Under the glare of the NEC arena lights, a yellow Labrador called Trieymoedd Snipes Whisper Clyde stood calm and alert as applause swelled — a simple, sure moment that crystallised why so many come to see crufts winners. Four and a half year-old Clyde, handled by Amber Williams and co-owned with gamekeeper Harry Lewis, took top honours in the BASC gamekeeper classes on Gundog Day, while elsewhere in the halls thousands of other competitors were still arriving for the three-day event.
Crufts Winners on Gundog Day
The gamekeeper classes showcase dogs that spend the season working on shoots, and Clyde’s triumph — the Northesk Memorial Trophy and the title of Best in Gamekeeper Classes — came after a day of close judging and lively competition. Amber Williams described the dog as a “gentle giant” and spoke of a season spent working: “I can’t believe it. He is just brilliant, both in the shooting field and in the show ring. He just loves doing what he’s doing. He has had a fabulous season and has been out nearly every day. He has spent 60-plus days picking up, he absolutely loves it. We have had an amazing day. ”
From arrivals to the main ring: what the day revealed
The win for Clyde arrived against the backdrop of a show swollen with entries. More than 18, 600 canines travelled to the NEC, with 18, 698 expected to contest a program that ranges from breed classes to agility, freestyle heelwork to music and flyball. The breadth of participation — including thousands of international entries — framed Clyde’s achievement as part of a much larger gathering where working partnership, breed type and temperament are all tested in public view.
For organisers and advocates of working gundogs, the classes are a chance to make the connection between field performance and public appreciation visible. The trophy was presented by The Marquess of Hamilton, BASC president, who said the day had crowned “a truly wonderful overall winner of BASC’s gamekeeper classes. He’s a superb looking dog who really knows what he’s doing and is clearly from great stock. ” Glynn Evans, BASC’s head of game and wildlife management, emphasised the human–dog partnership at the heart of the classes: “The standard of dogs in the gamekeeper classes this year was excellent. These are working dogs that spend the season in the field, and Crufts gives keepers and handlers the chance to show the quality of those dogs to a wider audience. What stands out is the partnership between handler and dog. That relationship, built through training and work on the shoot, is what these classes are all about. ”
What the result means and what comes next
For Amber Williams and Harry Lewis, the win is a step forward after finishing second in the same class last year; for Clyde it is recognition of a season of work and a temperament that carries from the shooting field into the show ring. The day also reinforced the role of major events in spotlighting the skills and value of working dogs to a broad public: the mixture of competition, demonstrations and displays invites engagement from spectators who might not otherwise see these gundogs at work.
Across the halls, handlers of varied breeds prepared for their own moments under the lights. The sheer number of entrants — with thousands travelling from abroad to take part in classes that test both form and function — underpins the international reach of the event and the ongoing appetite for showcasing canine partnerships. For trainers and keepers, the day offers both recognition and a platform to promote best practice in training and fieldwork.
Back in the arena
As the spotlight moved on and the crowds prepared for the next set of competitions, Clyde lingered in the memory not simply as a trophy winner but as a portrait of a working relationship: steady, athletic and unshowy in its affection. Amber’s final words on the presentation — “We have had an amazing day” — echoed through the emptying corridors, a quiet reminder that behind every one of the crufts winners on the scoreboards sits months of routine, commitment and a partnership that is as human as it is canine. Whether spectators left inspired to learn more about working breeds or competitors returned to continue their routines, the scene at the NEC closed on a note of continuity: the work goes on, and the next season already waits.
