Show Placings
Southern Border Terrier Club Members Limited Show
7th Mar 2010
Judge: Mr Neil Straw (Shaolin)
To receive an invitation to judge a Breed Club show is a privilege, therefore I thank the Officers and Committee of the Southern Border Terrier Club for the honour to judge their Member's Limited Show. Thank you to my stewards who kept things running smoothly, but most of all I would like to thank the exhibitor's for a wonderful entry and allowing me to judge your dogs, it was an appointment I had been looking forward to and I thoroughly enjoyed my day. The entry was 165 dogs (18 NFC) making 195 entries, 32 absent with 115 dogs on the ground. It was a quality entry with some tough decisions; I was very pleased with my line up in both sexes.
Some general observations - dentition throughout was very good, with correct size teeth, presentation was of a high standard, however, one area that gave me some concern was front movement, some exhibits that I liked disappointed in this area which reflected in some of my decisions.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Maiden - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
3rd in Minor Puppy, a lovely dog to handle, just so full of mischief but proved in this class that he can concentrate when he wants to, balanced skull, neat well placed ears, good muzzle and bite, well ribbed, good topline and tail carriage, well padded feet, moved freely fore and aft
Novice - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
East Anglia BTC Members Limited Show
21st Mar 2010
Judge: Miss Tracey Peacock (Ragatam)
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
East Anglia BTC Championship Show
18th Apr 2010
Judge: Mrs Trak Fryer (Irton)
I would like to thank the exhibitors for a lovely quality entry, the Club and committee for the appointment and my stewards Simon and Bev Jackson for their efficient help throughout the day. I was generally pleased with the overall quality, heads were good, pelts generally good and movement OK with many very typical exhibits on show. I was disappointed to find a number of poor mouths in the dog entry and to find a few exhibits presented down to the minute but totally lacking muscle, something that I find unacceptable in a dog with the Borders outlook on life.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
A bigger dog, good head with a strong muzzle, nice eye, nice forward angulations, quite well balanced, but totally out of coat, moving OK.
WELKS
25th Apr 2010
Judge: Miss S A Leslie (Risdene)
I started the day with veteran dog followed by some excellent juvenile dog classes which were very enticing. Throughout the day size was sometimes a little difficult to come to terms with when exhibits at the top of the scale were the more shapely and sound but as long as they were spannable they still featured if they had the attributes breed and conformation-wise to do the job they were bred for. Generally I determined that there was no need for a diatribe from yours truly as I found my lovely entry on the whole brought forward much of what I was looking for and I thank exhibitors for that. Just remember while I love a proper double coat I still like a tidy coat! Heads were definitely improved with very few of the stoppy, round eyed exhibits I do not find typical. There were a few strangely grubby ones and some would have benefited from some tlc round their eyes to guard against stray hairs causing irritation. Be that as it may there were some smashing classes with dogs not making the cut that on another day would figure in the reckoning.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Class Critique
Potentially a class of nice puppies headed by
National Dog Show
7th May 2010
Judge: Mr P Bakewell
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
a nicely made pup, nice outline & overall balance, good head, dark eye, good front & forequarters, nice shoulder, OK in body, good hindquarters, moved well
Bath Campionship Show
28th May 2010
Judge: Mrs Melanie Lewis
Thank you to the exhibitors for an extremely nice entry and for the sporting manner in which my decisions were accepted. A warm sunny day with a welcome breeze made conditions ideal. A bonus was the neatly mown grass in the ring which was ideal to assess movement. I was fortunate to have two extremely efficient Stewards who ensured the smooth running of the ring, enabling me to finish my task in good time, despite a delay in the start of judging.
On the whole I was pleased with the exhibits presented to me which were clean, although many lacked the correct double jacket that the standard asks for. Front movement is still a concern as indeed was the variation in the size of some of the exhibits. Heads generally were good although some exhibits were rather heavy in ear. Temperament’s were excellent, just one or two not too keen on being handled on the table. Two exhibits had teeth missing and I found a couple with incorrect dentition.
