Ravenside Churchill

Referee’s Report: I was asked to make the final decisions for BIS, Res BIS, BOS, and Best Veteran. It was a real pleasure to go over these quality borders. BIS: I thought that the dog Brewster and Green’s Stowthorney Wicker Man JW, and the bitch Irving’s Dandyhow Pandora, were both eye-catching borders though quite different. The dog was very well constructed throughout, with a typical otter-like head, strong muzzle and large teeth. He had good angulation front and rear, moved well, and was in good coat. The bitch was a handy size, with an attractive outline and balanced overall proportions. She also had a thick pelt and correct coat though I think it was not yet at its best. I just favoured the dog for BIS on the strength of his head, his overall outline, and coat on the day. Res BIS: I felt that Tuffin’s Hartswelin Veritas with Oatberry edged it over the bitch for similar reasons to those given above. He shared a lot of qualities with BIS, having a lovely outline and angulation, a good otter-like head, and an excellent coat and pelt. BOS: Irving’s Dandyhow Pandora. Best Veteran: Both veterans were eye-catching and typical borders, with very good coats. The dog, Jackson’s Clipstone Starshine, had a lovely head and expression, and I liked his outline and overall proportions. The bitch, Dean’s Ch Cedarhill Wish Upon a Star, had balanced proportions and she was very well constructed all through. I thought her neat front and shoulders, plus her hind angulation gave her the edge for Best Veteran. Referee: Terence Tuck DOGS My sincere thanks to the MBTC for inviting me to judge the dogs at this show. Also thank you to all the exhibitors for their support. A very convivial atmosphere, it was so good to be out and about with dogs again. The weather did it's best to stay fair, ideal temperature for dog showing. I found movement still to be an issue, particularly front, also small teeth, the odd broken or missing tooth, and some dirty teeth too! Size and weight need to be addressed - some too heavy, the other end of the spectrum, needed a good feed!! Jackets at various stages, good to see some exhibits in full coat, a rarity these days. I was very happy with my winners and pleased the referee agreed in part. BITCHES Many thanks to the club for the invitation to judge, to the exhibitors for a nice entry and my steward Carol Smith for keeping the ring running smoothly. As ever at this show the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly but was tinged today with poignancy by the sad loss of so many of our good friends. I must mention Dawn Bladen who has been a close friend since 1995 when we had a litter brother and sister by my dog. On principle Dawn didn’t show under me so would again have been at the ringside today with her camera. We miss them all and hope to continue to see their families and friends amongst us. There was a noticeable diversity in both type and overall size today. My chief concern was exhibits that came very heavily to hand and often in combination with being very difficult (for a man’s hands) to span. It really needs to be addressed if we are to keep the Border “Essentially a working terrier”, as the standard lays down. There was only one mouth with misplaced teeth and I was especially pleased to find so many otter-like heads. Coats were generally good for texture and depth and good undercoats on thick pelts predominated. B/T jackets were especially harsh and dense and I aplaud the breeders who have achieved this huge improvement compared to the B/Ts of the 90’s. Today tough pads were plentiful but it was a pity that feet on some exhibits appeared to be bigger and flatter than they actually were when this could be easily remedied by trimming. Tails seem to get thinner and longer each time I judge. In this entry we have overcome the problem of kinks that was evident for some years but with the loss of the desired carroty shape and moderately short length which finishes off the typical Border outline. Overall I was pleased to find good fitness and muscle tone plus good condition and only one that needed a good dinner and a couple that had obviously enjoyed too many. I was very happy with my lineup and fully expect to see several going on to the higher honours which they narrowly missed out on today. My colleague judge and I cordially agreed to disagree when it came to the final accolades (in each case having a preference for the sex we had judged) so referee Tez Tuck was kept busy to the very end with his decisions accepted with good grace by the exhibitors.

My thanks to Blackpool & District Canine Society for the invitation to judge BorderTerriers, and thank you to my two very efficient stewards who kept things moving along in the ring. Sadly today, rudeness to the stewards and a lack of sportsmanship seem to be on the increase.

