Second chance gundogs
Within the thousands of dogs which end up in rescue shelters every year, are many who have the potential to find a new life as a working gundog.
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Full circle moment for Megan as she goes from showing to judging at Crufts
From a very young age, working and showing dogs has been a big part of Megan Fox’s life. From her mum taking her to shows and out in the field, she always knew that she was destined for the gundog world. Here, she talks about her Crufts journey, which took her from showing to judging.
Around 12/13 years old, I started taking part in the junior handling classes, and I had some success, even achieving best junior handler on one occasion.
As I grew up on a sporting estate and became more interested in the working side of gundogs, it was hardly surprising that field sports became a big passion.
After lots of pleading, I eventually got my own gundog to work besides me in the field, an English springer spaniel called Dottie. My little team started to grow when I kept a pup from my first home-bred litter and then added two cocker spaniels.
As they all work in the field, they were docked, so I didn’t think about showing them, but a few years ago, I went to Crufts to watch the BASC classes. It is always a great opportunity to meet old and make new friends all with the same interests.
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on the perspective, the breed classes and gamekeepers’ classes clashed, and I was “persuaded” to take Ruger, my mum’s flat-coated retriever, into the AOV retriever gamekeepers class, where all my past junior handling paid off and we won!
This meant I also qualified for the Gamekeepers final in the “big ring” later on that day.
It was an incredible experience, if a little nerve-wracking, but well worth it as we only went and won the BASC Gamekeepers’ classes in 2022.
Incidentally, a flat-coat also won Best in Show that year in the main event, too.
Lots of photos and interviews followed, and I almost felt famous!
I have shown in the BASC classes every year since, and have been placed each time, although I have not reached the dizzying heights of BASC Gamekeepers’ classes winner again, but I have enjoyed every minute of it, and you always take the best dog home anyway.
It’s always a great achievement to get a place, and it’s great to see that the BASC classes are getting more popular with increased entries year on year, and I think that anyone who is placed should be very proud.
From showing to judging
Having shown for several years, I enquired about judging and was offered the chance to judge the working bitch class at Crufts 2026.
I had so much time to prepare, and when the time finally arrived, I was excited to see the event from a very different viewpoint.
I set off for the hotel on Saturday afternoon in readiness for the next day’s judging with no dogs, so this was very different for me compared to showing, but it allowed me to enjoy the fabulous hospitality and meet the other judges.
By morning, I must admit the nerves started to kick in a little, but as I walked to the judge’s reception to collect my judging book, I was starting to relax and made to feel so welcome.
Ironically, my first class was the AOV Retriever class, a very familiar one for me to start with, and it was lovely to see the working community coming together to show their dogs after a busy season.
Now I have experienced both sides of the event, I actually think it is more nerve-wracking to judge than to show. When you’re showing, you only have your own dogs to concentrate on, whereas with the judging, you have all of them for consideration.
When you’re showing you can also relax and have a chat to fellow exhibitors as the class progresses, whilst when you are judging it’s your sole decision but you do have the one constant whether you are showing or judging, and that is your ring steward who not only keeps the exhibitors in order, but also makes sure everything runs smoothly for the judge.
Thankfully, I had an excellent ring steward, who really helped me and made sure my first experience judging at Crufts ran as smoothly as possible.
So, would I like to judge again? Absolutely! It was such an amazing experience, and it’s been an honour to have the opportunity to judge such an incredible event with BASC, but for next year, the transition will be back from judging to showing.
It seems I’ve now gone full circle, and I look forward to future opportunities in the showing, field and judging world.
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Megan Fox
Winner of the 2022 BASC Gamekeepers’ classes at Crufts, with flat-coated retriever Ruger and a judge at the 2026 event.
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