Feet can tell you a lot about a dog and its lifestyle. The standard asks for feet to be small with firm pads. Flat feet not helped by long nails are most undesirable and indeed would be a drawback if the dog was carrying out the task for which he was originally bred. Scissor marks unfortunately were very much in evidence on some exhibits which spoilt their overall appearance.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Three Counties Agricultural Society
10th Jun 2010
Judge: Mr G Corish
Was delighted to watch my BOB go G4 & my BP go PG1
Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
nice for type. Not quite the shoulder of 1. OK for head type, neat ears, good front. Would have liked a bit more body on him but they can be difficult at this age
Southern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
12th Jun 2010
Judge: Mr J Bainbridge (Risdene)
A pleasing entry of 231 dogs with 55 absent on the day made for a representative entry without the classes being over sized. Generally the classes produced good winners none of whom looked out of place in the final line-ups. All were spannable and generally those in the cards were correct in this respect. Most exhibitors probably know by now what I look for in a typical Border Terrier and this was generally evident in today's entry.
Dog CC and BIS Hobholt Harrier JW (Mrs M A Wallace) such a lithe, mature 4 year old grizzle dog of impressive outline in super double coat and thick pelt, well presented, has a correctly proportioned otter head with keen expression, good length of neck into well laid shoulders, straight narrow front, ribbed back body into racy rear quarters which he used to move out well with long loping stride that is so economical for a dog that could go all day and get anywhere when required.
Dog RCC Brumberhill Blue Tempest (Mr S A McPherson) super outline and so well made throughout, and well presented in good coat and moved out well to take this award, just loved him for type.
BCC and RBIS, Brumberhill Breeze (Mr S A McPherson) in full, double grizzle coat and well conditioned. She has a super well balanced head, keen expression, terrific outline with correct flowing topline and well carried back ribs, shows a good underline, this bitch won the CC after much deliberation as all 3 bitches under consideration met the standard well and were active in movement and would have been worthy CC winners but today maturity held sway.
RBCC Yeomeadow Heather for Tyrian (Mrs K Dean). A lovely B/T bitch who was on top form today and has an excellent otter head and expression which finally decided the RCC over the yearling bitch winner.
BP Cobstoneway River Magic (Miss C Spencer) a mature dog puppy, shown in good coat and condition, well made throughout with good otter head and body lines, moved so well with long free gait to clinch this award.
BV CH Gameway Kiwi JW (Mrs P Clark) who was not showing his years, well presented in good coat and looking his best and a worthy champion
Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
a smart puppy that is coming along well, is narrow in body with racy quarters, in good double coat, preferred typical head and expression to
Novice - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
East of England Championship Dog Show
10th Jul 2010
Judge:
Thanks to exhibitors for the entry, which thankfully, was undercover on such a very hot day.
I was surprised at the size of the Minor Puppy dogs, which were up to size at such a tender age. I was disappointed at the lack of foot and claw care on some exhibits ? feet not properly trimmed and claws much too long for a working breed or any breed shown at a Championship show. Shaved bellies are becoming more evident - why? It's obvious and unattractive. There were too many single coated exhibits, and not enough clean ones. I was pleased with my winners.
Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
Bigger dog than the winner with a pleasing head, good eye shape and colour and good ear set. Shown in harsh jacket but not as positive on the mover as the winner.
Leeds Championship Show
24th Jul 2010
Judge: Mrs F A Somerfield
A good entry with lots of quality Borders in both sexes. It was the last time I shall judge the breed at this level & I enjoyed every minute. It was particularly pleasing to see how much movement had improved since the last time I judged.
Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
nicely balanced head, good neck, shoulders & front, nice topline. Could be little better coupled
Novice - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Midland BTC Championship Show
1st Aug 2010
Judge: Small & Baxter
I thoroughly enjoyed the day judged outside at Asfordby. The weatherman certainly smiles as all the Club’s Championship Shows to date have been blessed with clear sky’s. Thanks to the committee for the invite, to my two Stewards on the day, for the wonderful roast lamb lunch, but not least, to the exhibitors for giving me the opportunity of assessing your Border Terriers. Thanks for coming. (Judge: Mr A Small)
Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
strong headed grizzle, dark eye, correct bite, narrow front, good spannable body, bit of an extrovert & played his handler up, lots to like about him
Graduate - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Welsh Kennel Club
21st Aug 2010
Judge: Mrs D Townsend
Thank you to everyone for a very enjoyable day, it's always a privilege for me to go over other people's dogs. I was pleased with my class winners but overall I felt that the quality of exhibits was somewhat mixed; movement was good but I have to lament the untypical Border heads that are present together with the high number of single coats
Puppy - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Novice - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Darlington Dog Show Society
17th Sep 2010
Judge: Mr M King
Junior - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
nice outline to this young dog, good straight front, very good head, good jacket & loose pelt. Did not always help himself, but when settled moved true
Driffield Championship Dog Show
2nd Oct 2010
Judge: Mr P J Greenaway
Junior - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
grizzle, somewhat on the leg. In individual components pleased in head, neck, topline, angulation & movement
Midland BTC Open Show
21st Nov 2010
Judge: Mrs K Newsome (Kighills)
I would like to thank the Midland Border Terrier Club for inviting me to judge, it was a great honour to be asked. I would like to say a big thank you to the exhibitors who gave me the opportunity to go over their dogs. I would also like to say many thanks to my stewards for the day Margaret Bailey and Chris Wallace, they were a big help to me and kept everything running smoothly throughout the day. I was told that for the November show that the entry was very good, having 120 entries and a total entry of 165 minus absentees.
The overall quality was good and I had some hard decisions. Temperaments were very good. I was pleased to see good mouths with correct bites and good large teeth, only a couple were found with poor teeth development and incorrect bites. My only criticism on the day would be that not enough attention is being paid to the dog's feet and nails. However, I really enjoyed my day and was very pleased with my winners.
Graduate - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
Good strong head with correct scissor bite, narrow in front and good top line and tidy feet and was easy to span. Moved well when he settled.
Post Graduate - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Ladies Kennel Association
12th Dec 2010
Judge: Mr. Frank Nicholls (Halcus)
My thanks go to the exhibitors who provided an excellent entry in spite of the appalling weather conditions in many parts of the country recently, and the almost inevitable problems to be expected on the M6 motorway. Good quality dogs were present in most classes and I was pleased with both line ups for the CC?s. Coats were generally pretty good with just a few taken out for that ?other show?, and one or two soft coats. I found movement again a problem with a good percentage knitting or pinning at the front, and a lack of drive from the rear. The open dog and junior bitch classes were of the highest quality and some excellent exhibits went away cardless.
RDCC
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Junior - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
Presents workmanlike picture without exaggeration, a good border head and expression, good neck, clean shoulders, narrow straight front, correct length of back and well set tail, good angulation at the rear, good coat and pelt, moved true front and back driving well from behind. Res.CC.
Manchester Dog Show Society
20th Jan 2011
Judge: Professor S P Dean (Tyrian)
A curate's egg day with some great border terriers and some disappointments too. My winners were typical and not only had the heads to win but moved soundly and had the coat and pelt so desirable in the breed. On the downside, although bites were generally good, there are too many with pathetically weak teeth and several with shoulders set too far forward so they looked narrow but had no fore-chest at all. A terrier needs fore-feet under its chest.
I was looking for borders that were soundly made and could therefore cover ground and I found them but there are some with short choppy actions. However I do not intend to be too pessimistic for the breed put on a good show today and there were some really promising youngsters in the puppy classes. Thank you to those who exhibited dogs with the typical thick harsh coat and pelt, these were all much appreciated.
Junior - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell
Placing Critique
17 m.o. Smartly presented with strongly made head showing strength throughout, larger ears than 1. With reach of neck and sloping shoulder a greater turn of stifle would complete the picture. In hard condition and moved well . The harsh jacket was pleasing.
