Scruffts is an informal national dog show competition, where
crossbreed dogs of any parentage are allowed to compete. Launched in 2000, it is hosted by
The Kennel Club
The Kennel Club ("KC") is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also opera ...
of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and is named after
Crufts
Crufts is an international dog show held annually in the United Kingdom, first held in 1891. Organised and hosted by The Kennel Club, it is the largest show of its kind in the world.
Crufts is centred on a championship conformation show for do ...
, its world-famous annual show for pedigrees.
At Scruffts, dogs compete for the titles of:
*"Most Handsome dog": For dogs aged 6 months to 7 years
*"Prettiest bitch": For bitches aged 6 months to 7 years
*"Child's best friend": For dogs or bitches aged 6 months to 12 years, handled by a child aged 6 to 16 years
*"Golden Oldie": For dogs or bitches aged 8 to 12 years
Scruffts was designed for people or families who do not have a purebred dog and who want to experience conformation competition with their dogs. It is an opportunity to properly socialise dogs and further strengthen the bond between dog and owner, as well as to help people meet others with a similar interest in dogs. Just as crossbreeds are not allowed to enter true conformation shows, purebred dogs are not eligible for Scruffts, regardless of whether they are registered with The Kennel Club. Judges cannot refer to a
breed standard
In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...
and therefore dogs are judged only on "Good Character", "Good Health", and "Good temperament with both people and dogs". According to
Ricky Tomlinson
Eric "Ricky" Tomlinson (born 26 September 1939) is an English actor. He is best known for his television roles as Bobby Grant in '' Brookside'', DCI Charlie Wise in ''Cracker'' and Jim Royle in '' The Royle Family'', and playing the titular cha ...
, a past judge, one year the competition was won by a three-legged dog.
The entry fee for Scruffts is only £2, and all money raised goes to the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. Every year heats are held around the country with
Rosettes awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions in each class. Each dog or bitch that receives a 1st placement is eligible to compete in the final. Until 2012 this was held at the
Discover Dogs
The Kennel Club ("KC") is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also opera ...
show in November at
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Earls Court Exhibition Centre was a major international exhibition and events venue just west of central London. At its peak it is said to have generated a £2 billion turnover for the economy. It replaced exhibition and entertainment grounds, ...
in London. Since 2013 the final has been held in conjunction with the main Crufts show at the
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is an exhibition centre located in Marston Green, Solihull, West Midlands, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway stati ...
, Birmingham.
A Scruffts dog show for mixed breeds has also been held in the
Algarve
The Algarve (, , ; from ) is the southernmost NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities ( ''concelhos'' or ''municípios'' in Portuguese).
The region has it ...
region of
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, organised by the Association for Protection of Animals in the Algarve.
"APAA’s 10th Anniversary Scruffts 2009"
''The Portugal News'', 26 September 2009.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Scruffts websiteCrufts websiteDiscover Dogs website
Dog shows and showing