Crufts 2023 live - today's schedule, travel latest and when to watch ...
The biggest dog show in the world is taking place once again in Birmingham. Crufts 2023 gets under way at the city's NEC arena today, March 9.
Dogs of every size, shape and breed will descend on Birmingham, along with tens of thousands of dog-lovers, eager to watch the show.
The international event, organised by the Kennel Club, will take place over four days from Thursday, March 9, to Sunday, March 12.
Read more: Crufts 2023 TV schedule details when it's on TV, what channel and what time
As well as the breed judging, which will eventually lead to the prestigious Best in Show finale, there will be displays of agility and heelwork, plus hundreds of stalls and trade stands for visitors to browse.
Tickets are still available for this year's event, but if you can't make it to the show itself, you can still follow all of the activities and competitions on TV or online. BirminghamLive will be bringing you all of the latest updates from day one of Crufts 2023 below.
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How to get to Crufts10:07
11:58Emily Collis
Visitors to the NEC campus have been reminded that two Resorts World car parks are currently closed.
The shopping centre posted on Twitter to urge visitors to plan ahead. It said: "Our campus is a bit busier than usual with @Crufts at @thenec and our South 2 and East 5 car parks are currently closed, reopening on Monday, 13th March. If you're planning a visit, make sure to plan ahead."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our campus is a bit busier than usual with <a href="https://twitter.com/Crufts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Crufts</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/thenec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thenec</a> and our South 2 and East 5 car parks are currently closed, reopening on Monday, 13th March. If you're planning a visit, make sure to plan ahead: <a href="https://t.co/Yt6EiSkc6o">https://t.co/Yt6EiSkc6o</a> <a href="https://t.co/efxcIovOEv">pic.twitter.com/efxcIovOEv</a></p>— Resorts World (@RW_Birmingham) <a href="https://twitter.com/RW_Birmingham/status/1633797715829071873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
11:51Emily Collis
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield grimaced during a live ITV broadcast from Birmingham's NEC this morning as Dr Scott was shooed away by a Crufts official.
Dr Scott was told off at Crufts on This Morning while interviewing dog owners at the event. The segment was interrupted by an event official, who looked to be shooing the crew from their location in the hall.
"We're getting in a bit of trouble now," said Dr Scott. "We're getting in a bit of trouble here. I think it's because we have different breeds, we're getting in trouble."
11:38KEY EVENT
Tickets are still available for Crufts 2023. Advance tickets for Saturday are sold out, but tickets for the other days are still available, or you can buy tickets on the door.
Tickets for Thursday and Friday are priced at £23 for adults or £17 for children aged 9-15, over-65s and students.
Sunday tickets are £25 for adults or £19 for concessions. Children under the age of eight can enter for free on any day of the event.
A limited number of on the door tickets will be on sale on Saturday, costing £29 for adults and £20 for concessions.
Best in show tickets are not included in the daily ticket price. These cost £22. Tickets to the obedience ring cost £12.
To purchase tickets online, visit the Crufts ticket page.
11:09Emily Collis
Crufts has changed a lot since the show was set up by the late Charles Cruft in 1891.
In 1876, a young Charles left college with no desire to join the family jewellery business. Instead he took employment with James Spratt who had set up a new venture in Holborn, London selling 'dog cakes'.
Charles Cruft was ambitious and a relatively short apprenticeship as an office boy led to a promotion to travelling salesman. This brought him into contact with large estates and sporting kennels.
His next career move with Spratts saw him travelling to Europe and it was here in 1878 that French dog breeders invited him to organise the promotion of the canine section of the Paris Exhibition. He was still just two years out of college.
Back in England in 1886, he took up the management of the Allied Terrier Club Show at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster. It was in 1891 that the first Cruft's show was booked into the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington and it has evolved and grown ever since.
It wasn't until 1928 that the Best in Show tradition started. The first winner is a Greyhound called Primley Sceptre.
10:56KEY EVENT
The NEC has issued a snow warning to anyone travelling to the show today and urged visitors to take extra care while moving around the arena.
It posted on Twitter: "With snowy conditions expected to cause delays, please plan your journey and take extra care when travelling around our campus."
It comes after many dog-lovers struggled to get to the arena on time due to delays caused by the weather and heavy traffic on the roads.
10:48KEY EVENT
Day one of Crufts 2023 is well under way.
