to Mike, Jason and the team at Afterglow.

Ricky was the Number 1 Dog All Breeds in the UK for 2013, and on the day this was confirmed, Ricky was in sunny Florida, clinching the title of Eukanuba World Challenge winner, beating top dogs from all over the World who were invited to Florida by Eukanuba to challenge for The Eukanuba World Challenge.

Ricky is now enjoying fun times on the Blackpool beach and running around his home as this year’s Crufts Supreme Champion. A well-deserved win.

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Posted by Alex on May 14 2014. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.