Crufts 2021 – Kennel Club statement 26/03/2021
It is with deep regret that The Kennel Club has decided to cancel Crufts 2021, which was due to take place from 15 – 18 July. This is owing to ongoing uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic and in consideration for the health and safety of all its volunteers, judges, exhibitors, sponsors, trade stand holders, visitors and staff. For many months, ongoing discussions have been taking place with the NEC and other parties in trying to find a way forward in making it possible to run this year’s show in a Covid-secure way. The opening up of events in general, especially those that take place inside is still unclear and The Kennel Club’s priority must be the health and safety of all those mentioned above. The Kennel Club also recognised that clarity was required now to mitigate any commitments that all our potential participants may undertake. Over the past few weeks, The Kennel Club commissioned a survey asking for opinions from those in the canine world on returning to events and although it has been very reassuring to see that 60% would like to get back to their dog activities as soon as it is safe to do so, it was noted that 63% did not feel comfortable or were unsure about attending an inside event in the near future. Tom Mather, Crufts Chairman, said: “We are very disappointed that we have had to cancel Crufts for the first time since 1954, in what would have been its 130th anniversary year, and it is a decision we have not taken lightly. “We have tried desperately hard to make this year’s show happen, including the decision we took last November to postpone the event to July. However, of course this was before we were hit by the devastating second wave of the pandemic. “When this decision was taken, we were optimistic that the situation would be such that the show could be held. However we appreciated that there was a possibility that holding the show in the summer under certain restrictions could also, in some respects, do the show a disservice. We were disappointed that, even though we carried over the qualification from 2020, we would still be limited on our entry numbers and wouldn’t be able to welcome as many dogs back as we would have liked. “It would also be regrettable that there was a strong possibility that many of the popular events and features of the show, such as obedience, the Good Citizen Dog Scheme, Young Kennel Club ring and Discover Dogs, would not have been able to be included under the restrictions which could be imposed. “Finally, in light of recent announcements and the emergence of a third wave of coronavirus in Europe, it was looking extremely unlikely that both our overseas judges and exhibitors would be able to attend.” Further discussions will be taking place regarding the impact of the cancellation of Crufts over the next couple of months, such as the qualification criteria for Crufts 2022 for all disciplines, including the Young Kennel Club. The Kennel Club appreciates that judges from this year’s show will be very disappointed and the committee will be looking at the options to invite them to judge at a future Crufts and will be making further announcements in due course. The Kennel Club would like to take this opportunity to thank the shows who were willing to partner with Crufts due to the clash of dates when Crufts was moved to July and also all the other shows and canine events that had been affected by the date change. We would also like to thank the NEC, its sponsors and Channel 4, for the understanding that everyone has shown. It is very much appreciated. Meanwhile, The Kennel Club will continue to provide any assistance it can with shows and events this year and to try and ensure canine activities get up and running in the safest possible way. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to Crufts next year in its full glory from 10 - 13 March 2022.
Crufts 2021 – Kennel Club statement 26/11/2020 The Kennel Club can confirm that the Inter Regional Rally Competition is expected to go ahead on Thursday 15 July at Crufts 2021 and the Inter Regional Obedience Competition is expected to go ahead on Friday 16 July. Unfortunately, as there has been no qualifiers the Obedience Championship and the Good Citizen Dog Scheme Special Pre-Beginner Obedience Stakes final will not take place at Crufts 2021. Similarly as there has only been one qualifier the Obreedience finals will also not take place at Crufts 2021. Those teams who competed at an obreedience heat in 2020, and gained points will have their points carried over for Crufts 2022.
Crufts 2021 – Kennel Club statement 24/11/2020 Following the announcement that Crufts 2021 will take place next year on the new dates of 15 – 18 July 2021 at the NEC Birmingham, The Kennel Club has now published some further details on some of the competitions and qualifications for next year’s show. The Kennel Club will be reviewing many aspects of the show in line with government advice and the evolving health situation, however, some decisions have needed to be made in advance to ensure it would be able to go ahead in a Covid secure way. The qualification is open to those who qualified for Crufts 2020 apart from the 3rd placing in class. It should be also noted no puppy classes will be scheduled at the 2021 show due to lack of opportunity to qualify. Further to a review of the floor space and the number of exhibitors and attendees, the decision has had to be made that entries will be capped for all breeds. Entries are due to open at the end of March and will be online only. Entries will close on 31 May 2021 or when numbers have been reached. It is with great disappointment that The Kennel Club must also announce that, due to the lack of opportunity to qualify, the following competitions will not be taking place at Crufts 2021: Breeders’ competition, International Junior Handling competition, Junior Warrant competition, Vulnerable Breeds competition and Pets as Therapy Stakes. Further information on other competitions and canine disciplines will be announced as soon as possible. For further information on qualifications, and to keep up to date on how the Crufts 2021 show will look, please keep an eye on our website. Please note that it is hoped that Crufts 2022 will take place on 10 – 13 March. Any shows that take place between 25 January and 31 May 2021 will qualify for Crufts 2022. Shows held after the closing date of entries for the 2021 show will also qualify for Crufts 2022, further details of which will be advised in due course.
