- Charles Cruft (showman)
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Charles Cruft
Charles Alfred Cruft (28 June 1852 – 10 September 1938) was a British showman who founded Crufts dog show.
He was educated at Ardingly College, and upon leaving became the general manager of James Spratt, dog biscuit manufacturer. Travelling to dog shows both in the United Kingdom and internationally allowed Cruft to establish contacts and understand the need for higher standards for dog shows. In 1886 Cruft organised his first dog show in Islington, North London. Billed as the "First Great Terrier Show", the show had 57 classes and 600 entries. The first show to be named after Cruft was in 1891, when "Cruft's Greatest Dog Show" was held at the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington. It was the first show at which all breeds were invited to compete, with around 2,000 dogs and almost 2,500 entries. With the close of the 19th century, entries had risen to over 3,000, including royal patronage from various European countries and Russia. The show continued annually and gained popularity each year until Cruft's death in 1938.
His widow ran the 1939 show for four years until she felt unable to do so due to its high demands of time and effort. To ensure the future and reputation of the show she sold it to The Kennel Club. In 1948 the venue was moved to Olympia in Kensington and in 1979 to Earl's Court. It has now moved to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
Through his influence the popularity of dogs has increased and the standards of dog breeding have been greatly improved.
According to the British panel show QI, Cruft was a cat owner.
Cruft is buried in North London's Highgate Cemetery.
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