History of Crufts: The world’s greatest dog show

A general view of judging in progress at Crufts Dog Show in the Royal Agricultural Hall, London.

Crufts is often referred to as the “greatest dog show in the world”. No longer purely a dog show, Crufts is a yearly event that celebrates every aspect of the roles dogs play in our lives. It’s changed in ways that the founder, Charles Cruft, couldn’t have possibly imagined.

Crufts celebrates all dogs, from working dogs, crossbreeds, rescue dogs and those at the top of their game in a particular sphere. The show is an essential date in any dog lover’s calendar, and Crufts 2025 will be held March 6–9th.

For prospective dog owners and dog lovers, Crufts is now also a prime opportunity to speak to breed experts about how to responsibly buy, rescue, train and enjoy life with a particular breed – some of which they’ll have never heard of. And with hundreds of trade stands selling everything you could ever image, Crufts is now also a four-day shopping extravaganza.

It’s taken many years to develop Crufts into the event we know today, so let’s take a look at how it has evolved...

How did Crufts get its name?

Crufts is named after its founder, Charles Cruft. The young Charles left college in 1876 and took employment with James Spratt who had set up a new venture in London selling “dog cakes”. Spratts became the world's first large-scale manufacturer of dog biscuits.

Charles received a promotion to a travelling salesman and within two years of leaving college, Charles was travelling to Europe. While there, French dog breeders, perhaps seeing entrepreneurial talents in him, invited Charles to organise the promotion of the canine section of the Paris Exhibition.

In 1886, Charles took up the management of the Allied Terrier Club Show at the Royal Aquarium in Westminster, London. In 1891 he booked the first Cruft's show at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, London, and it has been running ever since.

Full history of Crufts

• 1891: The first show with the name “Cruft’s” (note the apostrophe) takes place at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, London, with 2,437 entries across 36 breeds
• 1918-1920: Cruft’s is not held due to World War I

1924: Miss Vlasto stands with her Borzoi dogs in the exhibition ring, having entered them in Cruft’s at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, London (Image credit: Getty Images)

• 1928: Best in Show award starts – the first winner is a Greyhound called Primley Sceptre.
• 1932: First female owner wins Best in Show – Lorna Countess Howe with Labrador Retriever, Bramshaw Bob, who remains to this day the only Dual Champion (winning Show Champion and Field Trial Champion) to win Best in Show at Cruft’s, repeating his win the following year in 1933
• 1936: Charles Cruft celebrates his Golden Jubilee five years early, breaking the 10,000 entries mark for the first time
• 1938: Charles Cruft dies, and his widow, Emma Cruft, takes over the running of the show

1938: Emma Cruft presents the trophy to Mr H S Lloyd whose cocker spaniel ‘Exquisite Model Of Ware’ was named ‘Champion of Champions’ (Image credit: Getty Images)

A general view of judging in progress at Cruft’s in the Royal Agricultural Hall (Image credit: Getty Images)

• 1940-1947: Cruft’s is not held due to World War II
• 1948: Emma Cruft hands control to The Kennel Club and the show is held at Olympia, London. It proves an immediate success with both exhibitors and the public – 84 breeds are entered, which is almost double the number of breeds at the first show in 1891
• 1950: Cruft’s is first televised by the BBC
• 1952: The death of King George VI threatens the possibility of the cancellation, but the show is allowed to take place two days later
• 1954: An electricians’ strike leads to the show being cancelled – electricians refuse to disconnect the stands from the previous show to make way for Cruft’s
• 1955: Cruft’s becomes an obedience championship show and working sheepdogs are entered, becoming the first crossbreeds to compete at Crufts
• 1961: Entries break the 15,000 mark for the first time
• 1974: Cruft’s changes to Crufts as a rebrand decides that the apostrophe is no longer needed
• 1978: First demonstration of agility
• 1979: The show moves to Earls Court, London, due to increasing entries

1979: Mrs W Streatfield and Callaghan of Leander, a Kerry Blue Terrier wins Best In Show at Crufts at Earl's Court, London (Image credit: Getty Images)

1979: A dog owner and his dog have a rest at Crufts (Image credit: Getty Images)

• 1980: First official agility competition
• 1982: The show is extended to three days to accommodate the increasing numbers of dogs and spectators
• 1985: The Kennel Club Junior Organisation is launched
• 1987: The show is extended to four days to accommodate further increases in numbers
• 1988: More than 110,000 people come through the doors making Crufts not only the biggest dog show, but also the most popular show to be held at Earls Court
• 1990: First demonstration of flyball
• 1991: Crufts Centenary Show is held at its new venue, the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre to accommodate the growing numbers

1991: Bichon Frise dog and owner at Crufts held at the NEC, Birmingham (Image credit: Alamy)

• 1994: The Discover Dogs area and Good Citizen Dog Scheme Ring are introduced to promotoe responsible dog ownership
• 2000: Rescue dog agility introduced
• 2001: Crufts moved from March to May due to foot and mouth disease, and the International Agility competition takes place at Crufts for the first time
• 2004: The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award introduced (under a different name)
• 2007: The Resorts World Arena is used for the first time

2007: Crufts competition is broadcast from The Resorts World Arena (Image credit: Alamy)

• 2008: Crufts launches its own Facebook page and canicross is introduced for the first time
• 2009: Following disputes with The Kennel Club over dog welfare, the BBC suspends coverage and Crufts is streamed online for the first time, becoming the most watched channel on YouTube in the UK. The Health Zone is introduced and breed rescue charities are given a high-profile area
• 2010: More4 becomes broadcast partner, providing one hour of footage a night and two hours on Sunday
• 2012: Vet checks for the Best of Breed winners for breeds in category three of The Kennel Club’s Breed Watch system are introduced
• 2013: The final of Scruffts Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year competition takes place at Crufts for the first time, and Crufts was broadcast on both More4 and Channel 4
• 2014: Crufts is televised on Channel 4 across three nights for the first time, and Obreedience – a display competition to showcase competitive obedience with different breeds – is launched

2015: The Young Kennel Club celebrates its 30th birthday (Image credit: Alamy)

• 2016: Crufts celebrates its 125th anniversary, and the first official Obreedience and British & Irish Vulnerable Breeds competitions take place
• 2018: Variety Import breeds can compete for the Best in Show title for the first time
• 2023: Celebrations of The Kennel Club’s 150th Anniversary take place at Crufts with a special anniversary class, and Stand Up To Cancer and Crufts launch the first Walkies challenge raising £1.4million (around $1.8million)
• 2024: Clare Balding celebrates 20 years presenting Crufts, while Discover Dogs marks its 30th anniversary, and Hoopers is displayed for the first time in the Resorts World Arena.
• 2025 – The Young Kennel Club celebrates its 40th anniversary

Want to learn even more about Crufts? Here are our favorite Crufts facts – and here’s how to watch Crufts 2025 live on TV!