 | | | Crufts winner 2006. Picture courtesy of the Kennel Club of Great Britain |
Fireworks, music and theatre have been some of the ways in which the Chinese community in Britain has been celebrating the start of the Year of the Dog – it has been quite a party. But every year the UK goes dog crazy with its annual celebration of all things canine at the annual Crufts dog show. More than 100,000 visitors went to watch man’s best friend perform for the judges last week. It was a massive event with 20,000 dogs filling all five halls of the National Exhibition Centre in Britain’s second city, Birmingham. Terriers, hounds, toy dogs, and gundogs were just some of the 178 different breeds, that took part in demonstrations, competitions and displays. Every year there is the famous Best in Show Competition, but there is also the Agility, Flyball, Obedience, and Heelwork to Music events. There are usually plenty of trade stands every year, but this year there were four hundred of them packed with everything for dogs and their owners; they were doing very brisk business, too. Dog fans travel from all over the UK and the world to visit Crufts. Jo and her mother Rosemary, from Southampton, summed it up: "We came because we've got dogs and we love dogs. There's nothing like Crufts. We've really enjoyed it. We're going back home happy." So who won this years event? Called 'Chance', she is an Australian Shepherd dog who beat six other group winners at the show's final. Chance is five-years-old, and comes from California, in the United States. Her handler Larry Fenner said: "I am overwhelmed. The greatest moment of my life was the birth of my daughter, this is second best. I did not expect it. "The dog is awesome, the greatest I have ever shown in my life. I probably won't have another one like him." Crufts was established in 1891 and now runs for four days every March. | 
