Obreedience

LABRADORS HAILED NATION’S MOST OBEDIENT BREED AFTER WINNING ‘OBREEDIENCE’ FINAL AT CRUFTS

A team of Labrador Retrievers won the Obreedience competition at the world’s biggest dog event, Crufts, on Thursday 6 March.

The Labrador team, named The Labrapaws, proved themselves more obedient than the nine other breed teams that made it to the final at Crufts, held at the NEC in Birmingham, which was judged by Jen Wyatt. The other finalists were as follows:

MRU – Manchester Terriers
The Golden Acorns – Golden Retrievers
Cool Cockers – Cocker Spaniels
The Supernovas – Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers
The Russellers – Jack Russell Terriers
Spring It On – English Springer Spaniels
The Wagtails – Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Dashastic – Dachshunds
Stafford Stars – Staffordshire Bull Terriers

Obreedience, an exciting team obedience competition, was introduced at Crufts 2014 as a special display event. Now in its eleventh year as an official competition, Obreedience continues to grow and entertain the crowds that come along to support their favourite breeds.

The winning team members were:

Alexandra Turner (team captain) with Tau (Tau Bonnievale at Jakkalsrooi) from Evesham, Worcestershire
Tracey Hinsley (team captain) with Purdey (Purdey Christmas Pudding) from Evesham, Worcestershire
Samantha Woods with Harley (Quinn Jet) from Bicester, Oxfordshire
Kaye Littlehales with Richie (Kaliture Appollo of Kayendor) from Wrexham, North Wales
Jane Hudson-Evans with Nell (Bredonedge Kite) from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Faith Woods with Raven (Raven Wings) from Bicester, Oxfordshire

The team’s captain Alexandra Turner said of the team win: “It’s amazing, we had amazing teamwork. All of our friends and fellow competitors were also brilliant and the camaraderie with us all was great. It’s a whole family here so it’s nice. This has been a long time coming, and I couldn’t even look at the scores, it was great.”

Helen Kerfoot, Crufts Show Manager, said: “Congratulations to all the owners and dogs of the Labrapaws team on their impressive win at Crufts! The team showcased an exceptional level of training and obedience, and the bond between each dog and their owner was evident.”

Each Obreedience team comprised four handlers and dogs, who took part in two rounds. The first was a heelwork round completed as a group, with the dogs being assessed on their ability to complete different moves whilst remaining synchronised with their teammates. The second round featured four set exercises and each member needed to successfully complete one of the four different exercises. Points were deducted for any faults and the team with the most points won. The exercises were a retrieve (handler’s own article), a send to bed, stop the dog, and scent over articles.

For further details about Obreedience, please visit The Kennel Club website: thekennelclub.org.uk/obreedience.

Crufts took place from 6 – 9 March 2025 at the NEC, Birmingham. For more information and results from the show, visit crufts.org.uk.

Conduct at Kennel Club licensed events and on social media

The Kennel Club Board and the Disciplinary Committee have endorsed the introduction of further regulatory support to help ensure all those taking part in or attending licensed events behave in a responsible and a respectful manner.

It is the responsibility of all participants to uphold the core values of courtesy and respect surrounding canine activities. Alongside this, those same values ought to be in play on social media in the context of comments and opinions being expressed about participants at Kennel Club licensed events. This new measure introduces a system for issuing yellow and red cards in response to unacceptable behaviour at Kennel Club licensed events and on social media (in the context of licensed events).

The issue of a yellow card in response to unacceptable conduct will indicate that should there be a further incident and / or repetition of a complaint on a similar issue, then the yellow card will escalate to a red card status.

A red card status will result in an automatic fixed period of 60/90 days for refusal of entry and attending Kennel Club licensed events – and such period will be aligned with any relevant competition or event season.

CRUFTS 2022 – ENTRIES CLOSING SOON

Exhibitors are reminded that online entries for Crufts 2022 close on Monday 24 January, for dogs which have qualified for the show. Those exhibitors who prefer to send their entry by post must have done so by Monday 10 January (postmark).

The Working and Pastoral groups will be shown on Thursday 10 March; Terriers and Hounds on Friday 11; Utility and Toys on Saturday 12; and Gundogs on Sunday 13.

Best in Show will be judged on Sunday evening by Stuart Plane, breeder of the well-known Stuane Scottish Terriers.

Three breeds will be creating history at the 2022 show. Hungarian Pumis will have their own classes for the first time, Smooth Faced Pyrenean Sheepdogs will make their debut in the Imported Breed Register classes, and Harriers will be making their first appearance in the Crufts breed ring since 1898.

The Obedience Championships for dogs are on Saturday, with bitches on Sunday. In Agility, the Small and Medium Championships are on the Thursday, with the Intermediate and Large Championships on the Sunday.

Obedience at Crufts 2021

From the Crufts FB page:

OBEDIENCE AT CRUFTS 2021

The Kennel Club can confirm that the Inter Regional Rally Competition is expected to go ahead on Thursday 15 July at Crufts 2021 and the Inter Regional Obedience Competition is expected to go ahead on Friday 16 July.

Unfortunately, as there has been no qualifiers the Obedience Championship will not take place at Crufts 2021. Similarly as there has only been one qualifier the Obreedience finals will also not take place at Crufts 2021. Those teams who competed at an obreedience heat in 2020, and gained points will have their points carried over for Crufts 2022.

CRUFTS TO GO AHEAD, NEW DATE ANNOUNCED

The Kennel Club has announced today that Crufts 2021 will take place next year on the new dates of 15 -18 July at the NEC Birmingham.

Crufts, which will be celebrating its 130^th anniversary in 2021, was due to take place on 11 – 14 March 2021, but with much of the UK in a second lockdown and events and exhibitions still not being able to be held it was looking very unlikely that Crufts in March was a foreseeable option.

KENNEL CLUB ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING CRUFTS 2021

In light of recent government announcements, The Kennel Club has been discussing the holding of Crufts 2021 which is set to take place from 11 – 14 March at the NEC Birmingham.

The Kennel Club Board would like to reassure competitors, exhibitors and everyone involved in the dog world that it remains actively committed to holding the show next year. In particular, the Crufts team have been looking at different options for how Crufts 2021 might look. However, the most important aspect will be the safety of all those who attend and any possible negative impact that holding the event may have.

SHETLAND SHEEPDOGS HAILED NATION’S MOST OBEDIENT BREED AFTER WINNING ‘OBREEDIENCE’ FINAL AT CRUFTS

A team of four Shetland Sheepdogs won the Obreedience competition at the world’s biggest dog event, Crufts on Thursday 5th March.

The Shetland Sheepdogs team, named the Sheltie Superstars, proved themselves more obedient than the nine other breed teams that made it to the final at Crufts in Birmingham. The other finalists were teams of German Shepherd Dogs, Cocker Spaniels, Manchester Terriers, Jack Russell Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Standard Poodles, Papillons and Bernese Mountain Dogs.