CRUFTS

Crufts Obedience Championships

There are several Obedience competitions at Crufts:

The Obedience Championships are split over 2 days (Saturday & Sunday) resulting in the Obedience Championship Bitch on one day, and the Obedience Championship Dog on the other day. To become the Crufts Obedience Champion is the ultimate accolade in Obedience.

The Obedience Inter-Regional competition can be seen on Friday, and brings together teams from the various UK regional areas. In this competition you generally see a wider variety of breeds performing the obedience tests in regional teams (of 7). The teams comprise of members of different levels of achievement (or class). Each class of individuals from all of the teams undertakes the exercises stipulated for that class.

The Rally Inter-Regional competition can be seen on Thursday, and brings together teams from the various UK regional areas. KC Rally is the very latest dog sport to be recognised by the Kennel Club. KC Rally involves you and your dog working as a team to navigate a course with numbered signs indicating different exercises to perform; think of it as a sort of 'obedience exercise obstacle course' including simple exercises.

The Obreedience competition is the newest competition and can be seen on a Thursday after the completiton of the Rally Inter-Regionals. The aim of Obreedience is to encourage more breeds to have a go at some of the exercises generally associated with obedience in a less formal but nonetheless competitive environment. Obreedience is a team event and highlight the abilities of different breeds in a relaxed and fun display.

The YKC (Young Kennel Club) hold several obedience competitions over all 4 days of Crufts. These are for younger competitors at various levels with the classes called Basic, Novice and High Flyers. These can be seen in the YKC Ring.

Finally there is the Final of the KC Good Citizen Scheme Special Pre-Beginner Obedience Stakes which is held in the Good Citizen ring on Saturday. These are dogs in the lowest class who have passed the Kennel Club Good Citizen test and qualified through heats during the year, and then won through a southern or northern semi-final.