IT’S DOG EAT DOG IN CANINE OLYMPICS
Host loves to see pets being put through paces as they compete to be Best in Show
CLARE Balding has brought us coverage of some of the biggest sporting events on the planet but admits her favourite will always be Crufts – the “Olympics of the dog world”.
The presenter, who has covered Wimbledon, the Paralympics, Royal Ascot, the Grand National and a host of other world-famous competitions, says Crufts will always be her “Best in Show”.
Clare, who is gearing up to present this year’s Channel 4 programme with Sophie Morgan and former Blue Peter host Radzi Chinyanganya, said: “I love Crufts. It’s brilliant. It’s like a major sporting event... everyone’s very excited. For me, this is the Olympics of the dog world.
“It’s hugely important to the handlers and breeders that their dog is in its peak physical condition. But then, on the day itself, that it’s able to perform and give its best.
“It’s about performance as well as looks, conformation, adaptability and the behaviour traits of being able to deal with a full day of showing.”
Clare, who is married to fellow broadcaster and journalist Alice Arnold, added: “If I could describe Crufts in three words, it would be dogs, dogs, dogs.
“I really love doing the programme and in 2021, when we couldn’t do it because of Covid, I really, really missed it. I love being there and I love live television.
“It’s one of those shows where you’re talking to people about their dogs all the time, and you get so much out of them because of that. People love talking about their dogs. And I love meeting and being surrounded by different dogs.
“There were 222 different breeds competing last year and that’s not counting the dogs you’d also see in Flyball and Agility. I just love being with dogs and being with dog people.”
It is expected more than 24,000 dogs from 50 countries will be at the show, which is now in its 133rd year.
This year’s live coverage, which starts tomorrow, will include live flyball, agility, heelwork to music, the Kennel Club Hero Dog award and, of course, the coveted Best in Show.
The line-up also includes Scruffts, which gives crossbred dogs a moment in the spotlight, and there will be a focus on young handlers as they show their dogs in the International Junior
Final. This is Clare’s 20th year in the Crufts’ hotseat but the journalist, who won a BAFTA for her coverage of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralymic Games, admits she still gets nervous.
She said: “It’s always the first live television I do of the year because I tend to be quite quiet over the winter months. I always come into Crufts thinking, “Can I still do this?” There’s always that real flutter of nerves on the first day.”
Clare, who was born in Kingsclere, Hampshire, says she has reported on countless standout moments over the last two decades but admits Fabulous Willy winning in 2007 is definitely up there. The former flat jockey, who was named Champion Lady Rider in 1990, said: “In 2007, there was a was a Tibetan terrier that won Best in Show called Fabulous Willy and we had his grandson Archie.
“We had him for 15-and-a-half years. So that was a really exciting victory because you felt like you were sort of related to him. It’s ridiculous, of course… of course, we’re not!”
Clare says the show, which was started in 1891 by Charles Cruft, has really evolved, adding: “I’ve noticed quite a few changes over the years since my debut in 2004, especially the growth of the ‘discover dogs’ hall which is a key element to Crufts.
“If you go there, you can be educated about different breeds and really make an informed selection of what would suit you best and what you can give the best life to.
“I’ve also seen growth in agility, cani-cross, flyball and the introduction of Scruffts and the Hero Dogs competition all celebrate our partnership with dogs and how much we treasure them. It’s got even bigger in those 20 years, which is extraordinary because it was big enough.”
Clare, who lost her beloved companion Archie in 2020, says that although she will be looking at all the breeds at Crufts, she is resigned to the fact she is too busy to have one right now.
She said: “I wrote a book called Isle of Dogs, which is based on the search for another dog. And what I think we
There’s a lot of information – as well as being entertaining Crufts is educational
CLARE BALDING on tv coverage
realised was that we need to change our living conditions to make the perfect home for a dog. So that’s what we’re focused on now. We want to be responsible dog owners, so it will take a while. “And because I’ve got such a big year this summer, it’s not fair to bring a dog into our life right now. You know, I need to be away a lot with the Olympics and Paralympics and Wimbledon and Queen’s.” Clare, who is the president of the Rugby Football League, says there there is a lot to look forward to at this year’s show, which takes place at Birmingham NEC over three days. The award-winning author, who presents for BBC Sport, Channel 4 and BT Sport, said: “Every year is different and suddenly a new breed will emerge that you hadn’t known a lot about.
“Like last year, Orca the Lagotto Romagnolo won Best in Show for the first time and they travelled over from Croatia. There’s a real international element to the actual show.
“This year we’ve got a feature on dogs for autism and I’m looking forward to learning a bit more about that. Dogs are incredibly adaptable and can help us in all sorts of ways.
“And we’re doing a good feature around the use of them with children that have autism and how it can help connection and communication.
“Also, there’s more young handlers.
You get to see real youngsters doing very, very well, which is great.”
She added: “I think the most unusual thing I’ve seen at Crufts is the heelwork to music as it always throws up a few unusual sights of people and dogs dressed in costumes and doing amazing things. But that always make me laugh. I don’t know that it’s meant to make me laugh, but it does. I really enjoy watching it.”
Clare thinks it is important the show is televised each year due to its informative nature.
She said: “All the features that we do are about educating the public about responsible dog ownership. I think for all that we adore dogs, and there are more dogs in the UK than there have ever been, there are also more dogs in rescue centres.
“And that’s because people didn’t realise what owning a dog is about. The more we can help people, the better.
“And, if they’ve got dogs that have behaviour issues, give them good advice, which we do, and give good veterinary advice as well.
“There’s a lot of information in the programmes – as well as being entertaining, I do think Crufts is educational.”
● Crufts 2024 returns with more than 15 hours of broadcast coverage across Channel 4, More 4 and online from today until Sunday.