In a new sponsorship arrangement, this great canine event of the year is now called DFS Crufts.

With this collaboration, comes a confusing new logo, showing a ‘thought-bubble’ which doubles as a rosette with a sofa in its centre. This design appeared everywhere in the five cavernous halls. Though more archaic, many people regretted the loss of the traditional St. Bernard logo, which had been used for decades and now confined only to the official catalogue cover.

Otherwise little else seemed much changed. I had hoped for a comfortable ‘lounging’ area for weary visitors and exhibitors, or a range of leather sofas for dogs, but no. As ever, there were acres of breed rings, canine demonstration arenas and trade stands. Every breed recognised by the Kennel Club was on display in Discover Dogs. The whole event was an antidote to the recent anti-pedigree dog campaign. Somehow, the atmosphere was less tense than last year, when protests against the event were threatened.

DFS CRUFTS 2010 attracted the seventh highest entry levels – which is interesting in the current economic climate and considering the rising travel and entry costs. There were one hundred and forty six Basset hounds entered under the German judge, Herr Siegfried Peter.

There were some surprises in the results; perhaps the biggest was the Herr Peter withheld four awards – three in the dog classes and one in the bitches. This is very unusual for Crufts, but is perhaps explained by the recent Breed Standard changes.

The judging this year was under the Kennel Club’s new Breed Standard. In it, the KC demands that any features or exaggerations that are deemed by the judge to be detrimental to the soundness, health or well-being of the dog, are penalised. Although, all hounds entered will have had to qualify to be at Crufts, most will have done so under the previous Breed Standard.

I hope it is not too controversial to hope that with these changes the baby has not been thrown out with the bathwater. It would be a shame to see the end of the characteristics which many of us think make the Basset Hound so singular and attractive.

However, on this occasion, Herr Peter’’s Best of Breed was the impressive and very successful Champion Bromwylva Imperial Mint of Dereheath – Heather and Derek Storton’’s Minty.

For our Branch members present, the most wonderful moment was when our own, much loved, Jean Miller’’s Cassius, won the Dog Reserve Challenge Certificate.

As ever, James Gwynne superbly handled Cass to his success (shown right), and there was much excitement at the ringside when this happened, with everyone being so pleased for Jean.

Well done, everyone who achieved success at this year's show!