I'm new to showing at Crufts this year and need clarification of the rule on admission time.  I know that exhibitors and their dogs can get into the show early using their free passes, but as lots of us bring friends and family to spectate with tickets bought at the time of making the entry, can they get in at the same time or do they have to wait until the doors open to the public?

They can go in with you, it's no problem. The people at the dog doors never query a group with dogs in that have all sorts of different tickets as long as everyone has a ticket.

Thanks Goldmali

Actually Goldmali thats not what happened to me ... as a friend came with me with a spectators ticket.. I had my dog with me and trolley bags etc: we had a drop off pass , my hubby went to park the car ... we  got to the door with all our  stuff and the jobsworth wouldt let my friend in so I had to struggle with trolley bags and dog on my own , he made her walk around to the main entrance... I was fuming...

Oh, oh....... Let's hope your experience was a 'Jobsworth' incident Starryeyes.  I suppose we'll just have to go along and hope.  Has anyone else experienced problems?

Blimey Roni, what an annoying person! I've shown  at Crufts every year since 2002 and have always had somebody with me with a normal ticket and never had a problem.

well this year  I am the person with the normal ticket as I havent entered.... OH working and I lost the showing buzz atm.... I am going with a friend who is covering DD with my breed he has been issued tkts for him and his dogs... I ama paying spectator so looks like we wont be able to enter together....:( as not taking the chance after what happened to my friend..

I have gone in with my teenage daughters with normal spectator passes while OH and myself have exhibitor passes.... I wouldn't let me daughters walk around to the main entrance without me so good job I have never had a problem. xxx

On a related question, I'm dropping off my friend & my dog with my dropoff pass, then going to park. I don't know when it does open to the GP, but I hope I won't have trouble getting in, as we are in the first class at 9am and I have no intention of letting anyone else handle my girl!!

For the last two years three of us have all gone in the exhibitors door even though we only had one dog with us so two of us had ordinary tickets.

just proves its down to whoever is on the doors...

Very true about the door supervisor, I went to go in with my husband who had a stewards season ticket, I had a day complimentary ticket and was sent away to the main enterance to join the long queue :(
Let's see what happens tomorrow.

How long is the long queue? Im hoping there's some sort of disabled access as I can't stand in long queues and stupid me hadn't thought about this until I read this! What time do the doors open? I think I need to ring tomorrow and see what's what :(

I was fine getting in with my extra pass thank goodness, presumably they could see it was from a dog entry rather than a GP ticket.

I had a day complimentary ticket as I was helping a friend I went back to the car for something and she went in through exhibitor entrance with exhibitor and dog ticket. When I got there I was sent to main entrance and had to wait 20 mins to get in!!!

I worried about this, as I also had a comp ticket, and went in with a friend with dogs - maybe what made the difference was that I was actually holding a dog on lead and the 4 other people (who had passes) had another dog or were loaded with equipment! Easier to wave us through, or there would have been a hold up as I gave the dog to someone else and we rearranged the luggage!

thats not what happened to me ... as a friend came with me with a spectators ticket.. I had my dog with me and trolley bags etc:

Same happened to me a couple of yrs ago,    we got there around 7.30 and I was refused entry,  had to wait around till  the public was allowed in.

It all depends on whether the steward is a jobs worth or not !!