Roving reporters...
With the excellent on-line coverage of Crufts this
year, we asked various people to act as reporters and to give us their on-the-day impressions
of the show.
Reporting Crufts
Reporter: Jennie
Fairweather
Hi, it is
me... your roving reporter. I enjoyed myself so much last year that I volunteered again, but
unfortunately only managed to get there on Thursday and Friday!
A lot has
happened since Crufts last year: the main exciting thing being NO BBC at Crufts. I am just
speaking for myself on this but I thought it was a much better Crufts! There were proper 'dog
people' speaking authoritatively about ‘dog things’ at the world's biggest dog show. It was as
it should be for a dog show where the most important thing was the DOG, not some celebrity
pretending to enjoy doing something vaguely related to Crufts’ or going on about the negative
side of dogs. The Kennel Club have to be congratulated on a successful 2009 especially the
online reporting going out live each day.
I only
managed to get to Crufts on Thursday and Friday as I was struck down with a bug and felt too
unwell to go Saturday and Sunday and, as a result, was stuck to my PC on those two days. I was
certainly surprised by the KC online viewing and thought it was sooo very good. I hope they do
it again next year.
In his
speech to the press on Thursday - the first day of Crufts 2009 - Chairman of the Kennel Club
Ronnie Irving emphasised the health of pedigree dogs and highlighted that the main theme for
Crufts this year was to promote happy, healthy dogs. This year Crufts had a dedicated Health
Zone where anyone could talk to vets and scientific experts about research into the well-being
of our dogs. They were able to ask questions and could find out about the research which is
helping to resolve some of the genetic issues affecting some breeds and about the future
research and programmes to ensure that pedigree dogs remain fit and healthy.
He explained
that the Kennel Club was monitoring Judges to ensure they were looking at healthy dogs. The
show ring and judges are a good way to ensure pedigree dogs remain healthy.
He also
introduced the new Kennel Club Genetics Centre highlighting DNA testing available to help
Breeders with their breeding programs. It was a shame the BBC was not there to show what the
Kennel Club and the Breeders are doing to ensure there are healthy dogs being bred or is it
that this sort of work is not newsworthy enough for the BBC?
Dancing Dogs
Reporter: Mary Ann Nester
 When
I think of Crufts, I think of agility. I want to either qualify for an agility event or
make sure I have a good seat in the Arena to watch one. But this year I did neither. I've
watched my agility online and I've danced!
I was invited by Jenny Deakin to be a member of the Paws
'N Music team demonstrating heelwork to music with Twizzle, my miniature poodle, at the Kennel
Club's Dog Activities ring. Heelwork to music, also known as 'doggy dancing,' is a
choreographed programme of canine tricks and eye-catching moves set to music. Done well,
it looks like magic. It's fun to do and entertaining to watch and growing in popularity.
Forget the X-factor. Doggy dancing has the Ah-factor!
 The
Kennel Club Dog Activities aims to encourage and enthuse the public to get the very best from
their dog by participating in a canine activity like heelwork to music, agility, obedience,
field trials and so on. Why sit in front of the television when you and your dog can do
something together that will enrich your relationship and keep you fit and healthy? It is a
side of the Kennel Club that is often forgotten, especially at Crufts which is, let's face it,
best know as a breed show.
Our team was just one of a smorgasbord of dog
activities giving a show twice each day. Twizzle and I danced to Across the Great Divide
by The Band – I'm such an old hippie. In addition, each Paws 'N Music team member was
rotated to be in the 'pen.' The pen was just that – a safe enclosure within which you could
work your dog while answering questions from the public and demonstrate different training
techniques.
- Where do you buy a clicker?
- What sort of treats are you using?
- How do I teach my dog to roll over?
- Where is my nearest heelwork to music training club?”
 And
the question that I heard most often, 'Where did you get that poodle?'
Twizzle is a parti-coloured poodle and stands out in a crowd. Because his black and white
markings would not be accepted in this country in the show ring, poodle breeders have bred for
solid colour and have bred his type out. I think he looks stunning, and Twizzle quickly
gathered a fan club and made many new friends. When not posing for photographs, he was passed
from person to person, petted and poked, squished and squeezed and not one hair fell out of
place.
Interacting so intimately with the public in the pens was
something new and I felt Twizzle and I successfully passed on our enthusiasm for Heelwork to
Music and showed that dog training can be fun and rewarding. People felt freer to ask what they
thought were silly questions and Twizzle could back up explanations with a demonstration,
especially if a treat was involved. He loves treats.
