Crufts 2014

gimmick

Anyone heading this year? Wife and I are going from Thursday to Saturday.

Looking forward to seeing lots of Flyball if nothing else.

Anyone who has been before, is it easy to get from the NEC to Birmingham City Centre?

andreac

I'm going on the friday. Not showing this year but my friend is on the Friday.

I'm not sure about going to the city, never done that myself.

Hope you are bringing loads of money!!

gimmick

Our hotel is in the city.

Is it expensive there ya? I am guessing eating in NEC will be very dear anyway.

andreac

Ah I just mean for buying stuff. There is so much to buy you won't know where to look.
It's a great experience if you haven't been before. It's not mad expensive in general.
I'm sure there are buses going into the city as it's part of the airport really so can't see it being too hard to get there. Loads of taxis as well but I don't know how far it is so it could be dear in a taxi.

There are 5 massive halls to look around, it's divided out so all the breeds are split amongst the 5 halls with stands in all of them.
The fly ball is in the main big arena which is over beside hall 1 so make sure you wear comfy clothes and footwear as you will be walking all day.

Alun

There's a train station, Birmingham International, at the NEC / Airport with links to the city centre so no problems there.

andreac

Oh forgot about the train station. Yeah its so easy to get around the NEC and to the airport etc. You literally dont even have to leave the building to go to the airport either. A little shuttle tram thingy brings you down to the NEC, its great, only takes a min or two.

SillyMangoX

Oh how I would love to head over!! Are channel 4 showing it again this year? I've been watching the Superstar Dogs thing that's a lead up to crufts, tis brilliant

baby and crumble

I presume somewhere will be showing it... And hopefully Clare balding wil be hosting again, I love her!!!

andreac

Yep, seemingly its getting more coverage this year so thats good. Also, it can be watched online as well, the flyball, agility etc.

andreac

Its going to be on More4 thursday night for over 3 hours,More4 Friday for and hour, and then Channel 4 on Saturday for 2 hours and Sunday for 2 hours.

Knine

I'm heading with my daughter next Thursday. Really looking forward to it.

SingItOut

They usually show it live in the crufts YouTube channel

baby and crumble

Just catching up on today's crufts- watching the more 4 coverage that I started recording earlier. Anyone know is Lisa Tarbuck doing the whole week or is Clare Balding back at any stage?

andreac

Rottie won the group!! Robert and Brandon did great. I know them myself.

DBB

baby and crumble wrote: »

Just catching up on today's crufts- watching the more 4 coverage that I started recording earlier. Anyone know is Lisa Tarbuck doing the whole week or is Clare Balding back at any stage?

Clare is back tomorrow, co-presenting with Liza, and then seems to be assuming the lead role again for Sunday. She must've been booked up for today! Although I wonder are they grooming Liza for the future? Clare's a great character, the show just wouldn't be the same without her!

DBB

andreac wrote: »

Rottie won the group!! Robert and Brandon did great. I know them myself.

Wah! Spoiler alert! That class is only being shown on d'telly now!

SingItOut

The Siberian husky on more 4 at the moment looks so tiny! My boyfriends sib husky looks huge in comparison

Knine

SingItOut wrote: »

The Siberian husky on more 4 at the moment looks so tiny! My boyfriends sib husky looks huge in comparison

Huskies are not a very big breed at all.

Says me from my hotel in Birmingham. Heading to the NEC in the morning. For shopping though. Not showing!

andreac

DBB wrote: »

Wah! Spoiler alert! That class is only being shown on d'telly now!

Oh crap sorry. I watched it on you tube as I'm in the airport waiting to go over to crufts. I presumed it was on tv too.

SingItOut

Knine wrote: »

Huskies are not a very big breed at all.

Says me from my hotel in Birmingham. Heading to the NEC in the morning. For shopping though. Not showing!

I'm quite short maybe that's why remi (bfs husky) appears bigger haha enjoy the show! I'd love to go over some year. I won tickets about two years ago but my passport was expired

DBB

Knine wrote: »

Says me from my hotel in Birmingham. Heading to the NEC in the morning. For shopping though.

Harumph... This is the geographical version of name-dropping.

:-D

SillyMangoX

Anyone have any predictions on the winner? I'm thinking the standard poodle :P

borderlinemeath

I thought the newfie was going to get the working group, he was lovely. The rottie was gorgeous too though. Did anybody else think the doberman was a bit chunky?

