JUBILEE DOG SHOW

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22831, 16 March 1936, Page 11

JUBILEE DOG SHOW

MR CHARLES CRUFT’S TRIUMPH ARISTOCRATS OF CANINE WORLD ■ From Quit Own Correspondent.) (By Air Mail) LONDON, February 15. Dors. dogs, every kind of dog—4-100 of them, broiißlit together by Mr Charles Cruft. These may be seen at Cruft's Dor Show at the Agricultural Hall. It is the Jubilee Show, and the veteran showman, now 86 years of age, and his wife, attended and enjoyed their triumph. Fifty years ago, Mr Cruft’s first show was held at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster. Then the whole entry of 570 was composed of terriers. This week there have been 80* breeds represented. In 1891 Mr Cruft decided to make his shows a wholetime business, and pluckily took a lease of the Royal Agricultural Hall. Islington, then the largest venue in London. He showed his great business acumen by securing a lease of this building, and at the same time a monopoly so that uo other dog show can be held there. The show to-dav has no equals in the world. At the first show held at Islington H.M. Queen Victoria supported it with four entries, viz., the collie Darnley 11. aim three pomeranians. Another exhibitor was H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII. who was a great do" lover. This royal patronage put the hall-mark on the dog fancy, and meant success for Cruft’s Show. Queen v ictoria continued her patronage and exhibited at no other show. Kmc Edward was also a regular exhibitor, and exhibited* several varieties. Queen A lex a lull a also became a patron. The late Czar ot Russia spent an afternoon at the show during his last visit to this country. 1 he Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia sent no fewer than 11 borzois from his famous kennels, which were sold in this country so as to popularise the brood. H.ILrl. Prince Constantin Alderbnrg also sent six borzois. . King George made bis debut at tnc 1916 show, when lie exhibited the wellknown black Labrador dog Wolverton Jet. which secured four first prizes, two vears ago he exhibited successfully a beautiful team of Sandringham clumber spaniels. The present King made his debut at this show as an exhibitor m 1910, when he supported the Alsatian section. His Majesty is an enthusiastic Cairn terrier fancier, and is a patron ot the Cairn Terrier Club. Dog-showing has increased enormously in popularity during the last 10 years. Among those who exhibited their dogs this week were the Maharaja Dlnra.i ot Patiahi, the Duchess of Newcastle, the Duchess of Montrose, the Marquess ot Londonderry,- Viscount and \ iscountcss Chelmsford. Viscountess Conibermcrc. Prince Mavrocordato. the Countess ot Strndhroke. Eveline Countess of Essex, Countess Furness, the Earl of Effingham and a long list of other titled ladies. Like the flower shows, (lie dog show brings all classes together on a common basis A few hours spent at the Agricultural Hall, apart from interest in the canine- population, is an eye-opener even for a Londoner. Here may be seen representatives of every county in England. People of substance arc here with their £IOOO champions. Servants of great houses are here in their hundreds. I hey wear the gamekeeper’s short tail coat, knee breeches and loggings. There are scores of women of the masculine type, many of them the owners of famous kennels. They have with them the young women, wearing smock and breeches and woollen stockings, who are kennel girls learning their business. Then there are dear old ladies seated beside the cages

of their toy dogs. Owners and the people who come merely to inspect the exhibits are from almost every class of society in the provinces and _in London. At midday it is a huge picnic. Owners have brought their luncheon baskets, and they sit beside their charges in happy parties taking their lunch. Old friendships are renewed by the owners of the respective classes. Indeed, the dog show for many provincial people is the occasion of their annual visit to London. Year after year they come up to town and meet their old sporting friends. PEACE AMONG THE ARISTOCRATS. As _ for the dogs themselves, one is first impressed with the peacefulness of all these aristocrats of the canine world. There are two miles of dog stands, and throughout a tour not a single animal showed a tooth in anger or raised a snarl.

For several years cocker spaniels have been (he most popular breed. This year they have been displaced by Labrador retrievers. The principal entries arc: Labrador retrievers 898. cocker spaniels 766, chow chows 371. Pekingese 359, Cairn terriers 296, wire fox terriers 281, Alsatians 255.

