Crufts 2019, part 2

The second set from this year's Crufts back in March concentrates on the dogs and their humans outside the judging ring.  There's an awful lot of waiting about for the competitors, and it's astonishing that everything is as good natured as it (usually) is.

Who says I'm too big to be a lap dog?

No, this lady is not about to shoot her dog, but instead provide water from a sprayer.

The Afghan Hounds were as magnificent as ever, although they must take hours to prepare for the show.

This lady gets this year's "Owner who looks most like her Dog" prize.

Tiredness takes its toll at the end of the day...

Crufts 2019, part 1

I'm starting to catch up with some of the pictures taken over the past couple of years which I haven't (yet) had chance to process.  Back in March, Issy and I made our annual pilgrimage to Crufts at the NEC in Birmingham.  It was the Hounds and Terriers day, meaning that the dogs came in all shapes and sizes - quite literally.  This first set concentrates on the activities in and around the judging rings.  Not being a fan of eugenics, I've never been interested in breeding animals for "cosmetic perfection".  Even so, it's fun to watch because of the characters involved (both two- and four-legged).

Smile, please...

Mr Gordon appeared to be calculating the force required to push a West Highland Terrier off a table, although I've no idea why.

One poor Basset Hound had clearly waited long enough to be judged, and left her mark on the carpet to prove it!

Crufts 2018 (part 2)

I mentioned in the previous post about the size of some of the dogs we saw.  The St Bernard, although large, was actually quite restrained compared to others.  I've included a few humans for scale...

As always at Crufts, however, it's the dogs who are the stars.  Here are some of the beautiful animals we had the privilege of meeting while at the show.

For some breeds it appeared to be de rigueur to wear a bib in order to stay pristine for the show.  Not sure I'd want a dog which needed a bib, but that's another matter.

Now, I'm fully acquainted with a Norwegian Blue, but a Norwgian Purple was a new one on me.  A real bonus that they were on offer, though...

Finally, a picture from the Toft stand, which was selling wool and patterns to make dozens of different dog breeds.  Issy is a Toft addict, so it was essential that we spent lots of time (and money) at this particular stand.  The dogs really are pretty special, though, including the Schnauzer pictured below.  Just look at those eyebrows.

That's it for another year, but hopefully we'll manage to get back to Crufts in 2019.  It really is a "Grand Day Out".