Bruin, a clumber spaniel, won best in show at Crufts, which took place at the National Exhibition Center (NEC) in Birmingham.
His owner, Lee Cox, described the four-year-old Bruin as “the dog of his life” when he won the competition and was greeted with loud cheers from the crowd.
“It’s just amazing,” Cox said. “I can’t believe it. It’s just wonderful for this breed. For the first time in my life, I’m speechless.
“He’s the dog of my life… he’s just wonderful. He’s a bit of a diva, a bit like me, he likes to get his way. He’s very calm, but he would never, ever let me down.”
The dog show, which has been taking place at the NEC in Birmingham since Thursday, concluded on Sunday night after crowning the best dog of 2026.
This year an estimated 18,600 dogs took part in the competition, attracting entrants from across the UK and the world.
The winner of the best in show category is awarded by expert judges and is decided among the winning dogs in the group categories: working, herding, terrier, bloodhound, toy, utility and hunting dog.
The leader is determined by his health, structure, movement and temperament. The best in show reserve of 2026 was Meghan, a petit basset griffon vendéen.
The other dogs competing for first place were Viking, a Tibetan mastiff, winner of the working group, and Hazel, a Welsh corgi, who won the herding group. Dublin, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, took first place in the toy dog category, while Freddie, the Lakeland Terrier, won the senior dog competition.
The winner of last year’s best show was Miuccia, a Venetian greyhound, who beat out almost 18,000 dogs for first place. It was the first time a dog from Italy won the show.
In addition to the breed judging and best dog competition, Crufts has other competitions including an agility course, an obedience contest and a relay race known as flyball. There is also a dance contest where the dogs and their handlers perform a choreographed routine set to music, and a contest for young dog lovers.
Crufts was founded in 1891 by Charles Cruft. The show was inspired by his role as CEO of a dog biscuit manufacturer, where he had to travel around the world to attend dog shows.
Since then, Crufts has grown in popularity and is now considered one of the largest dog shows in the world. It continued during the First and Second World Wars.