Some of the dogs here are watching it, so it can get noisy! Coco, in particular always watches dogs on TV and always barks at the flyball and agility - when the dogs are on the run, so the rest of the dogs start barking anyway:o. There's a pair of collies watching it intently!

muddypaws

SingItOut wrote: »

The Siberian husky on more 4 at the moment looks so tiny! My boyfriends sib husky looks huge in comparison

If only you knew how controversial that is. The Sibe judge this year is from Norway, and is known for his working lines dogs, so a lot of people with the smaller, show style sibes didn't enter. The dog that won BOB is a lovely dog, but is tall for a sibe, within standard, but definitely a working dog, so very ironic that you think he was tiny.

Zapperzy

Watching it on more4 +1, really enjoying it, I'd love to go over some year. The newfoundland was HUGE, looked like a big fluffy teddy bear The st bernard looked like an average sized lab in comparison :P

ABajaninCork

I see that banana-backed German Shepherd's being shown again. I think it's a disgrace.

DBB

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I see that banana-backed German Shepherd's being shown again. I think it's a disgrace.

Every time I see that dog, I die a bit inside. No harm to the poor dog himself, but as long as mutant dogs like him win BoB, and get 3rd place in the group, the breed is fecked. It makes me so, so sad.

HeidiHeidi

DBB wrote: »

Every time I see that dog, I die a bit inside. No harm to the poor dog himself, but as long as mutant dogs like him win BoB, and get 3rd place in the group, the breed is fecked. It makes me so, so sad.

I didn't see the breed judging, only the group - were there any straight-backed shepherds shown, or all the dropped-back ones?

(I'm not well up on showing, maybe there never are. GS are my favourite breed of all, shame to see them being so mutated)

DBB

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I didn't see the breed judging, only the group - were there any straight-backed shepherds shown, or all the dropped-back ones?

(I'm not well up on showing, maybe there never are. GS are my favourite breed of all, shame to see them being so mutated)

Only saw the group too, but my guess is that straight-backed sheps just don't get shown... What's the point, if Elmo is considered to be the best example of the breed?

HeidiHeidi

DBB wrote: »

Only saw the group too, but my guess is that straight-backed sheps just don't get shown... What's the point, if Elmo is considered to be the best example of the breed?

Yeah, when you put it like that.... how depressing.

What was the other white mountain of fur in the group? Not the Pyrrenean (Pyrennean? how in hell do you spell that?) or the one with dreadlocks - was stood two over from Pyr. when she was making her final 10 selection. Gorgeous animal.

BillyMitchel

Not bad so far. There was a nice Neo on it at the start. Some other nice LSG breeds too which is quite unusual for Cruffs to show.

tk123

SingItOut wrote: »

I'm quite short maybe that's why remi (bfs husky) appears bigger haha

I have the same problem with my retrievers appearing huge lol!

ABajaninCork

It was a Samoyed. I reckon that's the winner right there!

I'm on a roll tonight. Picked out the Rottie, Samoyed and the Bearded Collie to place...:D

HeidiHeidi

ABajaninCork wrote: »

It was a Samoyed. I reckon that's the winner right there!

I'm on a roll tonight. Picked out the Rottie, Samoyed and the Bearded Collie to place...:D

No, not the Samoyed. Was to the left of him and the Pyr. Twice the size.

In fact, does anyone know the breed of the dreadlocked dog? Missed that one as well.

Mountains of things they were!

HeidiHeidi

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

No, not the Samoyed. Was to the left of him and the Pyr. Twice the size.

In fact, does anyone know the breed of the dreadlocked dog? Missed that one as well.

Mountains of things they were!

Found 'em!

Komondor (dreadlocks) and Maremma Sheepdog.

New ones on me

Zapperzy

My heart breaks a little when I see the banana back gsd, my grandparents have a beautiful huge straight backed one.

The komondor resembles a giant mop, very strange coat! :eek: And that maremma sheepdog looked like a massive sheep

ETA: Used to regularly see a guy walking a pyrenean mountain dog, huge gentle giant.

HeidiHeidi

Zapperzy wrote: »

My heart breaks a little when I see the banana back gsd, my grandparents have a beautiful huge straight backed one.

The komondor resembles a giant mop, very strange coat! :eek: And that maremma sheepdog looked like a massive sheep

I was trying to think what it reminded me of :D:D

SillyMangoX

I keep trying to find out my moms favorite breed while we're watching, she says she doesn't like big dogs but every single one she says she likes is a giant! Especially the Black Russian terrier!