National Terrier
2nd Apr 2011
Judge: Mrs Hilary Gilpin
Yearling - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
East Anglia BTC Championship Show
17th Apr 2011
Judge: Miss Julie Price
Mid Limit - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Placing Critique
A good shaped dog, racy and lean, His head was quite pleasing under all his facial furnishings. Quite a tall dog but of correct proportions, nice shoulders and length of rib, level top line and nice bend of stifle. Movement Ok.
Scottish Kennel Club
20th May 2011
Judge: Mr. David Hunt (Ottaswell)
Thanks go to the committee of the Scottish Kennel Club for inviting me to judge for the first time north of the border, Special thanks to my stewards on the day Messrs Goudie & Jackson for organising the ring so efficiently and ensuring everything ran smoothly during my judging. Good stewards are a welcome bonus for any judge. Despite the disappointing weather, thanks also to the exhibitors who attended and for giving me the second highest breed entry of the whole show.
With a large ring and mown grass, I was able to see the dogs move accurately. In general I thought the bitches were stronger than the dogs, but was pleased with all my class winners, and thought my CC winners a credit to the breed. Size was generally good with only a couple being difficult to span. As always coats were at various stages but I was surprised to find 2 very undershot bites in mid range classes.
Yearling - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Placing Critique
Has a head of good proportions with strong jaw, scissor bite and wide set eyes. Good reach of neck leads into well angulated shoulders. Correct amount of bone on a straight front. Good body length and short tail. Had the best coat in this class and moved OK.
Bath Championship Show
27th May 2011
Judge: Mr B Rodgers
Limit - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Three Counties
8th Jun 2011
Judge: Mr Ron Wheatley
Thanks for the large and interesting entry. Although quality was variable there were many good entries to examine. Most were of a good size and generally coats were good, feet very variable, particularly hind ones. Although many moved out with drive, movement in many others was a concern. Many would benefit from more exercise and muscle development. There was only 1 kinked tail and mouths were mainly good. Finally, please realise that if you bait your exhibit on the table the judge can't see it!
Limit - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Placing Critique
good head, nice size with good coat and pelt, moved well
Border Union
18th Jun 2011
Judge: Mr Tony Tomlinson
Limit - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Class Critique
A strong class, placings could change any time.
East of England
10th Jul 2011
Judge: Mrs Kate Irving
The entry of 141 was a pleasing one for these days and I thank exhibitors for their entries. By and large I was pleased by the coats of many exhibits and though some were rather short of coat, coat texture was generally speaking quite pleasing. Presentation however left a good deal to be desired in many instances Hindquarters were good in the main. But once again my view was that fronts in the breed require much more attention than they are being given by either breeders or judges. It seems to me that we have in the breed various front faults, mostly I think coming from poor shoulders. There are flicking fronts, loaded fronts, high stepping fronts, horseshoe fronts, bowed fronts and so on and not enough of the dogs have fronts which fit the standard. In the main I was satisfied that there were many more typical heads and expressions than on some previous occasions when I have judged
DCC and Best of Breed went to ORANGEBOX FIRECRACKER (MR M & MRS T ANSCOMBE) a dog with a very pleasing head and expression, good skull and correct eye and ears to complete the picture. He has a good neck and typical outline and is well proportioned with a good tailset. He is OK for size and was shown today in plenty of coat. Moved out really well and scored for showmanship. He has a good deal of quality and type about him.
BCC went was won by BANDICOOT JAZZ (MR G E & MRS V L K DOCWRA) a bitch with an excellent head and a lovely typical expression. She is up to size and was shown in pretty full coat today. She moved very well in front and behind. She shows very well indeed and presented an excellent picture all round. She too has a great deal of breed type and quality and has good body lines and scope.
Best Puppy went to the dog OLDERHILL AFORTUNADO (MRS S WILSON) a very typey dog which excels in head and has a really good eye and expression. He is very good in topline and tailset. I thought that he was good in shoulder and presented a good typical picture all round.
