Third Place in Good Citizen - Bitch, Judge: Mrs. K. Wilkinson (Otterkin)
Thanks to the exhibitors for a super entry of Border Terriers. As I repeatedly say, the shows are about the dogs and the exhibitors and are not held for the benefit of the judges, so I appreciated the honour of going over your dogs. Thanks also to the ring stewards Angie Feildsend and Andrea Caudrelier who kept everything flowing smoothly so that we finished in good time. With an entry of 148 dogs making 159 entries, we had the highest entry in the Terrier Group and what a lovely entry it was that awaited me on 16th December. As my finalists came into the ring for each set of CCs, I thought “I like all these!!”
After the show was over, I was told that the four dogs I had brought together at the top of the ring, when deciding on the Dog CC, were all related to one dog and in fact three of them were by that same dog, one I have often referred to in the past when discussing stud dogs with people, as a dog who consistently puts breed type on his progeny, so I was thrilled to be told that Ch Grindelvald In Full Cry JW sired three of the dogs and was the great grandsire of the fourth and to confirm that in the catalogue later. Congratulations to Mrs Margaret Bailey on breeding and owning a dog who clearly puts his breed type stamp on his progeny.
Unless something changes drastically with the Judges Competency Framework, this will be my last General Championship Show appointment and so, when asking for the name of the dog to whom I had awarded the CC and Best of Breed at the end when I was filling in the Award Cards, it was fitting that I then found out his name was Dassett Last Waltz JW. So pleased to later see him pulled out in the shortcut in the Terrier Group. Good luck for the future.
When this bitch first came into the class, standing alone on one side as a new entry, I thought she would be the easy winner, which she may well have been if she had a little less on the rib, but sadly today had to give way as a little difficult to span. She has the most fabulous otterhead with a keen expression from the darkest of eyes, oozes type and is very sound. Lovely straight front. Ribs carried well back. Good bend of stifle. Excellent tail, well set on. Possesses a cracking coat of the best.