Top dog: Melbourne Borzoi wins best in breed at Crufts

Melbourne breeder Kay Sneath has realised a five decade dream to bring a dog to Crufts, and he won.

Melbourne-based Borzoi, five year old Kohl, gets a congratulatory ear rub after winning best in breed at the prestigious British dog show, Crufts, in Birmingham on Thursday, March 6, 2025 Photo: Jacquelin Magnay

Australia’s rock star champion dog Kohl, a Borzoi, fended off a 122 strong international field to win the prestigious Crufts best of Borzoi breed competition on Thursday, getting a huge round of a-paws.

Melbourne-based Borzoi, five year old Kohl, after winning best in breed at the prestigious British dog show, Crufts, in Birmingham on Thursday, March 6, 2025 Photo: Jacquelin Magnay

Kohl, with his aristocratic bearing, looked pretty chuffed, and it was his Melbourne owner Kay Sneath who was in tears, having realised a five decade dream to show a dog, let alone win at the competition considered the world’s best. “It’s unbelievable,’’ says Ms Sneath who was first introduced to the breed as a child when her parents had Borzoi dogs.

Melbourne-based Borzoi, five year old Kohl, gets a congratulatory hug from owner Kay Sneath (r) and handler Gerald Munro (l) after winning best in breed at the prestigious British dog show, Crufts, in Birmingham. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

“I used to spend my pocket money buying dog magazines, months out of date by the time they arrived from England and Crufts was the most famous of them all, it was a dream of mine to come out one day and show one of my dogs,’’ she said.

Border collie Franklin Awesome takes a huge leap towards the tyre tube in the agility contest. Photo: Jacquelin Magnay

Asked what made Kohl so special, Ms Sneath said: “he’s perfect, he’s a fabulous dog, he has a fabulous temperament. You can’t imagine doing this trip all the way from Australia with a dog that was anything other than very laid back and easy going. He’s done all that flying and stayed in hotel rooms and he just takes it all in his stride”.

Whippets on their way for judging. Photo: Jacquelin Magnay

Kohl is considered the number one dog in Australia, having won best in breed at the most recent Canberra Show.

Five year old Kohl had to undergo rigorous tests before being allowed out of Australia, and for his overseas venture will have to submit to quarantine upon his return.

The Borzoi breed used to be known as Russian sighthounds and were popular with the Russian Tsars before the 1917 revolution when they were nearly wiped out.