Limit - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Leeds Championship Show
24th Jul 2011
Judge: Mrs Beverley Barber
Thank you for your lovely entry at this fine venue. Thanks also to my efficient and helpful stewards without which we wouldn’t have a show! My main aim when judging is to find a dog that fits as near the breed standard as is possible ,but must have overall good dog conformation. It must be balanced standing and also, most definitely, when it is on the move. This is a hard task because the perfect dog in any breed has yet to be found. When judging on this occasion I did manage to find dogs that had good front angulation, allowing the necessary reach to cover the ground, coupled with adequate rear angulation to give drive to the assembly and so presented a good picture on the move with no change to the dog’s appearance. I had very few short stepping, short backed dogs with such poor construction that the rear becomes noticeably higher than the shoulder when they are on the move. Heads, as always, were very varied, some mouths were out of line, there were some missing premolars which if this perpetuates will alter the head shape. Feet were mostly thick and neat, coats varied and undercoats were in the main a little sparse, but in view of the winter we have just had they have probably spent a long time shedding them. All the dogs I judged today I could span, although chest shape was not always correct. Thank you to all exhibitors for allowing me the privilege of judging your dogs, which I enjoyed immensely.
Limit - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Placing Critique
Another fine dog. Just a shade larger than 1 but again a pleasure to judge and go over. Superb head , correct mouth, big teeth, good reach of neck. Front and rear angulation good with length to loin and strong topline. Superb on the move. Again turned out in fine fettle.
Class Critique
Excellent class, my five placed dogs excelled when on the move, and could easily change places on another day, they were a privilege to judge.
Darlington Championship Show
16th Sep 2011
Judge: Mrs Nancy Hogg
My thanks go to the exhibitors who showed their dogs under me. I was very pleased with my entry, both numerically and depth of quality of the exhibits. The ring was large, even and the grass cut very short. I had two very able stewards and the predicted rain stayed away. What more could I ask for ?.
On the whole the presentation was good although some dogs lacked condition. Temperaments were good. Coats were variable. I found one kinked tail, one wrong mouth but more than a few small teeth.
Limit - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Yorks, Lancs & Cheshire BTC Championship Show
24th Sep 2011
Judge: Mrs Marie Sharp
My thanks to the Committee for their hospitality, and to the stewards, Anita Harrison and Kevin Green who kept everything running smoothly. I always read the Standard before judging and decide where my priorities will lie. This time, I decided that for an essentially working terrier, narrow, lithe bodies are a must, not forgetting those features which distinguish a Border Terrier. Indeed most Borders are narrow when compared with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, for instance, but far too many in this entry were too broad in the chest to be able to follow a fox to ground. When the chest is wider than my hand, it is far too wide. Going to ground is but one part of a working terrier’s life - he has to cover rough ground so needs sufficient length of leg, and a flexible loin to enable him to gallop, getting his hind quarters under his body. Following a horse is no walk in the park, it requires stamina - lung capacity which comes from sufficient length of ribcage. One word in the Standard always causes me trouble – “but” in the sentence “Head like that of an otter, but moderately broad in skull..” I found lots of otter shaped heads, a few with too much stop, few with too short a muzzle, so on the whole heads pleased me.
RDCC
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Open - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Placing Critique
G/t youngster of great promise. Loved him for type. Well made throughout - everything correct. Moved soundly if a little erratically. When rushed in to challenge for the Res CC, he was not settled but had done enough to win the Res CC.
Midland Border Terrier Club Open Show
20th Nov 2011
Judge: Mrs Anne Heathcote (Saxheath)
I thoroughly enjoyed my day and thank all the exhibitors for the lovely entry. The depth of quality was a pleasant surprise and it would seem that the breed is in good hands.
Open - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Placing Critique
3 lovely dogs with little to choose between them. Liked this one?s strong head, good mouth with big teeth, racy lines with good reach of neck, correctly ribbed back, strong loin and well set carrot tail. Plenty of coat covering a well muscled body.
