Baby John Hughes with his St Bernard, Moltie Mallone at Cruft's dog show at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, London on Feb. 10, 1937. (Becker/Fox Photos/Getty Images)

The world’s largest dog show, Crufts, kicked off in Birmingham, England on Thursday, but dog lovers have been bringing their prized pooches to the showcase since 1891.

The event, which first started as a dog show celebrating all breeds, including the sporting and hound group, was first held at the Royal Agricultural Hall in the London Borough of Islington.

Crufts rose in popularity over the years, and in 1991 it broke the Guinness World Record for world’s largest dog show, attracting a record 22,993 dog entries.

Click through the photos above to see what the dog show looked like when it first got started.

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Marley, a cross German Shepherd/Border Collie, practices his heel to music routine at Crufts 2013 on March 5, 2013, in Birmingham, England. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)