Show Placings
The Border Terrier Club Championship Show
31st Mar 2012
Judge: Miss Betty Rumsam (Wildercot)
The Border Terrier CIub held a Championship Show where bitch BIS was Bramblebrae Violet at Shiftyfox, this bitch has it all & I was pleased to award her her third CC & BIS. She was in immaculate condition, feminine, handy size, wonderful coat & pelt, just right for bone, so well balanced, movement was a joy. I loved her; RBIS, Ethlancoral Pip of Ottaswell, I liked this dog for his size & balance, in super condition, not overdone in any way, good head, narrow in shoulder, ribs well back, strong loin & hindquarters, moved soundly; & BP, Nantcoch Ffion, very pretty feminine pup, good for size, outline & balance, good head & bite, small tight feet, good tail. Very promising.
A big thank you to the officers and committee for the lovely gift and to my two excellent stewards for the day, Jim Stewart and Ken McKenzie who made my task a pleasure. Thanks also to the exhibitors for the entry of 229 (200 dogs and 4 nfc) and for the sporting way they accepted my decisions. I was pleased with my final line up. Mouths and teeth were generally good, coats were mixed, some in heavy coat and others with only undercoat. It was good to find plenty of thick, loose pelts, so important in a Working Terrier. Poor movement was the downfall of many.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Vito Volterra
Birmingham National
13th May 2012
Judge: Mrs Pat Baxter
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra
Puppy - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Vito Volterra
Driffield Championship Show
22nd Sep 2012
Judge: Miss Tracey James (Blackmine)
Junior - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Vito Volterra
Class Critique
Difficult class.
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.
Junior - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra
Novice - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra
Placing Critique
3rd in JD more compact than 1 , shade rounder in rib , lacks a little accuracy in movement
Carlisle & District Canine Society
6th Jan 2013
Judge: Mr J Thomas (Daluce)
Open /
Reserve
Name at show: Vito Volterra
Border Union Championship Show
15th Jun 2013
Judge: Mrs Lesley Gosling (Akinside)
Showers, wind and sunshine made for a tactically difficult day for my solo steward, Elaine Waddington, who managed to keep the paperwork dry and get dogs moving in and out of the ring very smoothly. My grateful thanks to her and to all the exhibitors who stoically remained outside as the rain continued to plague us throughout the judging. Not weather the dogs enjoyed much either while standing about.
The entry was very mixed. The dog classes were marginally better and more consistent than the bitches. Fronts are improving but movement still needs attention, both fore and aft, with some hackney front action creeping in. Most heads were breed typical with one or two exceptions which were rather boxy and out of proportion. I was surprised and dismayed to find a large number of dentition problems in both puppies and adults. There were very small teeth, dirty teeth, teeth misaligned and one undershot mouth. Several lacked any depth of coat and were in their undercoats or single coated, with no undercoat at all. Feet were mostly good, but a couple of exhibits were down on their pasterns; claws were in need of attention on one or two exhibits.
Yearling - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Blackpool & District Championship Show
21st Jun 2013
Judge: Mrs Hilary Gilpin (Otterbobs)
What a lovely day, no rain in sight!!
Thank you to all the exhibitors and especially my steward Alisan, she was excellent at her job. I enjoyed judging many dogs that I had not be over or seen before. Many dogs had little or no coat at all, Border Terriers must have a harsh double coat when showing not just stripped out and in their under coat, also there was hardly any muscle tone, no level backs, no slim straight narrow fronts and the movement should of been better. In a few of the older classes I could not span a few dogs and they were heavy when I lifted them up off the table, I found all the mouths clean with full dentations and I *placed those that were nearest the standard in each class*. Very pleased with both dog and bitch winners and their reserves and best puppy.
Open - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Goosenargh and Longridge Agricultural Society Open Show
6th Jul 2013
Judge: Mr J McGhie (Keillor)
Open /
Second Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Lunesdale Agricultural Society
13th Aug 2013
Judge: Sylvia Monaghan (Nostradamus)
Graduate /
Third Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Driffield A S
21st Sep 2013
Judge: Mrs Charlotte Archibald
My sincere thanks to the Officers and Committee, for inviting me to judge the Border Terriers at this show. We were truly blessed with some lovely autumn sunshine, and a well laid out ring.
