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The first time I exhibited at Crufts was a comedy of errors.
My wife had booked and paid in full for a superior double room at the NEC Hilton but when we arrived, admittedly a little behind time, the room had gone. After a long wait in reception we were directed to a tiny single room. There was no way we were sleeping together in a single bed and I didn't fancy spending a night on the floor. After a major argument we were given a twin room, albeit one designated for re-decoration and a bottle of a decent red wine by way of apology. Unfortunately, the "bell-boy" sent to take us to our new room had no idea of the hotel lay out. After leading us in the wrong directions several times I gave him the slip and found the room on my own. I then had to retrace my steps to round up the "bell-boy", my wife, our dog and our luggage.
As nervous newbies our plan for the next day was to get over to the NEC and set up on the benching nice and early. I’d then leave my wife with the dog and slip back to the hotel to have a good breakfast (my wife was too nervous to eat) and get changed into my smarter clothes. We worked out that I had loads of time to get back to the benching well before we'd be due to go into the ring.
We set off for the short walk from the hotel to the NEC but my wife had forgotten something and had to return to the room. I gave her the card the hotel gave us in lieu of a room key and continued on with the dog, all the show gear and the entry passes in my wallet. I happily set up shop on the benching and waited for my wife to join me.
It was a very long wait! I just walked striaght in without any problems but she, that few minutes later, had been stopped by security and as she didn't have a pass she wasn't allowed in. She had to go to the KC offices in a different part of the NEC to explain the situation.
By the time she joined me the breed judging was well underway. With, or so we thought, no time to lose, I rushed back to hotel. Forgetting any thoughts of my cooked breakfast I hurried up to our room to change. When I got to our room I found I didn’t have the card to get in. The card was in my wife's handbag just as the passes had been in my wallet!! Not thinking I could be let in to the room by a member of the hotel staff I rushed back to my wife at the NEC.
By this time we were both panicking that we’d miss our class so we had a quick decision to make. Either I’d take our dog in the ring casually, if not scruffily, dressed or she’d have to go in with her. In the end we decided it would be better for her to do it. She headed off with the dog to wait at ringside. We were sure the dog would play up if she saw around the ring so I had to lurk in the background not even able to watch our dog in her moment of glory.
As it happened we actually still had plenty of time before our class. I could have gone back, changed and still have been well in time to go into the ring. Our decision, however, was made and I just hung about and hung about for my wife to come back to the benching. When she finally did return I wasn’t surprised that we’d come nowhere. If we ever had a chance of a rosette all the stress and nervous of the occasion had put paid to it.
It wasn’t our finest hour but it’s a story that’s raised a few laughs over the years!
Kevin
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