Ladies Kennel Association
10th Dec 2011
Judge: Mrs Sarah Dandy
I was delighted with both my dog and bitch line ups, from a numerically strong entry of 181 dogs all were worthy winners, from very well contended classes, with several really promising youngsters. Temperaments were uniformly sound which is of great importance in any breed
Open - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Manchester Championship Dog Show
19th Jan 2012
Judge: Mrs F A Somerfield
Open - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Crufts
11th Mar 2012
Judge: Mr Stewart McPherson (Brumberhill)
It was a great honour to be invited to judge at Crufts, possibly the pinnacle of anyone’s judging career. My thanks must go to the exhibitors for the entry of 264 dogs, making 304 entries, by far the largest entry for a single judge in the Group, which made for a very long day. Thanks also, must, go to my Stewards, Kim Lathaen and Eddie Bishop, for their efficient services, which ensured we finished just in time for my BOB to make the Terrier Group.
I last judged the Breed at LKA, just over three years ago. This was always going to be an interesting entry, after my preamble then, which was a bit “fire and brimstoneâ€, where I stated my deep concerns about the, in my opinion, untypical heads that were creeping into the Breed, gradually being accepted, as being correct, particularly the excessively broad skulls and high set ears. Therefore, knowing my preference for the otter like, MODERATELY broad skull, asked for in the Standard, I have to say, not without a little amusement, the “lollipop on a stick†type “Teddy Bear†heads with deep stops were almost conspicuous by their absence today!
While upper arm length was a major problem last time, in the younger classes, I found far fewer today that were totally unable to stand with their front legs underneath them, perpendicular to the floor, which, hopefully, was a good sign that Breeders are recognising and attempting to remedy the problem.
Movement, on the whole was pretty acceptable, behind especially. Front, maybe not quite as good, a small minority being rather less than accurate, flicking out, or toeing in. Most covered plenty of ground on the move.
The majority were spannable.
Most were in good, harsh coat, or evidence of texture coming through. I realise it’s the start of the show season, so those short of coat weren’t unduly penalised. My reasoning being, that, coats are transitory, whereas poor conformation will always be poor conformation, regardless of the wrapping.
I know they are a working Terrier, but, I have to say, considering the occasion, I was shocked at how dirty some of the dogs were. Some were thick with grease and would certainly have benefited from a bath, if only for their own comfort!
I was very pleased with both my line ups in the challenge for the CC’s, indeed, the first three in most classes. I felt that they all fitted my interpretation of the Standard and could, if required, do the job of a working Terrier.
Mid Limit - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Class Critique
Three good dogs headed this class.
Scottish Kennel Club
19th May 2012
Judge: Mr John Bainbridge
A small but interesting entry with many good quality exhibits a pleasure to judge after the challenge of my previous two huge entries. The BOB and Dog CC winners are excellent examples of the breed with otter head, good length neck into well laid shoulders, correct length of body, flowing top line, well ribbed back into strong loin and well angulated rear quarters, short hocks and good feet, narrow throughout and spannable making for a dog that can run with the horse and go to ground on arrival. Both were in double full coats but the bitch presented better in hers and relaxed in the final challenge to show her full quality to take BOB.
Open - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Southern Counties Championship Show
2nd Jun 2012
Judge: Mr Geoff Corish
A lovely entry. I thoroughly enjoyed judging the breed again & was able to find some lovely Borders. It was a great pleasure to watch my BOB go G4 as well.
Open - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Northern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
17th Jul 2012
Judge: Mrs. A. C. Fryer (Irton)
My thanks to the Northern Club for the opportunity to judge their 40th Championship show and for their wonderful hospitality; to the exhibitors for giving me such a lovely entry and to my stewards Doreen Rushby & Tracy Peacock for their assistance through the day.
I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my day, as we expect from this club there was a wonderful atmosphere all day with good support for the winners and, of course, very impressive rosettes!
