2023 Crufts winners: 12 photos of cute & unusual breeds as Best in Show named as Orca the Lagotto Romagnolo

Crufts 2023 has named its best show and other winners to the delight of dog lovers worldwide.

The show took place in Birmingham with entrants from all over the UK and beyond, including various entrants from Greater Manchester such as Jacob Kenwright, a six-year-old from Bolton who exhibited his Jack Russell Jemima.

Competition was fierce to claim the top prize of best in show but the finalists for best in show were whittled down across the categories to Orca the Lagotto Romagnolo (Gundog), Archie the Dobermann (working), Blondie the English Sheepdog (Pastoral), Blanca Wire Fox Terrier, Paris the Irish Wolfhound (Hounds), Jake the Standard Poodle (Utility) and Dublin the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Toy).

The overall winner was named as Orca, whose handler Javier Gonzalez Mendikote travelled all the way to Birmingham from Croatia to claim the crown on behalf of owners Sabina Zdunić Šinković and Ante Lučin.. It was quite a departure from the Crufts 2022 winner who was a Baxer, a flat-coated retriever.

Lagotto Romagnolo dogs were originally bred in Italy to hunt ducks, and its name means curly coated retriever. The breed was recognised by the Italian Kennel Club in 1991 according to the Kennel Club.

Here are 12 great photos of the Crufts 2023 winners and entrants including Orca.