A Tail-Wagging Good Time at DogFest, Ragley Hall

Chloe and Alex with possibly the tiniest dogs at the show! Chihuahuas Bonnie and Bambi. Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

DogFest, the nation’s friendliest dog show at Ragley Hall, 25 & 26 May 2024.

Review by Ann Evans

Big dogs, small dogs, shaggy-haired dogs and sleek dogs, thousands of tail-wagging canines and their owners padded through the colourful archway of the DogFest Show at Ragley Hall over the last weekend in May. On the 10th anniversary of this friendly nationwide fun dog event, the sun shone on the Saturday, and the rain cleared up on the Sunday, providing two fabulous days of doggy fun and frolics for families to enjoy.

Three cuties ready for some fun! Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

Ragley Hall has been the ancestral home of the Seymour-Conway family for 300 years and is home to the Marquess of Hertford. This Palladian mansion set in 450 acres of beautiful parkland overlooked the DogFest Show from its vantage point high on a hill - where there were oodles of activities for dogs and owners to get their teeth into!

Great hand crafted products to be found at DogFest. Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

Such as world-class displays from canine athletes, have-a-go activities, dog shows, demonstrations and displays to watch; stalls offering all kinds of free expert advice and workshops; fabulous shopping with beautiful hand-crafted and unique canine clothing, equipment, accessories, foods and health products.

Mike Tromans mans wife Caron's stall, The Mosaicers - beautiful hand crafted pictures made from recycled china. Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

Specially for the kids was face painting with Paws and Paint, and bungee trampolines, and at the Play Zone dogs who love chasing a ball were in seventh heaven!

Plenty of food and drink stands for us humans offering everything from cocktails and Olde English Fudge to ice cream, fish & chips and pie & mash. And lots of tables, chairs and benches available where you could sit and enjoy your food.

Also making sure the dogs didn’t go thirsty or get overheated, there were mini paddling pools and water bowls everywhere.

Bouncy fun for the kids. Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

The arenas were well spaced out so lots of room for walking doggie guests, allowing for room to meet and greet – or avoid should some of them not see eye-to-eye.

Agility for dogs - and their owners! Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

There was a packed schedule of activities on large colourful notice-boards so you didn’t miss a thing. Such as the fun dog shows and displays. Amongst the 9 classes you could enter your pooch into were: Best Treat Catcher and Dog Who Has Embarrassed Their Owner; ‘Best Rescue and Loveliest Lady; Cool Pup and Golden Oldie. If you’re heading along to a future DogFest, entry is £3 per class.

Heelwork to Music. Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

Other displays included Heelwork to Music that delighted the audience, and thrilling agility competitions where top dogs competed against the clock.

Beating the clock on the agility course. Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

Dogs could stretch their legs – and have a fantastic time on the Hale Bale Racing – a doggy hurdle course with hay bales to leap over.

Yay! Great fun leaping over the hay bales. Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

And for those dogs who love the water, the K9 Aqua Sports was brilliant to watch as eager dogs took turns to leap from a platform into the large swimming pool and doggie paddle to their heart’s content! With an expert canine life saver in the water making sure they were safe and helping them out of the water, it clearly was a great experience for the dogs who gave ‘dock diving’ a go. (https://www.k9aquasports.com)

K9 Aqua Sport. Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

Dogs Trust who are one of the DogFest partners had a number of stands including Dog School, as well as raising awareness to the fantastic work they do, and have done since 1891. (https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/)

Double leap of joy! Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

The opportunity for shopping brought some unique products and included the launch of (at least) two new canine businesses. We met up with The Dog Den, Designed for Your Best Friend. Founded by Sophie Lawson and Callum Cassidy, farmers of Suffolk who were inspired to create a better travel crate for their own dogs – a working cocker spaniel named Margie and a fox-red labrador named Holly who travels a lot with them.

Sophie Lawson and Callum Cassidy, with Margie and their new canine travel crate. Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

They were proud and excited to tell everyone about their brand-new dog travel crate, designed and built in England which is made to protect, safeguard, and secure your canine companion.

Margie is happy to demonstrate the new travel crate. Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

Sophie explained that unlike traditional metal crates, the Dog Den is constructed with high-grade, durable 6cm thick double-walled rotomolded plastic. This provides twice the protection from external forces and acts as a natural insulator, keeping your dog cooler on warm days and warmer on cooler nights. Read their full story and more about this unique canine travel crate on their website. (www.thedogden.co.uk)

Robin and Helena Kay with their official food taster, Hovawaret, Obi. Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

Better Natural Treats was another newly launched business. Robin and Helena Kay of St Albans have created treats that are as wholesome as they are tasty. They are 100% natural low-fat and grain free. The couple explained that their treats reflect their commitment to your pet’s well-being.

Robin said: “We’ve created low fat diet treats, high in protein, really good quality treats. We take pride in being a company that’s not just about treats, we’re about nurturing the bond between you and your pets through products you can trust. Additionally, the packaging is 30% made from recycled material and the rest is recyclable.”

Discover all about their range of products: (https://betternaturaltreats.co.uk)

Dogfest, fun for all the family! Photo (c) Rob Tysall Pro Photography.

A great fun weekend for all the family. And if you missed this Warwickshire event, there are still more DogFests to come in other parts of the country. Here's the list or visit the DogFest website.

Dogfests still to come in 2024:

8 & 9 June 2024 - DogFest Lincolnshire: Burghley House.

15 & 16 June 2024 - DogFest Cheshire: Tatton Park.

31 August & 1 September 2024 - DogFest Bristol: Ashton Court.

7 & 8 September 2024 - DogFest Yorkshire: Harewood House.

21 & 22 September 2024 - DogFest Hertfordshire: Knebworth House.

Get your tickets and discover more: https://www.dogfest.co.uk/