I was pleased with the entry and thought the Veteran class outstanding. In general exhibits were good types of Border, presented clean and reasonably well muscled. I dislike over handling and excessive stacking of exhibits, these are working terriers and if made right they will – eventually – stand right. In general heads were typical, some with excellent expressions. Coats, of course, were all over the place but where present were of good quality and in the main pelts were OK with some very good examples. Feet generally were OK but good tight well padded feet were definitely in the minority. Similarly ears were generally OK but small, well set, well shaped thick ears were scarce. Tails and tailset were very much a plus with some very good examples, just a few rather long or thin ones. I was pleased to find enough well made dogs who covered their ground cleanly without fuss and flicking but good movement was definitely one of the major problems, particularly in the bitches.
Shoulder placement was a problem in a significant number of exhibits, mostly these were upright shoulders out at the withers giving big problems with front movement. These may look good standing but these dogs are not sound on the move, a vital requirement for a Border.
I accept that an older dog can lose teeth or have a bite move but I was disappointed to find a number of young dogs with incorrect bites, missing and broken teeth. I thought a number of heads were weak, particularly across the jaw and these seem to go with rather small teeth, I wonder if these are related problems?
Mid Limit - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Placing Critique
I very much like this dog but he was not helping his handler today. A bigger type, lovely head & expression, good neck running into an excellent shoulder, good bone with good rib, in an excellent coat, moving well if a bit anxious.
The Midland Border Terrier Club Championship Show
5th Aug 2012
Judge: Nicholls & Dean
*Dog Critique*
An excellent entry at this my first club championship show. There were quality exhibits in all classes and overall, if this entry can be used as a yardstick, the dogs are now almost as good as the bitches, which couldn’t be said only a short while ago. This must bode well for the future of the breed.
I have been very critical of movement in the past, but I found a distinct improvement here and most of the class card winners had good parallel movement going away and back, and plenty of drive with economical front action. Coats were generally very good and heads were much improved with only a few weak snipey muzzles and apple skulls.
Many thanks to my hard working stewards, Sharon Pickering and Ray Bryan, who succeeded in keeping me out of trouble.
*Bitch Critique*
A very satisfying day, I had many good bitches to go over. My thanks to the MBTC for the invitation to judge and to the exhibitors for entering. All were capable of being spanned, there was a good number of typical jackets and overall quality was such that this was a factor in the placings. No bad mouths and many with good strong teeth. Construction has improved but be careful not to overdo the hind angulation and remember we look for narrow fronts. A few round ears and several larger than I prefer. Racy lines preferred but be careful as some lacked substance. I though the principal winners were all very good. BIS, RBIS and BOS were all worthy winners.
Limit - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Class Critique
5 good card winners.
Paignton & District FA
7th Aug 2012
Judge: Miss Rebecca Barber (Alcumlow)
I would like to thank the committee for their hospitality, I thoroughly enjoyed my day. Thank you to all of the exhibitors for giving me such a good entry of quality dogs. I judge according to the breed standard and I felt that my winners today were extremely fitting.
RDCC
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Open - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Placing Critique
Another quality male, grizzle dog, good head shape, keen expression and strong jaw. In excellent coat with a nice thick pelt. Good front angulation and enough depth of chest. Correct topline held well on the move. Moved out very well, RDCC.
Darlington Championship Show
14th Sep 2012
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.
Limit - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Yorks, Lancs & Cheshire Border Terrier Club Championship Show
29th Sep 2012
Judge: Mrs Janet Lee (Tythrop)
My thanks to the officers & committee for their invitation & hospitality , I thoroughly enjoyed my day with them , the border folk & their dogs .Thanks too to my stewards for the day who kept the ring running smoothly . It is 28 years since I attended my 1st YLCBTC Ch show , watching Ch Dandyhow Crofter gain his title & Ch Thistycroft Candlelight take top honours . I remember clearly the heavy fall Ted Hutchinson had due to lack of mats , thankfully no-one slipped today , though some dogs did.
