Full list of winners so far, and when Best in Show is
Crufts, the long-running international dog show commonly called the “greatest dog event in the world”, has been taking place this week in Birmingham and is due to conclude with the Best in Show award on Sunday.
This year’s show, running from Thursday 7 March until Sunday 10 March at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre, has featured more than 24,000 dogs from 220 breeds.
Crufts, hosted by The Kennel Club, has been held almost every year since 1891 when it was founded by Charles Cruft.
The event draws dogs, their owners and fans from around the world and aims to celebrate happy and healthy dogs and demonstrate their agility, obedience, heelwork and flyball skills.
As usual it will end with the presentation of the coveted trophy and title for Best in Show, with the top dog from each breed group competing for one of the most sought-after prizes in the industry.
i‘s Picture Editor, Sophie Batterbury, has selected some of the best pictures from the first few days of Crufts 2024, while you can find details on the winners so far and how the Best in Show award works below.
Crufts 2024 winners so far
Five group winners have emerged from the first three days of Crufts 2024, with two more titles up for grabs on Sunday ahead of the Best in Show competition.
In total there are seven ‘group’ awards contested at Crufts – utilities, toys (both held Thursday), gundogs (Friday), working, pastoral (both Saturday), terriers and hounds (both Sunday) – which then produce the seven winning dogs to compete for Best in Show.
A French Bulldog from Birmingham called Elton came out on top in the utilities group on Thursday while Raffa, a Papillon from Sweden, was also named winner of the toy group on day one.
Hendricks, a Weimaraner from South Lanarkshire, then took home the gundog group title on Friday.
On Saturday, top spot in the working and pastoral groups went to Neville, a Leonberger from Norfolk, and Viking, an Australian Shepherd from Birmingham, respectively.
When is Best in Show?
The Best in Show award at Crufts 2024 will be presented on Sunday evening, likely from around 7pm.
It will see seven dogs in total – the winners of each group so far – competing for the event’s ultimate prize.
To even attend Crufts, dogs must achieve success a Kennel Club-recognised show in the previous year.
This could include finishing top three in their breed class at a Kennel Club affiliated Championship or winning Best in Show, Reserve (runner-up) Best in Show or Best Puppy in Show at an affiliated open or general show.
At Crufts, the road to the Best in Show final begins by dogs competing in ‘classes’ against others of the same breed, gender, age and previous wins.
Overall male and female champions then go head-to-head to determine the Best of Breed winner before these winners, grouped into each of the seven main categories outlined above, compete to win the Best in Group award.
Best in Show judges rate dogs against strict parameters – covering everything from a dog’s physical proportions to its tail arch, muscle density, stance and behaviour in its showing – of an ideal example of their breed as set out by The Kennel Club.
The overall winner receives a cash prize of £200 along with a replica of the solid silver Crufts Keddall Memorial Trophy.
Channel 4 and More 4 have been airing events from Birmingham across the four-day show, with Clare Balding hosting TV coverage of Crufts as she has for two decades.
TV slots on Sunday for Crufts on Channel 4 are 4pm to 6pm and 7pm to 9pm, with the trophy for Best in Show expected in that second window.
Main arena competitions can also be followed on the Crufts YouTube channel.
Last year, a four–year-old Lagotto Romagnolo called Orca was crowned Best in Show – the first-ever such win for the breed.