The animals who work for their living are a beautiful lot of patient-eyed creatures. There is the English setter, pure white with spots of black; the white and brown pointers, truly noble looking animals; the curly-haired, kindly looking retrievers; the golden retrivers, beautiful dogs; the black, flat-coated retrivers, and the large class of Labradors. The position of the Labrador is now assured, having been won by super excellence in the field as well as by merits in the show ring. It is quite evident that the owners of these animals are mainly sporting men and women, and (hey have persistently bred on utility lines. Beside the usual black Labrador, there is also a yellow Labrador which has only come before the public during the past few years. £IOOO ST. BERNARD.

Of the other big dogs the Alsatian is one of the largest classes. Within a few years the Alsatian has become one of the most popular breeds in (he country. This animal comes from tiic union of two or three strains of German sheepdogs. Some of (lie dogs in the small class of St. Bernards arc marvellous extffoplcs of their breed. One of the exhibitors mentioned £.IOOO ns a price for the best animals. Indeed, one animal was sold in America for £I3OO. Then there is the Irish wolfhound, which supplies us with the tallest dog in the world. One of the exhibits stands as high as 37J inches at the shoulder. They have the shape of a massive greyhound, with a rough, hard coat. The deerhound has earned the title of (lie “ aristocrat of the canine world.” There arc some fine specimens in the show. Originally he was highly prized and jealously guarded by the Highland chieftains, and the breed was unknown elsewhere than in the Highlands. As a working dog in Great Britain, however, his day is done, and he is merely an ornament. Beautiful specimens of Afghan hounds call for particular notice. They are peculiar in appearance and have only been known in England since the war. Indeed, it is only in the last year or two that they have been noticed in the parks and in public places. They have long coats which extend to the feet of all four legs. There is a top-knot of long silky hair. The hack has only short hair. If shorn of his coat the dog would have the form of a greyhound. As it is, he looks like a greyhound wearing the sheepskin trousers affected by the Mexican cowboys. THE DOG OF THE PHARAOHS. Many people would consider the Saluki

as the most charming and graceful dogs in the exhibition. It is the coursing dog of the Arabs, and is widely distributed throughout the East. It i§ said they were the animals used by the Pharaohs for hunting. Their speed is almost as great ns that of the greyhound, and over a long distance they beat the greyhound, for they have greater stamina. In form it is like the greyhound, but it has long, feathery ears, a longer coat, and its tail is covered with long, drooping hair. The colours arc white, cream, fawn, golden, red, grizzle-and-tan, black-and-tan, and tricolour. Owners of these handsome animals say they are most charming in temperament, and have good indoor manners. Outside they arc fond of showing their speed, and can' be raced like greyhounds. SMALLER DOGS.

It is interesting to note a difference in the type of owners, ns one passes the stands, and arrives at the sections devoted to dogs more commonly seen in_t.be cities. The huge class of fox terriers, the cocker spaniels, the Irish water spaniels, (he Australian terriers. Skye terriers, the dachshunds, bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, Highland terriers, Cairn terriers are not so redolent of the country, and the owners who keep them company are typical Londoners. Then there are the toy dog classes. Whereas the stands for the larger animals arc bedded with straw, the tiny tots are bedded with blankets and eiderdowns. They sit in small baskets with glass fronts, and many of them bad curling pins attached to the hair of their heads. Pugs. King Charles spaniels, pomeranians, poodles, Pekingese, Shill Tzus, Lhasa apsos. chihuahuas, griffons, bruxellois. napillons and Yorkshire terriers—they are al] represented by perfect specimens of their tribes. But they seem to belong to another species altogether from the fine outdoor animals of the larger classes. THE SUPREME CHAMPION.

There were many handsome claimants for the supreme honour, and eventually the decision went in favour of Mrs V. A. M. Mannoch’s beautiful chow chow champion Choonam Hung Kwong. The runner-up was Mr H. S. Lloyd’s cocker spaniel dog Silver Templa of Ware. The most interesting side show was a collection of dogs which had been the means of saving life. Many of them had braved fires to help children out of daugor, others had saved men and children from drowning, and others had attacked hulls to save their masters.