My thanks to the Officers & Committee for inviting me to judge their show , & for the excellent ring stewards Mr Brewster & Mrs Armstrong who made the day run smoothly & kept me going with refreshments ! I enjoyed being with fellow BT fanciers & their dogs , as I always do . I had a very good entry come forward & after such a long time away from the ring , a few were ring rusty & some youngsters were a little overawed , which I considered quite acceptable given so many had missed out on their early education & socialisation & tried to give them opportunity to shine , though a few very nice dogs could have been higher placed but the occasion was too much for them . I found very good examples , but also had some whose construction fell a little short of the standard …….deep unspannable bodies or brisket below elbow standing or on the move on much shorter than their depth legs , forward placed & too little angulation in their fronts due to upright shoulders & short steep upper arms which shorten their strides or make them goosestep , & flat croups with extra high set tails carried like hound sterns ,or conversely short steep croups with low tailsets , often thin & long tails too & some poor downhill or lumpy/hinged toplines became apparent in profile movement , however the most common thing that struck me was how many have too little bone in pasterns & east-west feet when our standard calls for straight legs & good tight feet . As I lift every dog to see how their fronts ‘’drop’’ into place I found lack of bone through pasterns into feet was a common fault today & so some had feet not facing forward naturally . Most came in good condition , but a few were too thin & their pelvic bones were sticking up & they felt shelly with no depth of loin so their rears lacked muscle accordingly , conversely a handful had indulged during lockdown a little too much ! Coats were as ever , mixed , but the top winners all came in very good order with double coats .

Massive Thank You to The Officers & Committee for inviting me to judge your Championship Show today. This club I was a member of in the formative years and have fond memories of the very first Championship Show where I was an exhibitor. It is good to see a club go from strength to strength and the committee worked very hard to put on this event in what has been difficult times to plan ahead. Thank you everyone who entered today and I was honoured with an entry of 150 Dogs, 192 Entries & 0 NFCs. Like every show absentees were inevitable but I hope those present today took my decisions sportingly. A few general observations on todays entry which are my thoughts and because I care so much for this lovely breed. Driving to the venue today was a perfect way to view the countryside where this breed was developed and all could see the rough terrain they would need to work in. It is essential you judge a breed with the work they were bred to do foremost in your mind and learn why they are built the way they were and why the breed standard exists. It is a dog show and we now want to see them clean, healthy and well presented but I was sad to see today several exhibits with very clear evidence of scissor work on the coats and not just on tidying feet etc. Please stop this trend NOW. Several were scissored from hip to hock, no need to do this & does nothing to enhance the dog. Good otter heads were not in abundance today and I witnessed a lot of fly away ears. We have always witnessed the odd one but today quite a number could be seen when the dog was in action & not always on youngsters either. Coats as always were in various stages today but you must judge the dog on the day and find evidence of the correct texture and undercoat which is vital to stop the working dog getting wet through to the skin. Mouths were very good today as where tails which have thankfully improved greatly. Some exhibits in my opinion had lovely conformation however where far too big and long in leg. I though ribs were good with only a few that would be unable to be spanned with the average size hands. I did find today the bitches were more uniform for size so just need to work on the males not becoming big, leggy & heavy.

Crufts has always been a memorable experience for me, from sitting ringside to winning top honours in this breed, and to retire from judging with my last appointment being Crufts was a special occasion. Many thanks to all the exhibitors for the entry of 233 dogs making 257 entries with 28 absentees. It was a long day and with only one steward for almost all of the classes my sincere thanks must go to Robyn Burnett. Plus a special thanks to Judy Carr for stepping in to help Robyn in those last big classes to help us finish just in time to get the BOB to the Group. Also to Joyce Martin the photographer who worked hard throughout the day to get those special pictures, thank you. I enjoyed my day judging but found some of the classes quite challenging. I was pleased with the lineup and my principal winners, but a little disappointed with what I was finding when the dogs came to the table. The standard reads “Head like that of an otter moderately broad in skull and small ears dropping close to cheek” but some were so untypical of our breed with narrow skulls, weak jaws and small teeth, with ears that were too big and standing away from the cheek. In every class there were some that just could not be spanned - being too deep in the chest and strong in the rib. Movement was better behind than in front. Finding dogs with a short upper arm, this not only restricts the movement but when standing almost gives a Fox Terrier type front which I was seeing, to start accepting these deviations as acceptable would be a sad day for our breed as we know it. General condition of the dogs was good, jackets came in all stages mostly acceptable with some good thick pelts. One problem I found today was the baiting of dogs on the table. In some cases it made it hard going for dogs and judge - no need to top and tail and bait all at the same time - personally I just needed the dogs to stand still.

I was very privileged and honoured to judge this excellent show and would like to thank the members of the Border Terrier Club for their invitation, and the committee for their help and hospitality. The committee and members had provided a wonderful range of Specials and mementos to celebrate the Centenary of the Club. Many thanks to my very efficient ring stewards, Carol Mackenzie, and Judy Carr, for their help through a long day. Thanks also to the exhibitors for the large entry of 183 dogs, making 223 entries with 43 absent, which ranged over many types. There was quality in depth in many classes with close decisions. I found no kinky tails, two exhibits with one missing front tooth, and a few bites that had worn even. Coats as might be expected were at different stages, most in good coat and a few with the top just coming through.