I expect all the Paws 'N Music team dogs woke up on
Monday morning, hoping they were going back to the NEC in Birmingham for another day of
educating and entertaining the crowds at Crufts! That they never flagged is a testament
to Jenny Deakin's rota that made sure we all had time in the spotlight as well as opportunities
to rest and shop.
In addition, we each had 'nanny' duties - someone was
always left in charge of the dogs and belongings on the benches during the day. That certainly
gave me peace of mind when I nipped off to find out which stand sold bling for collars. I've
had poodles for nearly fifteen years and I could resist the call for bling no longer. So thank
you Jenny for inviting me to be part of your team and giving me the chance to help spread the
word – doggy dancing is fun!
Colliewobbles at Crufts 09
Reporter: Kirsty
Johnson
When I found out that I had qualified for Crufts, well
you can just imagine my amazement. However, it wasn’t till the time came nearer that the nerves
fully kicked in. I run a red and white collie called Little Red Gem. She's the one in the photo
on the right on the far left hand side of the team.
Having only competed once before at Crufts and previous
to that only having been to a spectator, the experience was hugely different, although, still
as exciting. If you do acquire the chance to go to Crufts, I fully recommend that you take it.
Being the largest dog show in the world, it is fully kitted out with all the doggy goodies you
could ever dream of. As there are many wonderful buys, I usually end up paying for them for the
next six months!
This year, Crufts wasn't as well advertised as there were
problems between The Kennel Club and the BBC, resulting in it not being televised. However,
this had no effect at all on the number of people and dogs that flooded to Birmingham NEC. The
event was still as spectacular.
Spread out over five halls of the NEC, Crufts certainly
cannot be classed as a small affair and in this abundance of space, there is something for
everyone! With spectacular displays, excellent competitions, fantastic shopping and hundreds of
weird and wonderful dog breeds, Crufts is not an event to be sniffed at.
As there is a huge variety of things going on at Crufts,
it's a wonderful place to learn more about having fun with your dog. Whether it's amazing
agility or frantic flyball, there is so much to see!
 My
club is called the Colliewobbles, and we are mostly juniors. That's why we had two teams at
Crufts. And no, we're not connected to the Colliewobbles/Sheepdog Shop. We just happen to have
the same name. Our name came about from the saying 'I've got the colliewobbles' which one of
our members says a lot rather than from the fact that we own border collies though we do have
a fair few BCs at our club.
We’re so lucky to have a wonderful trainer called Rachel
who supports us all the way and helps us achieve amazing things, such as getting 3rd and 7th at
Crufts 2009! We also have many younger Juniors who are almost at competition level, so just
watch out for them too. Our team spirit is one of the best and we all get along so well that
it’s not just about winning; we have a lot of fun, too.
We had a fantastic day and all our dogs lapped up the
buzzing atmosphere - and the free treats! I highly recommend it for a great day out!
If you are aiming to qualify for Crufts, just keep on
trying! It's one of the most rewarding experiences for you and your dog, and I can firmly say
that all of team had an unbelievable time. We are called the Colliewobbles and this year we had
two fabulous teams at Crufts! We all run different dogs - not just Border Collies - and the
majority of our club is made up of Juniors!
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Robert Angell and Jill Angell,
Founders of Dish4Dogs with members of the Kidderminster Dog Agility Team: Heidi
Windheuser & Cody, Nik Fowler & Wispa, Nicola Garrett & Tiegan, Stuart Milton & Jodie. |
Kidderminster Team
Reaches the Final of Crufts
 Kidderminster
Dog Club celebrated a great weekend as their Dog Agility Team reached the grand final of the
Medium Team Agility Competition at Crufts.
Having qualified for the competition, the team won
through to the grand final reaching fourth overall from the eight teams competing. Handlers
from the Kidderminster Dog Agility Team included Stuart Milton, Nicola Garrett, Heidi
Windheuser and Nik Fowler who said that they couldn't have been more proud of their dogs,
Jodie, Tiegan, Cody and Wispa and the hard work they have put in.
The team is sponsored by leading Worcestershire-based pet
food and fish specialists, Fish4Dogs. The company produces a range of complete foods and
training treats for both dogs and cats and believes that diet and training have a big part to
play in providing a happy lifestyle for both dog and owner.
Exhibiting at Crufts 2009, the theme of the Fish4Dogs
stand was 'balanced nutrition leads to balanced behaviour in dogs' and sponsoring the
Kidderminster Dog Agility Team, is seen as an appropriate way to promote this message.
Commenting on the Team’s success, Jill Angell,
Marketing Director and Founder of Fish4Dogs said, 'We are immensely proud of the team's
achievements at Crufts this year and we look forward to following their progress as they
compete in competitions across the country throughout the course of this year.'
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