Having attended Crufts since 1971 I have certainly seen some changes. I now feel without a doubt the dogs are secondry, the amount of trade stands with dog rings hidden behind them, at times getting from AtoB with a dog one feels like an intruder and in fact at one stage I did tell someone it was a dog show.
The first sight in the car park, shows the message is getting through to owners to 'pick up' after their dogs, what a shame the bins are not emptied at regular intervals. Despite the majority of owners doing their best to get dogs to 'empty' with such a change of routine accidents are bound to happen, so the powers that be could give us a helping hand by keeping the bins empty.
The benching for large breeds was positevely dangerous.
As for trying to get out of the NEC it was a bit like escaping from prison, without the dogs there wouldn't be a show and I know that security comes into this, but why are there so few exits you can take a dog out of and NO signs to tell you where they are.
Well I have got that off my chest!Despite this we had a good day

I have said for so many years now that the KC need to decide if they are holding a dog show or a trade show but was it my imagination or were there less trade stands than in previous recent years?

It also seemed a shame that the Gamekeepers ring was smaller than the collecting ring which was supplying it. In the AV Retriever class we were really nose to tail. (And that was the humans!)

Best wishes, John

Please add this to one of the other crufts threads please