Obedience at Crufts
Obedience competitions take place over the four days of Crufts show, and are held in the dedicated Obedience ring located in Hall 5 of the NEC, holding over 1,000 spectators and often filled to capacity. There are three different competitions in all:
- The Inter-Regional Team event - Thursday
- The Crufts Obedience Championships - Friday (Bitch) and Saturday (Dog)
- The Obedience World Cup (for international teams) - Sunday
If you are a visitor going to watch Obedience for the first time, you may want to look at our What is Obedience? page, an introduction which explains the tests, the marking, the rules and the different levels of competition.
The Inter-Regional Team event
Seven teams compete, representing the UK regions: Scotland, Northern, Midlands, Western, Southern, Wales and Northern Ireland. All five levels of obedience competition are on show, and the aim of the day is to demonstrate a range of breeds and competition levels in obedience. Each team will have seven handlers and dogs:
- one Beginner
- two Novice
- two Class A
- one Class B
- one Class C
The team managers are responsible for selecting their team members, but they must include a variety of breeds including cross breed dogs, even though the border collie/working sheepdog is the most numerical breed competing. The Inter-Regional day is a showcase to demonstrate that almost any dog can compete and be successful in Obedience. This competition has run for many years and the teams work hard to do their best. It is always a closely fought event. 
Crufts Obedience Championships
Friday and Saturday are the highlight of the UK Obedience year, when the best of UK Obedience dogs and their handlers compete for the title of Crufts Obedience Champion. One day is for bitches, the other for dogs. Throughout the year there are 46 Championship shows around the UK that host qualifying classes for the Crufts Obedience Championships. All dogs have won through the class levels to qualify for Championship Class C, and those who win a Championship class during the preceding year will qualify to compete in the Obedience Championships the following March. The title of Obedience Champion can be claimed by any dog that has won Championship Class C on three occasions under three different judges, or which wins a Crufts Championship Obedience class.
Obedience World Cup
The World Cup on Sunday is an international invitational team event that was first staged in 2004. In 2011 there were10 teams competing representing England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Canada, Switzerland, USA and Germany. In previous years there were teams from the Channel Islands, Ireland and France, and we hope to have them return in future years. Canada and Germany competed for the second time in 2011. The World Cup is a combination of exercises from UK, USA and European (FCI) obedience. In 2010 the winning team was Northern Ireland, with Wales second, but in 2011 Holland (first) and England (second) reclaimed their traditional dominance, with Belgium coming third. 2012 should be interesting to see.
On Parade
Each day in the Crufts Obedience ring begins with a parade of all those entered on that day, introducing them in working order. Each of the teams has chosen a piece of music for their parade around the ring. This gives a stamp of individuality to their parade. On Friday and Saturday each handler and dog is introduced and the details of the shows at which they qualified for Crufts is announced. By Sunday the supporters from each country have really get into the atmosphere through sitting in groups with their flags flying, faces painted and lots of chanting.
The Championships are taken very seriously as it’s what many competitors aim for and the levels of commitment and preparation are immense. However Sunday is seen as a more fun event, even though teams travel vast distances to compete. The atmosphere is more light-hearted - but the competition is just as serious!
Find Out More:
- What is Obedience? - a basic explanation
- Obedience tests and exercises
- Obedience levels and classes
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