If you're heading to the NEC today or watching from home, here is Thursday's full schedule for the main arena:
8.15am - Agility - Crufts Novice Cup Final (Jumping)
9.25am - Agility – Championships - Intermediate/Large (Jumping)
10.30am - East Anglian Staffordshire Bull Terrier Display Team
11am - Freestyle HTM Competition
12.20pm - Break
12.55pm - Agility – Crufts Novice Cup Final (Agility)
1.50pm - Agility - Championships – Intermediate/Large (Agility)
3.10pm - Flyball Competition - Last 16
3.50pm - Freestyle Heelwork to Music Competition Winner
3.55pm - West Midlands Police Display
4.20pm - Break
5pm - Agility – Championships – Intermediate/Large Final
5.45pm - Junior Warrant Competition Final
6pm - Breeders Competition Final
6.25pm - Gundog Display
6.45pm - Gamekeepers Competition Final
7pm - The Kennel Club 150th anniversary celebration stakes (presentation of painting to 2022 BIS winner)
7.20pm - Group Judging (Gundog) and Presentation
8.10pm - Programme ends
10:38Emily Collis
A dog named after Birmingham's own Jasper Carrott has made easy work of the agility course at Crufts.
The cocker spaniel, pedigree name Breezybrook Dare Devil, and Robyn Sinclair are new to Crufts this year but put on an impressive performance.
10:07KEY EVENT
With snowy conditions expected to cause delays for those travelling to Crufts today, visitors are urged to plan ahead and allow extra time for journeys.
See below for all of the information you'll need if you're travelling to the NEC this week:
By car
The NEC is served by the M6 and M42 motorways and there are car parking facilities on-site. Shuttle buses operate from the carparks to the main entrance.
For satnav users, the NEC postcode is B40 1NT.
There are roadworks in place across the West Midlands road network which may affect your journey to and from Crufts at the NEC, particularly if you are arriving very early in the morning or leaving late at night.
Please plan your journey, allow extra time and follow the diversion signage where required. For all the latest road travel information, you can double-check the National Highways website and follow @HighwaysWMIDS on Twitter.
By train
The NEC is located a five-minute walk away from Birmingham International Railway Station.
Direct services run all day, however if you’re travelling from further afield you may need to catch a connecting train at Birmingham New Street, which is less than a 15-minute journey away.
From Birmingham Airport you can get to the NEC via the free air-rail link, which takes just 90 seconds and runs every two minutes.
By bus
Jumping on a bus in the West Midlands area? There are numerous options that will get you to the NEC.
Check out the NEC travel page here for more information.
09:55Emily Collis
People aren't the only ones wrapped up warm for the first day of Crufts 2023.
Snow is falling in Birmingham this morning and dogs are arriving at Birmingham's NEC, dressed in their best winter gear.
Take a look at our Crufts 2023 snow gallery here:
09:48Emily Collis
Crowds of dog owners and visitors continue to arrive at Birmingham's NEC this morning where Crufts 2023 is now officially under way.
It's snowing heavily in Birmingham and arrivals are wrapped up warm, having braved the wintry conditions and travel disruption to make it to the show today.
09:43Emily Collis
A young entree has kicked off the first agility run of Crufts 2023.
It was an impressive start to the agility displays, with two-year-old Zhanisgo Give it Some Banter and Shannon Springford recording just five faults.
09:31Emily Collis
Visitors are arriving at Birmingham's NEC for day one of Crufts 2023.
The snow is expected to cause travel disruption across the country today, so anyone travelling to Crufts today is urged to plan ahead.
One visitor, @funusual on Twitter, posted to say he had 'finally' got to the NEC 'despite all the snow and a load of traffic'.
Another attendee urged fellow visitors to 'allow for extra time' after reporting it was 'very slow' on the roads.
09:17KEY EVENT
Crufts will be on TV at key points during each day of the show.
Dog-lovers can enjoy over 13 hours of television coverage, as Channel 4 and More4 will be broadcasting live from the NEC every day.
You can also watch all the main events on the official Crufts YouTube channel here.
The details of TV schedule times and channels for Thursday, March 9 are as follows:
3pm-4pm on Channel 4
6.30pm-8pm on More 4
8pm-9pm on Channel 4
For more TV schedule details, read our full story here.
09:13Emily Collis
Crufts 2023 is now under way. The jumping agility Novice Cup Final kicked off today's activities at 8.15am.
Gun dogs will be the focus of Crufts' first day, with a main display set to take place in the main arena at 6.25pm, before a group judging of the category and presentation at 7.20pm.
West Midlands Police Dogs will feature in a display in the main arena this afternoon at 3.55pm.
09:01Emily Collis
Crufts 2023 is officially under way!
The international dog show takes place every year at Birmingham's NEC and this year's event will take place across four days from Thursday, March 9 to Sunday, March 12.
We'll be bringing you all the latest live updates from day one of crufts on this live blog.
