Frenchie Fest: New Forest's biggest dog show returns

If your weekend plans are still open for early October, there is a New Forest fixture worth circling. Frenchie Fest, billed as the New Forest's biggest dog show, is back at Leyfield at the New Forest Showground in New Park, Brockenhurst, on Saturday 3 October, running from 10am to 4pm. It is an independently organised day, and the numbers give you a sense of the scale: organisers are expecting more than 500 people and around 300 dogs through the gates.

The centrepiece is a classic dog show and parade, but the day is built around the French Bulldog. Beyond the ring, there are independent traders, food and treats, and entertainment, with family activities like bouncy castles and face painting for when the dogs have had their fill. The more serious side comes from the talks on Frenchie health, put on in collaboration with the French Bulldog Club of England, which is a welcome addition given the breed's well-known health challenges.

There is a charitable angle too. Ten per cent of ticket sales go to Mast Cell Action, a UK charity supporting people living with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and the event leans into responsible ownership and breeding rather than just the show ring. If you fancy a bit of competition, there is a prize up for grabs: a one-night stay at the Balmer Lawn Hotel and Spa, dinner, breakfast and spa access included, and room for up to two dogs.

If you are travelling from further afield, the organisers have set up accommodation partnerships with Camping New Forest and the dog-friendly Balmer Lawn Hotel and Spa, so you do not have to rush home the moment the gates close at 4pm. It is a compact, single-day event rather than a sprawling festival, which makes it an easy one to drop into for a few hours.

For the uninitiated, the French Bulldog is the star for a reason. A small, muscular companion with a heavy bone structure, a smooth coat, a short face and those unmistakable bat-like ears, the breed is prized for an amiable nature and a balanced temperament. It started in the late 19th century, when Nottingham lace-makers began selectively breeding a smaller toy Bulldog; the first breed club formed in Paris in 1880, and the French Bulldog Club of England followed in 1902. The Kennel Club gave the breed official recognition in the UK in 1906, and by 2015 it had become the third most popular breed in the country.

It is not all show, though. As a brachycephalic and chondrodystrophic breed, Frenchies are prone to respiratory, spinal, skin, dental and eye problems, they overheat easily and need moderate exercise, which is why the health talks are a genuine part of the day rather than an afterthought. The French Bulldog Club of England and The Kennel Club both push responsible breeding, with puppies not leaving the breeder before eight weeks.

Whether you have a Frenchie of your own or just want to see a few hundred of them in one place, it is a gentle, well-meaning day out in the Hampshire countryside. Grab a ticket, bring the family, and leave the dog-sitting to someone else for the day.