Thank you, to all the exhibitors for allowing me the privilege to “go over†your dogs, however, I had concerns about the size and movement of some of the exhibits. I have a fair span and struggled to get anywhere near some dogs, which reflected in the placings.
Consequently, some heavy shoulders, and wide fronts.
Post Graduate - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Yorkshire, Lancashire & Cheshire Border Terrier Club Championship Show
28th Sep 2013
Judge: Miss Elspeth Jackson (Clipstone)
It is always an honour to be invited to judge a club show and my first job here must be to thank Club, Officers, Committee and Members for asking me to judge their show. The hospitality shown to my Mother and myself made it a very enjoyable weekend. Thank you to my capable Stewards Les Moss and Ian Higham for their help on the day.
Thank you all for the great entry both in terms of number and in depth of quality I had to judge. There were some very tough, but enjoyable decisions to be made and in most classes and in the challenges the top honours were fiercely contested. .
I must repeat the often used cliché of not having enough cards on the day. Many who were down the line or even cardless today I would have been happy to have as winners in another entry.
Special Beginners - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
The Border Terrier Club Open Show
19th Oct 2013
Judge: Mrs. Chris Davis (Hesslemere)
Many thanks to the Committee for inviting me to judge this show. I was very pleased with my entry and thank all competitors who entered under me. I really enjoyed my day and thank you for the opportunity to judge your dogs. All temperaments were good, as were mouths. No kinked tails.
Novice - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Placing Critique
Smaller dog with coat not at it’s best. Nice expression with strong muzzle, feet good, moved OK.
The Scottish Border Terrier Club Championship Show
9th Nov 2013
Judge: Mrs S Williams (Hollybridge)
I would like to thank the Scottish Club for the invitation. It was an honor to judge at this friendly and hospitable club’s show. Huge thanks must go to my very capable & experienced Steward Joyce Orr and her excellent helpers, Jim Stewart in the morning and Helen McKenzie in the afternoon. All did a super job.
Thanks too to the kitchen ladies for the amazing lunch.
I was very pleased to have such a super quality entry. I could have easily given out more tickets if they had been available. Some close decision at times, a true reflection on the high quality of the entries. Presentation of the dogs was very good, mouths too on the whole were correct with only the odd exception. Feet, I was pleased to see a vast majority of neat cat like feet on the dogs, no long hare feet. Tails again seem to be improving, not as many of the over long sickle ones that I have noticed in the past. Coats and pelts: while coats are transient and of course some had more than others on the day, texture was very good and the vast majority had good thick and loose pelts. I think the breed overall is in a good place.
Just one point I noticed, some dogs had to take a lot of steps to cover the ground, watching out that our dogs move with drive is very important and I was happy with my winners in that they, in my opinion, covered the ground well.
Special Beginners - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Placing Critique
Tidy, quite short coupled grizzle & tan dog
Border Union Agricultural Society
15th Jun 2014
Judge: Mr J R Gilpin (Otterbobs)
Post Graduate - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Leeds Championship Show
26th Jul 2014
Judge: Mr Ernie L Hill
Post Graduate - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Whitehaven & District Canine Association Open Show
15th Mar 2015
Judge: Mr Nick Connell (Sonorra)
Open /
Third Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Cartmel Agricultural Society Open Show
5th Aug 2015
Judge: Janette Callon (Russtam)
Post Graduate /
Reserve
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
The Yorkshire, Lancs & Cheshire Border Terrier Club Championship Show
26th Sep 2015
Judge: Mrs Kathy Wilkinson (Otterkin)
What a privilege to be invited by the Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire Border Terrier Club to judge their Diamond Jubilee Championship show, marking 60 years since the Club was first incorporated. The event was tinged with sadness that their long time Secretary, Mrs Cynthia Knight, could not be here to witness this special occasion. A minutes silence in her memory was called at the beginning of the show. I like to think she would have been looking down on the Club and the show with satisfaction with the way her team have continued to run the Club, always remembering the great influence and impact she and her husband Gordon ("Tag") had on their Club. Also being remembered at the show, were recent sad losses to the breed of Eva Heslop and Kathy Fell and to terriers in general, the redoubtable Maureen Micklethwaite.
