Six Wonderful Reasons Why I Loved Visiting Crufts Dog Show

Are you planning on visiting Crufts this year?  I went for the first time last year on the Friday and loved it.  Here are my 6 reasons why.

Access to the whole event including main arena

I thought the general ticket would exclude me from the main arena but I was wrong.  The general entry ticket allows you access to all areas and this was a wonderful surprise. 

Getting there was a lot easier than I thought

I was dreading my drive from Bristol to NEC, Birmingham and the queues I might face.  I was very pleasantly surprised.  After setting off just after 8am I arrived by 10am and drove straight into an empty car park at the NEC.  Was I in the right place on the right day I wondered?  My tip - pre book car parking if you are driving. Pre paid parking costs £12 for the day instead of £16 if you turn up and pay. 

Plenty of places to eat and drink

After a 2-hour drive the first thing I wanted was a coffee, sit down and plan my day.  There was lots of choice and no queues!  After a couple of hours wandering around the show we had a lovely lunch in an Italian restaurant.  Great service and I wasn’t ripped off. So far so good!

Lots of show rings within the exhibition halls

There is so much to see and do. Being a Crufts novice I didn't realise there were so many preliminary rounds before the best breeds get to show in the main arena including sky terrier, junior, post graduate, open, bitches and dogs! If you want to check out your favourite breeds you can spend all day watching them!  I was there for all the terrier action so I was in doggie heaven!

Every single breed of dog was on display

The Kennel Club has a stand for every single breed of dog.  I thought I knew a lot of breeds but I was wrong.  Kooikerhondje was a new breed on me.  Apparently over 200 breeds are represented.

Getting up close with the main ring competitors

I was amazed that I could walk amongst the dogs being groomed ready to be showed in the main arena.  The dogs were very calm and many let me stroke and take pictures of them.

My only regret was when the day came to an end.  I loved it and would recommend it as a day out for any dog lover.  Enjoy the show!