For me the most important sentence is ˜essentially a working terrier” I fully appreciate a gorgeous otter head & all breed details , but the common factor of all terriers pedigree & crossbreed who go to ground is that they are narrow fronted & eminently spannable , having a flat rib, this is a flattish egg shape , never slab-sided , well sprung nor barrel chested , all equally faulty in a Border . If the frame is too big by being either too deep &/or sprung they will get stuck & die underground as not all places are diggable . I was taught they should resemble a lightweight hunter , legs slightly longer than depth of body & ˜fairly long in body”, i.e. longer wither to end of loin than wither to elbow with no trace of brisket below elbow . These essentials plus positive straight scopy movement were uppermost today . I have no colour prejudice nor pedigree preference at all.
Temperaments were excellent in the ring with only a couple of “outbursts” from outside, a must for a working terrier is an equable nature . All males were entire . A few misplaced teeth & tail faults which would not affect work but do pass on to progeny . Untypical round eyes often too close together are prone to damage & ulceration working , & give a surprised foreign look rather than kind in repose & keen when alert correct expression . Quite a few ran down to the shoulders being either short in foreleg &/or steep in croup . Was pleased my winners have enough scope & soundness to get there & handled well enough in rib & front to be able to get in & more importantly , back out again.
Limit - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Placing Critique
Top size masculine rangier light grizzle of 3 . Powerful head with good length of skull , kind dark eye & big teeth a shade heavy in ear. Narrow shoulders , straight bone & good feet . Good length of rib , racy hind angulation with well set longer tail . Needs a larger ring or to be out on grass as he moved with pistoning front action & very wide behind today as though overly contained .
South Wales Kennel Association
13th Oct 2012
Judge: Mr David Fryer (Irton)
Not a numerically strong entry, but plenty of quality – I had no difficulty finding enough good ‘uns. The Border Terrier standard is short on detail, and needs interpretation. I see the key to that interpretation to be in the first two lines of the standard – ‘Essentially a working terrier‘, and ‘capable of following a horse, combining activity with gameness‘. It is further necessary to fully understand that the work the terrier is expected to do, is to go to ground to bolt a fox; that the horse in question is typically a sturdy hill pony, and the ground to follow it over is typically rough, upland country such as the Cheviots or North Pennines. Hence a sturdy dog is required, with enough scope and length to move economically on rough ground, enough lung and heart room to do it at speed all day, yet small enough to follow a fox to ground. Too short, or too narrow or sprung in the rib will not do this; nor will steep shoulders or under- or over-angulated hind quarters. Coat and pelt must be fit to protect from both weather and fox; quality is of more importance than grooming. Other than one senior citizen with missing teeth (understandable), a few exhibits with chipped teeth (no problem) and several with bites no better than level (not incorrect, merely undesirable), I found no bad mouths. All males were entire.
Limit - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Class Critique
Very good class, could have used more cards!
Scottish Border Terrier Club Championship Show
10th Nov 2012
Judge: Professor A S Milton (Baillieswells)
It was a real pleasure to be invited to judge this show. Having been a member of the Club since its beginning, it was great to come back to Selkirk, to what I have always regarded as my ‘home’ club. There was the usual happy atmosphere, and everything was so well run.
As to the exhibits, I was impressed with the overall quality of the coats, so many with really harsh substantial topcoats and warm undercoats. Several exhibitors seemed to have had difficulty with the hairs around the neck. I know that they grow in different directions, but it is possible with hard work to get an even look. Borders should not be shown with a ruff. Many tails had not been stripped properly, not being tidy and not flowing from the end of the back. Some even had feathering on the underside. I wish exhibitors would not push the tail upright so that it is vertical to the spine.
They are not Airedales, and it spoils the topline. Front movement was very varied, but cow hocks were almost absent. Teeth were good. Far too many, in my opinion, were too big, and I had difficulty in spanning them. (Though looking back in the literature, this has been a complaint since the beginning of the breed!)
Mid Limit - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chesterton Top Hat And Tails By Kersfell JW
Placing Critique
Good all round dog. Attractive head. Excellent topline, straight front, well angulated hind legs. Moved well.
