First Place in Veteran - Dog, Judge: Mr David Hunt (Ottaswell)
Thank you to the committee of Darlington Dog Show society for inviting me to judge, with special thanks to my sole steward who worked tirelessly throughout the day to keep both me organised and the ring running smoothly. My appreciation also to the exhibitors for their good entry despite having to face the often long and tiring journey home on a Friday afternoon. Thankfully the weather remained dry for my judging however with a constant strong wind blowing this proved testing for exhibitors handling dogs in full coat.
The ring was large with lots of room for the dogs to move, although the grass could have been cut much shorter. In general all exhibits were in reasonable condition, but as always I was surprised to find 3 dogs with incorrect bites being shown at this level. A working terrier should have coat on the undersides but I was surprised to find some with bellies that had obviously been trimmed/shaved to enhance their underlines. No problem temperaments.
9 yr old dark g/tan only just starting to show his age on his strong muzzle. Still has a good bite, nice flat skull and is balanced throughout. I particularly liked his reach of neck and ribs carried well back. In harsh coat and pelt he moved better at the rear than front. BEST VETERAN