Crufts is touted as being the world’s biggest dog show, and it all started with the son of a goldsmith, Charles Cruft. At fourteen, Cruft told his prospective boss during a job interview at a dog food company, “You know, I think this kind of business ought to do very well. I honestly do.”  The kid was hired, and within twelve years, Charles Cruft was in charge of the office and sales department at Spratt’s Dog Food company.

In 1878, Cruft became Secretary of the Toy Spaniel Club in spite of an onerous work load. He also became Secretary of the Pug Dog Club and became involved with dog shows for Setters, Borzois and St. Bernards. 

By 1886, he’d had his fill of running other people’s dog shows and decided to launch his own.  He started with a terrier show in London which offered 56 classes and had 600 entries, and held six more dog shows at the Royal Aquarium in Westminster between 1886 and 1890. While these shows are regarded as the “roots” of the Crufts show today, it was his seventh show that is considered the first “proper” Crufts all-breed show, and its 1891 date is what is celebrated as show’s anniversary.  This show held at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington included all breeds, and was the first one to be called Cruft’s Dog show. For more about Charles Cruft, read here.

Cruft’s memoirs published posthumously in 1952 made mention of having personally owned Alsatians and Borzois, and at least one St. Bernard, though other sources mentioned that he owned Schipperkes, Fox Terriers and Pointers. Still, when Charles Cruft designed the original Crufts logo himself, he put a Saint Bernard inside of a collar with a crown on top.

Image of Charles Cruft found on Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information