Thank you to the WELKS committee for the invitation to judge their show and to my stewards, who did a sterling job, keeping everything moving, to get through the entry. Wasn’t sure what to expect, being on a Monday, in the current financial climate, so was delighted to receive an entry of 126 dogs, making 181 entries, topping the Terrier Group, by quite a margin. Thank you to those exhibitors, for bringing their dogs, and wanting my opinion. There were very few I’d actually judged before, having last judged at Blackpool ’19. We were blessed with a lovely sunny day, and a huge double sized ring, giving everyone full chance to show their dogs to full advantage. I felt it was a high quality entry, especially the bitches, where, I felt, my final bitch challenge line up was one of the best I’ve judged. There were a number of bitches, both there, and in the placings, I have no doubt will gain their crowns, given a fair chance. Main points of concern, as last time I judged, at Blackpool ’19, are still deep stops, with a rounder eye, giving an untypical expression. A few, with this problem, also had tighter, untidy bites, as they were very short in muzzle. A few knobbly tails, some too long, carried high, but most were ok and well carried. On the whole, I thought movement had improved, although still a few high steppers, due to incorrect shoulder and upper arm. Toplines were good, on most. Presentation, on the whole, was good, as most were in good coat, or evidence of texture.

What a great honour it was to be invited to judge the Joint Border Terrier Clubs’ Show in the Border Terrier’s centenary year. Waiting an extra two years did not decrease my excitement for the appointment and my anticipation was richly rewarded with a super entry both in turns of numbers and quality. My critique must start with several expressions of gratitude to those who made this appointment possible and so enjoyable. To the Committee for inviting me to judge at such a prestigious event. It was truly an honour, and the memory of the day will be one I shall treasure. Further the hospitality that myself and my family were shown at the show and the dinner following was much appreciated. We all had a great time. To the show organisers, especially Show Manger Helen Axford, whose organisation and show layout allowed everything to run smoothly even when the weather was a little less than kind to us. To my capable and efficient Stewards Christine Horner and Sharon Pickering. Having you in the ring with me was both supportive and enjoyable.Thank you to the exhibitors for giving me a lovely entry to judge. I enjoyed judging each and every dog whether in the cards or not. I had some tough decisions to make and in the stronger classes five places was insufficient for the depth of quality. A number of dogs I liked very much went cardless. I loved the line up in both my challenges and was able to find the type I wanted in all classes. I was glad to find some super coats and pelts. The changeable late April Border weather and biting wind certainly showed us the importance of these. It left us in no doubt that for a Border Terrier working the Border country in the colder winter months and at higher elevations a good coat is a must. I understand that it is not always possible to present your dogs at a show in the perfect jacket but when out of coat, personally I prefer to see a dog neatly stripped back rather than left with a few top coat hairs. I found three mouths with teeth well out of line and a couple of tails were questionable but overall the quality was excellent.

I’d like the thank the Committee and the Exhibitors for making this a most pleasurable show to Judge. Good sportsmanship prevailed and some good dogs to go over. Thankyou to the Ladies in the kitchen who looked after me making sure we were supplied with excellent food and plenty of it …

First of all I would like to thank the committee for the appointment, the exhibitors for their entry and my stewards for keeping my ring controlled which enabled me to finish judging well in time for the groups. Judy you can steward for me anytime thank you. I was thrilled that my BOB not only won the Terrier Group but went on to Best in Show, my BPIB was placed in the Puppy Group as was my BV in the Veteran Group. Due to COVID this is my first appointment since 2017 and I am pleased to say that I can see a vast improvement in movement since then but overall the quality in bitches was far superior to the dogs, I have large hands and spannability was in the minority in most dog classes. In the standard it says Essentially a Working Terrier, many would be unable to get down a hole let alone get out again!

To judge Border Terriers at Crufts was both a privilege and a honour and I must thank the Crufts Committee for the appointment to judge the breed at what is the greatest dog show in the world. A big thanks go to the exhibitors from both home and abroad for such a super entry which made for a great days judging with quality in depth in many of the classes. Finally I must thank my two stewards who kept things moving in the ring to allow me to finish judging in good time. On the day I was looking for a workmanlike dog as the standard asks for but one also must remember that in the show ring you also need that attitude and showmanship to complete the picture. I felt my BOB put up a great show in the Group and was so pleased to see him take Group 2 in a quality line up.