Crufts fascinating facts

Last year, Crufts welcomed over 150,000 visitors joining in the annual celebration of man’s
best friend.

Over 20,000 dogs have entered Crufts this year, including 1,843 dogs from overseas.

Leading the way once again, with more entries than any other overseas country is Italy with 265 dogs, followed by the Irish Republic (244), France (202) and Germany (175).

Dog lovers can look forward to a record-breaking 16 hours and 15 minutes of television coverage when Crufts returns to Channel 4 and More4 as follows:

THURSDAY 10 MARCH
1500-1600 – Channel 4
1830-2000 – More4
2000-2100 – Channel 4

FRIDAY 11 MARCH
1500-1600 – Channel 4
1830-1945 – More4
2000-2100 – Channel 4

SATURDAY 12 MARCH
1500-1800 – Channel 4
1900-2100 – Channel 4

SUNDAY 13 MARCH
1500-1730 – Channel 4
1900-2100 – Channel 4 Crufts 2022: Best In Show Live

This is the 17th year that Clare Balding has presented Crufts. Clare will host daily highlights of the world's most famous dog event live from the NEC and will be joined by a team of reporters and canine experts who will be reporting from the show.

The exciting climax of Crufts – Best in Show – will be judged at 8.30pm on Sunday 13th March and will be shown live on Channel 4.

Three breeds will be making history at Crufts 2022. The Hungarian Pumi will have its own classes for the first time; the Smooth Faced Pyrenean Sheepdog will make their debut at the show; and the historic Harrier will be making its first appearance in the Crufts breed ring since 1898!

Over 200 breeds of dog will compete for the ultimate title, Best in Show.

Scruffts will be returning to Crufts on Saturday 12th March. At 9.30am, 24 dogs and their owners will compete in the semi-finals after qualifying at local heats across the country. Each semi-finalist will compete in one of the four classes taking place in the GCDS Ring: Most Handsome Dog Crossbreed, Prettiest Crossbreed Bitch, Goldie Oldie Crossbreed and Good Citizen Dog Scheme, before four lucky crossbreeds will go through to the final in the Resorts World Arena.

The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award (formerly the Friends for Life competition) takes place on Sunday March 13th at 5.30pm. The Award celebrates heart-warming stories of friendship in adversity, where dogs have changed the lives of their owners through bravery, support or companionship. The five dogs which made the 2022 final were selected by a panel of Kennel Club judges. Watch the heart-warming videos and vote for your favourite story by visiting Crufts hero dog awards page.

All of the arena action from the show will also be shown on the Crufts YouTube channel.


Did you know? 

  • Crufts began in 1891
  • Hundreds of crossbreeds take part in Crufts, through agility, flyball, obedience, heelwork to music, Scruffts and The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award
  • There have been 83 Best in Show winners, with 44 different breeds winning the title over the
  • The Cocker Spaniel has won the most Best in Show titles, with seven wins, followed by the Irish Setter, Poodle and Welsh Terrier which have won on four occasions
  • The first Best in Show was won by a Greyhound
  • Vulnerable British and Irish native breeds have won Best in Show at Crufts a total of eight
  • Crufts covers more than 25 acres of the NEC in Birmingham. This includes five halls, and the Resorts World
  • Over 5,000 people are volunteering at Crufts 2022, from stewards to the breed experts in the Discover Dogs area
  • Leading the field with the largest individual breed entry is the great family favourite, the Golden Retriever, with an entry of 458 dogs. This is just ahead of the Labrador Retriever (456) which held the crown at the last Crufts, held in 2020
  • The most popular entries in each group by breed are:
  • Working: Bernese Mountain Dog – 140
  • Pastoral: Border Collie – 253
  • Terrier: Staffordshire Bull Terrier – 306
  • Hound: Whippet – 382
  • Utility: Dalmatian – 202
  • Toy: Pug – 223
  • Gundog: Golden Retriever – 458

  • This year has seen an increase of 40 per cent or more in the entries for the Irish Water Spaniel, Sloughi, Lowchen (Little Lion Dog) and Canadian Eskimo Dog compared with
  • In contrast, the Turkish Kangal Dog and the Foxhound have drawn just one entry apiece, which highlights the fact that the show is a true celebration of all dogs, from the well-known to the highly
  • The oldest dog to win Best in Show was a Flat Coated Retriever, Jet, aged 9 years and 7 months, in
  • The youngest dog to win Best in Show was a Bulldog, aged 1 year and 3 months, in
  • Only one parent and offspring pair have won Best in Show at Crufts – Irish Setter sire and son in 1993 and 1999 respectively. Both had the same owner, Jackie
  • A small number of exhibitors have won Best in Show at Crufts twice, but only one kennel has bred two winners. Mike Gadsby and Jason Lynn bred a Standard Poodle which won in 2014 and an American Cocker Spaniel which won in 2017. Both were handled and co-owned by
  • Competitors from 38 different overseas countries have entered Crufts this year