And this is despite the fact that the BBC's coverage of the event is woeful. Never work with children or animals is well worn motto, but I'd like to add Ben Fogle to that list too. Is this really what passes for being a television presenter these days? Does anyone still find that Hugh Grant-esque bumbling toff routine endearing? Even Hugh Grant stopped doing that years ago. And did we really need to see the presenters tasting doggies treats? Of course they taste awful - they are meant for dogs, not humans.
Photo PA Photos/Rui Vieira
But this aside, its been great viewing. All the classic elements have been there; the owners who like their dogs, the tear-jerking 'Friends for Life' section and the OH's inability to not laugh every time a female is being judged, due to the use of phrases like 'I love that bitch' 'What a beautiful bitch' etc.
Last night's show was particularly good. I was pleased to see a win for the Giant Schnauzer in the Working Dog group and the Pastoral Dogs Group provided a host of big but fluffy dogs to coo over. But the most interesting part was a feature on Neapolitan Mastiffs. These are hulking, slobbering great beasts, not the sort of thing I'd want as a pet, but awe inspiring. They were fighting dogs from ancient Rome and artifacts show them fighting lions. Very impressive.
Tonight it is the Hounds and Terriers Groups, and then the big prize. So that's my evening's entertainment.
4 comments:
They held the Westiminster Show in NYC recently, and for the first time ever, a Beagle won Best in Show. A little fellow named "Uno", appropriately named. I'm not a huge Beagle fan -- don't know any personally -- but I was glad to see Uno upset the poodles who seem to prance off with the prize far too often.
A beagle was in the final of Crufts too but a Giant Schnauzer called Phillipe won, which was a first for that breed too. I'm not a huge fan of poodles.
I used to love the "Hare and Hounds" - nothing whatever to do with Crufts, but thirty years or so ago it was a warm-hearted drinking place in Brighton...and if we'd seen a poodle in there we'd probably have eaten the thing...
I don't know the "Hare and Hounds" - I used to frequent "The Lion and Lobster" round that way though.
Our local now has two black giant poodles, who strut around the pub haughtily.
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