Hooked

SingItOut wrote: »

The Siberian husky on more 4 at the moment looks so tiny! My boyfriends sib husky looks huge in comparison

Just catching up on today's coverage... Not wanting to sound cruel, but that husky was not my cup of tae at all!!!

Not just the fact it was slim... The proportions, it's head, neckline... Nothing about it appealed to me.

I've obviously been biased by the show dogs I've seen over here, and the fact Hugo and Jacks dad is such a fine example of the breed.

Last years BOB was the same... Not for me at all.

The agility is something else. To see those dogs and the kids that run them... Amazing!

muddypaws

Hooked wrote: »

Just catching up on today's coverage... Not wanting to sound cruel, but that husky was not my cup of tae at all!!!

Not just the fact it was slim... The proportions, it's head, neckline... Nothing about it appealed to me.

I've obviously been biased by the show dogs I've seen over here, and the fact Hugo and Jacks dad is such a fine example of the breed.

Last years BOB was the same... Not for me at all.

Lol, Ron, the BOB today has run in loads of sled dog rallies, i.e., working in harness and some very close relatives of his have raced in and completed the Yukon Quest, a 1000 mile sled dog race. Not looking for an argument, but honestly, how many of the show sibes that you prefer actually work and are fit for purpose? I was delighted to see that the judge this year was someone who has working sibes. I am also delighted that a majority of the sibes that are shown in the UK are dual purpose, i.e., they work and are shown, really not the case here unfortunately.

SingItOut

muddypaws wrote: »

If only you knew how controversial that is. The Sibe judge this year is from Norway, and is known for his working lines dogs, so a lot of people with the smaller, show style sibes didn't enter. The dog that won BOB is a lovely dog, but is tall for a sibe, within standard, but definitely a working dog, so very ironic that you think he was tiny.

And this is me looking at him on the tv so of course he's going to look smaller

BillyMitchel

SillyMangoX wrote: »

I keep trying to find out my moms favorite breed while we're watching, she says she doesn't like big dogs but every single one she says she likes is a giant! Especially the Black Russian terrier!

The Black Russian was amazing in fairness. How did it do? Was that the same group as the Tibetan Mastiff? The Kommador was really impressive too.

Not a fan of dog shows at all but some nice specimens on tonight.

SillyMangoX

BillyMitchel wrote: »

The Black Russian was amazing in fairness. How did it do? Was that the same group as the Tibetan Mastiff? The Kommador was really impressive too.

Not a fan of dog shows at all but some nice specimens on tonight.

Didn't make the short list
Did anyone else see the poo-vac? I want one! :pac:

Hooked

muddypaws wrote: »

Lol, Ron, the BOB today has run in loads of sled dog rallies, i.e., working in harness and some very close relatives of his have raced in and completed the Yukon Quest, a 1000 mile sled dog race. Not looking for an argument, but honestly, how many of the show sibes that you prefer actually work and are fit for purpose? I was delighted to see that the judge this year was someone who has working sibes. I am also delighted that a majority of the sibes that are shown in the UK are dual purpose, i.e., they work and are shown, really not the case here unfortunately.

Hey muddy paws

I guess I've only been exposed to one 'type' or look over here. Now, most of the show dogs I've seen have been as slim as Ron... And I know one kennel that work their dogs. They are all quite trim. Whereby Hugo is a bit on the big side. I guess it was more about proportions than how slight he was.

He just wasn't the type of husky that I like. He looked a bit leggy... Longer muzzle... Narrow face and chest.

SillyMangoX

Have to say I'm loving all the full tailed dogs that were traditionally docked!

boomerang

Speaking of Clare Balding,

Has anyone else read her autobiography? It's a great read! It centres on all the dogs and horses she had growing up. I really loved it.

andreac

Look who I met today and she's lovely.

Toulouse

No way!!!! So jelluz

Wish I was there but sadly my partner in crime's dog is very ill so it'll be next year.

andreac

Awh that's a pity but hopefully the doggy will feel better soon. Anyone who's a dog lover should try and go to crufts at least once in their life. It really is doggy heaven. So much to see, do and buy. Ai art from showing there's still lots of other doggy related stuff to see so even if you aren't in to showing it's well worth a visit.

Toulouse

Yep, we're not into showing at all but we head over for the shopping (one guy gives me great deals on slip-leads, I head to him every year) and also to see what rescues are there, meet up with friends, check out what's new on the food scene and the last few years we've had some dogs that we've previously rescued competing in Agility so we go to see them.

SillyMangoX

Ah you're so lucky Andrea!! Very jealous over here :P