Recently I was looking at old Crufts catalogues (which are online) and was interested to note a major difference in the entries between then and now. For example, in 2002 there were 203 dalmatans entered making an entry of 224. However in 1962 there were only 99 dalmatians entered but making an entry of 225! Some dogs then were entered in 5 or more classes, but nowadays not many are entered in more than a single class. Does anyone know why is this, and when did the change happen?

Prize money?

Think that people think that if they win a class they have a chance of the CC but for every class they enter they more chance they have of being beaten, not logical but that is how many think unless they have their mind set on JW points.

You could well be right, tooolz; in '62 there was prize money of £2,10/0 for 1st, £1 for 2nd and 12/6 for 3rd in all classes.

Interesting that the total entry for 1962 was 7311 dogs making 14,417 entries; no wonder they could hold the show in smaller premises!

Well worth winning five classes at those rates. It certainly would have paid the travel expenses. :-)

and high cost of second entries. 

It's still quite usual in our numerically small breed to enter more than one class to have meaningful competition, or try for JW points, but getting a bit much at £5 for some shows, after all in the breed classes it doesn't cost the society any more, they have already printed the five cards, and the judge has already judged the dog so just places it in where appropriate.

At our breed club show the day my bitch won her and my first CC she was entered in 5 classes.

>and high cost of second entries.

Not at Crufts - additional entries are free!

Yes that is so.

Henry was entered in 2 classes the day he won the CC. I do think 2 is enough for a young dog (he was 14 months) but must admit I wish he'd been entered in 3 classes that day as he was short by 3 points for his JW!

Ah but you have big classes as a rule.

I had my new pup in 3 breed classes at LKA plus puppy stakes.

In breed MPB had 4 entries, but we were alone, PB had three entries, and only one other turned up, and we were alone in Junior (so no JW points from any class).

So she was in the ring in breed for maybe 10 minutes max, and that included the challenge and Best puppy.

Not the same as entering several classes under different judges, so being gone over several times.  As a seen dog your likely to be judge the once and fitted in in the next classes, possibly just moved again.

Now what she really learnt from was the puppy bitch stakes, where we were in the ring for quite a while.

Had we just done one breed class she would have been in and out the ring before she had really settled or learnt what it was about.

My biggest problem with youngsters has been keeping them from chasing the other dogs when moved together as so often the classes are small before they hit Post Grad or above, and at ringcraft there is rarely room to move multiple dogs together.

Good point! :-)

Am rather envious! I went to a Champ show last summer, which had 22 in our PB class, lol!

Had we just done one breed class she would have been in and out the ring before she had really settled or learnt what it was about.

I'd say here is a breed specific thing again. With a Malinois pup I WANT it in and out as quickly as only possible so they have a chance to do it without getting worried or put off by anything. Should I enter more than one class (and above all, a stakes class -the very thought makes me shudder as it would be a recipe for disaster) chances are  much bigger they will get put off by something and you've ruined a dog for life. (Been there, done it, got the t-shirt!)

> Am rather envious! I went to a Champ show last summer, which had 22 in our PB class, lol!

Actually I think it is one reason we get so few new people sticking at it.  They win or worse get second out of two with an equally good dog, and loose heart as when they reach the adult classes their lack of experience/dogs maturity often means they don't win, until they mature/improve, and by then they have given up.

In large classes just to get shortlisted or placed is encouraging.

I remember when I had my first homebred bitch I was happy with a VHC in classes of 10 and 14 in Post Grad bitch was not unusual.  Now I have won out of Post Grad with my under two year old immature dizzy thing, with rarely more than three in her classes.