Crufts Dog Show
We were here! The world's most prestigious dog show. It didn't take us long to stroke some furry friends.
There were so many different breeds on show. Some of our favourites were the Cotton de Tulear that looked just like fluffy cotton wool and the Red Setter who had the glossiest coat.
We took our front row seats at one of the many show rings where there was a Best in Breed competing. This consisted of four dogs that were all related and they were judged on how much they looked alike, behaved and how in sync they were with each other as they paraded around the ring.
Over at the Obedience Ring we watched as the four countries of the UK competed against each scoring points for their teams depending on how well their dog behaved. There was a series of weaving through cones, jumping over an obstacle and retrieving a toy all in a certain time. Some listened really well to their owner and some were a little bit cheeky. The judges then added up the scores to determine the winning team. We watched as they lay the certificates and rosettes out on a table.
We were very kindly given a cuddly Border Collie teddy and rosettes and certificates from one of the head judges that we got talking to. How lucky were we?!
It was super Saturday at Crufts and we headed straight to the main arena and had a fantastic vantage point ready to watch the International Freestyle Dance to Music final. First up was 8-year-old Dachary, an Australian Shepherd from Canada performing to Dance Monkey. He followed his handlers every move and it was simply fantastic! It was like something you would see on Britain’s Got Talent…. and it was! This duo had been on Canada’s and America’s hit tv show! There were cartwheels, handstands and flips galore!
The International Agility finals had us on the edge of our seats. The dogs were outstanding, following commands as they race around the course- jumping, weaving and navigating the seesaw! The crowd went wild for this nail biting final. There was literally seconds between 1st and 2nd place.
Next was the Scruffs final which is for cross breads only. This was judged by no other than comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Raganathan.
Our chocolate loving group couldn't wait to explore the world famous Cadbury’s World.
Our chocolate journey stated as we took a trip back in time and through the tropical rainforests of the Mayan Indians to discover the origins of the cocoa bean. We then watched a short film which made us all laugh out loud as we were shook on our seats like cocoa beans being ground to a fine powder.
Now it was our chance to get hands on as we became master chocolatiers! First, we got to draw shapes and write our names squeezing warm, melted chocolate from a bottle. It was great to see everyone getting creative!
It was then time for an adventure on the Beanmobil car; a magical journey through a make believe world full of surprises. If our day couldn’t get any better, we then got to try a delicious pot of gooey, melted chocolate where we got to choose a variety of toppings such as marshmallows, chocolate buttons and crushed Oreo cookies!
Our final day ay Crufts and we were all super excited for the main event- Best in Show. First we all wanted to visit the different breeds of dogs again as they were so irresistible. They were all too happy to see us again as we made a huge fuss of them.
One of the highlights of our day was watching the Flyball championship. It was a nail-biting finish, with a re run having to happen. It was down to the wire but Road Runners, from Belgium were victorious. The cheers from the crowd were wild!
Next, we were treated to an incredible Police dog display. These talented, intelligent dogs are trained to abstain criminals by clutching and pulling them down with frightening voracity. It was fascinating to learn how the dogs are able to use their tuned senses of smell to find contraband and discarded weapons involved with aiding the police. We had such a great view from our brilliant seats and the thrill of the police cars entering the arena with sirens blaring, dogs barking, ready to catch the criminals.
It was time for the main event and we didn’t miss the grand finale- Best in Show. The seven dogs that had won in their previous categories were now being intensely judged and we all agreed it was a close competition. The judge had made his decision and started walking over to his winner, Orca a 4-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo from Hungary. Blondie, the Old English Sheepdog was awarded runner up and we were delighted for them both. Orca and his owner were presented with the biggest trophy we have ever seen and the audience gave a tremendous round of applause to congratulate them all.
No comments:
Post a Comment