Hungarian Vizsla Wins Crufts 2010

On Sunday night, on front of a crowd of thousands of spectators and millions more watching on television, the dog with the most show wins in history added the Crufts title to his list of awards. The 7 year-old Hungarian Vizsla, who's pet name is "Yogi" and pedigree name is "Sh Ch/Aust Ch Hungergunn Bear It'n Mind", made it to last year's Crufts final before being defeated by an American-owned Sealyham Terrier called Charmin.

Yogi became the Gundog Group winner earlier on Sunday and, in a tense Best in Show round, Yogi beat 6 other group winners, including a Pharaoh Hound (Hound Group), a Cardigan Welsh Corgi (Pastoral Group), a Scottish Terrier from Russia (Terrier Group), a Maltese Terrier (Toy Group), an Akita (Utility Group), and a Rottweiler (Working Group). The Reserve Best in Show award went to the Scottish Terrier.

This is the first time a Hungarian Vizsla has won the prestigious Best in Show award, which has only been awarded for the last 79 years, and which has now been won by 41 different breeds. The Cocker Spaniel has won the award most often, with 7 titles, while the Welsh Terrier and Irish Terrier have both won 4 times. The Greyhound, German Shepherd Dog, Fox Terrier, Labrador Retriever, English Setter and Standard Poodle have each won three times.

Crufts is named after its founder Charles Cruft. The young Charles leaving college in 1876 had no desire to join the family jeweler business. Instead he took employment with James Spratt who had set up a new venture in Holborn, London selling "dog cakes". In 1878 French dog breeders invited him to organize the promotion of the canine section of the Paris Exhibition. The first Crufts show in that name was booked into the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington in 1891.

Photograph courtesy Crufts