Over 24,000 – dogs expected at Crufts across the four days of the show, from 9-12 March
222 – different breeds of dogs can compete for the prestigious Best in Show title
1 – breed will be making history at Crufts 2023, the Bavarian Mountain Hound will have its own classes for the first time
200 – Around 200 breeds will be represented in the Discover Dogs area of the show, where visitors can meet and greet their favourite breeds and find out which ones might be a good match for their lifestyle
1891 – The year Crufts began
3,457 – The number of dogs from overseas entered into the show this year
Over 5,000 – The number of people volunteering at Crufts 2023 from stewards to breed experts in the Discover Dogs area
Hundreds of crossbreeds take part in Crufts, through agility, flyball, obedience, heelwork to music, Scruffts and The Hero Dog Award competitions.
84 – The number of years the Best in Show prize has been awarded.
7 – The number of times a Cocker Spaniel has won Best in Show – more than any other breed. This is followed by the Irish Setter, Standard Poodle and Welsh Terrier which have won on four occasions each
25 – The number of acres of the NEC in Birmingham that Crufts covers. This includes five halls, and the Crufts Best in Show Arena
4 – The number of venues in which Crufts has been held over the years
9 years 7 months – the oldest dog to win Best in Show, which was a Flat Coated Retriever in 2011
1 year 3 months – the youngest dog to win Best in Show, which was a Bulldog in 1952
48 – The total number of countries with dogs entered into Crufts this year
1 – The number of dogs that have pooped live on TV in the main arena at Crufts during Best in Show!
CRUFTS FACTS AND STATS
Crufts welcomes over 130,000 visitors joining in the annual celebration of man’s best friend.
Over 24,000 dogs will be at Crufts, including 3,457 dogs from overseas.
Leading the way with more entries than any other overseas country is France with 398 dogs, just ahead of last year’s frontrunner Italy (387), followed by the Republic of Ireland (333), Germany (332) and the Netherlands (307).
Dog lovers can look forward to a record-breaking 16 hours and 30 minutes of television coverage when Crufts returns to Channel 4 and More4 as follows:
THURSDAY 9 MARCH
15.00-16.00 – Channel 4
18.30-20.00 – More4
20.00-21.00 – Channel 4
FRIDAY 10 MARCH
15.00-16.00 – Channel 4
18.30-19.30 – More4
19.30-21.00 – Channel 4
SATURDAY 11 MARCH
15.00-18.00 – Channel 4
19.00-21.00 – Channel 4
SUNDAY 12 MARCH
15.00-17.30 – Channel 4
19.00-21.00 – Channel 4 Crufts 2023: Best In Show Live
This is the 18th year that Clare Balding has presented Crufts. Clare will host daily highlights of the world's most famous dog event live from the NEC and will be joined by a team of reporters and canine experts who will be reporting from the show.
The exciting climax of Crufts – Best in Show – will be judged at 8.30pm on Sunday 12 March and will be shown live on Channel 4.
One breed will be making history at Crufts 2023 as the Bavarian Mountain Hound will have its own classes for the first time.
Scruffts will be returning to Crufts on Saturday 11 March. At 9am, 23 dogs and their owners will compete in the semi-finals after qualifying at local heats across the country. Each semi-finalist will compete in one of the four classes taking place in the Resorts World Arena: Most Handsome Dog Crossbreed, Prettiest Crossbreed Bitch, Goldie Oldie Crossbreed and Good Citizen Dog Scheme, before four lucky crossbreeds will go through to the final in the evening.
The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award (formerly the Friends for Life competition) takes place on Sunday March 12 at 5.40pm. The Award celebrates heart-warming stories of friendship in adversity, where dogs have changed the lives of their owners through bravery, support or companionship. The five dogs which made the 2023 final were selected by a panel of Kennel Club judges. Watch the heart-warming videos and vote for your favourite story by visiting crufts.org.uk/herodogaward
All of the arena action from the show will also be shown on the Crufts YouTube channel which can be found at youtube.com/crufts.