Crufts 2021 – Kennel Club statement 18/11/2020 The Kennel Club has announced today that Crufts 2021 will take place next year on the new dates of the 15 – 18 July 2021 at the NEC Birmingham. Crufts, which will be celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2021, was due to take place on the 11 – 14 March 2021, but with much of the UK in a second lockdown and events and exhibitions still not being able to be held it was looking very unlikely that Crufts in March was a foreseeable option. Following lengthy discussions over the last few months on how it would be possible to hold Crufts next year, it has been agreed to move the show to July when hopefully it is more viable that the show can take place and that the situation with Covid-19 allows for it to happen. Changes to the show will be implemented to ensure more space is available for our exhibitors and visitors. Said Vanessa McAlpine, Show Manager; “We are absolutely delighted to be able to look forward to a special summer Crufts Dog Show taking place next year and are thankful to the NEC for being flexible in finding us an alternative date and of course all our sponsors, judges, exhibitors and trade stands for their continued support. The Kennel Club will be working with the dog clubs and societies who already have shows planned for these dates to offer them assistance and other options for their events.” “There is optimism in the events industry as to the likelihood of summer events taking place with the new Crufts dates falling in a fortnight when hopefully some of our great British summer sporting events will also be returning. We know there are going to be many challenges and will need to remain adaptable to how the show will look as our priority is to not only the dogs, but our exhibitors and visitors whose welfare will always be at the forefront. We will continue to review the situation over the coming months and will adapt our plans as appropriate, however we are very excited to be able to plan for ‘Crufts in the summer’ to celebrate our wonderful dogs and to give our dog loving community something to look forward to next year.” The Kennel Club hopes to be able to provide further information on how the show will look, including qualifications soon and will keep our website updated as it evolves. It is hoped that Crufts 2022 will take place as normal on the 10 – 13 March 2022.
Crufts 2021 – Kennel Club statement 29/09/2020 In light of recent government announcements, The Kennel Club has been discussing the holding of Crufts 2021 which is set to take place from 11 - 14 March at the NEC Birmingham. The Kennel Club Board would like to reassure competitors, exhibitors and everyone involved in the dog world that it remains actively committed to holding the show next year. In particular, the Crufts team have been looking at different options for how Crufts 2021 might look. However, the most important aspect will be the safety of all those who attend and any possible negative impact that holding the event may have. Vanessa McAlpine, Crufts Show Manager, commented: “The Crufts Committee and events team have been liaising with the NEC and others to discuss how to make it possible to hold Crufts safely next year, ensuring that there is minimal risk of the transmission of Covid-19 and assuming indoor events will be able to take place. “It is inevitable that Crufts won’t be quite the same as usual due to the pandemic and that the requirement to follow current government guidelines will have an impact on hall capacities and other logistical issues. As such it will be necessary to make some alterations to the show to enable it to take place, as with any large event in this current climate. We hope to provide more information on this when we can. However within this continually changing climate, further details including the qualification, may not be released until later this year and we ask for your patience in these unprecedented times.” For up to date information on Crufts please go to www.crufts.org.uk. The Kennel Club will endeavour to make announcements as soon as it can to any changes to the show.
Crufts 2021 – Kennel Club statement 12/06/2020 The Kennel Club and the Crufts Committee are committed to holding Crufts 2021 if permitted to do so by the Government. We greatly appreciate the support the show receives each year from our exhibitors, sponsors, trade-stand holders, public visitors and Channel 4. The qualification criteria for the show will be announced once the Government guidance is clear on future events, which may not be until the autumn. It may be that the show will need to be reformatted in a way to comply with new regulations. If so, more details about this will be announced as information becomes available. We would ask for patience at what is a difficult time for everyone with limited information currently available as to how things will progress in the coming weeks and months. Crufts is the world’s best known celebration of dogs and we very much look forward to welcoming you all to the show in happier times in 2021, if circumstances allow.
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