Congratulations to the Acting Secretary, Tina and her husband and Chairman, Kevin Green and the rest of the team on a well run show and thanks to my ring stewards, Graham Richardson and Sharon Pickering for keeping everything running smoothly.
A show is not held for the benefit of a judge or a society; it is held for the dogs to be assessed and their owners and exhibitors to have a good day out, win or lose. I therefore hope that everyone enjoyed their day.
Very pleased with the entry of 211 dogs making 242 entries, both in terms of numbers and in depth of quality of the entry. Class entry numbers shown are give or take some catalogue changes during the day, which are reflected in my numbers below. Absentees in new dogs gave an absentee rate of 34%.
Given that I have previously had to talk about dogs being kept too thin, it was good that there were only one or two dogs who could have done with more weight on them (one especially where I could feel the pin bones protruding), but most of those shown today were in good body weight and condition. While it is a real thrill, it is also a sadness to me to be judging well filled classes of quality dogs or bitches, knowing that some of those I really like have to go card-less, just because of the excellence of the entry.
Many times, in quite a few classes, hard decisions had to be made. Spanning is to me, one of the most important things after breed type (after all, you can span other breeds of terrier and I was looking for a Border!), but even the best typy dogs cannot win if I am unable to span them. A Border that cannot get to ground and back out, is not "essentially a working terrier". There were so many good ones today who were easily spanned, who also had excellent heads and moved so well and who came to hand well when lifted from the floor. Although some I had loved from ringside, were difficult to span and so paid the price, it is surprising that others, who might have looked on the large side from ringside in earlier days, were surprisingly easy to span. Nothing beats getting hands on. Judging by today's quality entry, I can safely say that the breed is in a good place.
I understand that during the day, a Diamond Jubilee Celebration cake, arranged by Pat and Brian Baxter, was cut into and offered to exhibitors, with a glass of fizz to toast the Club. Special gifts were awarded to each exhibitor/member (one per household) of a glass paperweight bearing the Club's name and notation to celebrate the Club's Diamond Jubilee. I was also pleased to receive one of the paperweights as the judge, along with a nice bottle, thank you!
It was a long day, with a 10am start. In future, the Club may decide to think about an earlier start and while the 2 classes held in the interval were a good idea, I thought, and well received, it did mean that I was not able to ask for the 20 minute or 1/2 hour break I would have preferred, but in the end, while waiting for those classes to be judged, I believe the break lasted around an hour and a quarter (we finished Puppy bitch at 1.25pm but could not get back into the ring to start Junior Bitch until 2.40pm), which put the show's ending back to much later than it might have been. Perhaps if Clubs decide to put on those extra classes, they would best be done either at an Open show, or at a Championship show where the venue is big enough for a separate ring. There was an entry of 26 for the judge of the 2 separate classes. What if it had been 50? Having said that, I offer my congratulations to the society for being innovative and forward thinking on this, but I just think it needs tweaking.
A long day, but a very enjoyable one; thanks again to all who entered under me at this special Diamond Jubilee Show of the Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire Border Terrier Club and thank you to the Club for their hospitality and the lovely gifts.
Thanks again to all exhibitors for a super entry for this special celebration show.
Post Graduate - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Class Critique
Difficult class to judge as a lot of those present were of a stamp which was not really my type, but I did like those which I placed, especially the first three.
The Border Terrier Club Open Show
17th Oct 2015
Judge: Mrs. Joyce Martin (Merumhor)
I would like to thank the Border terrier Club for the invitation to judge at the Open Show at Low Hesket. It was an honour and privilege to be offered this appointment. I was delighted with the super entry of 96 dogs making a total entry of 132 and appreciate the turnout of so many fine dogs on the day and the sporting way my decisions were taken. Thank you to my ring stewards Ken McKenzie and Dave Hodgson for keeping everything running smoothly for me. Also thank you to the committee for their hospitality and to Jane Shaw for providing a lovely lunch which I enjoyed very much.
Post Graduate - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Cumberland Canine Association Open Show
7th Feb 2016
Judge: Mr. Bob Wright (Totherend)
My thanks to the organisers, stewards and exhibitors for a very welcoming and well supported show despite the current inclement conditions.
Post Graduate /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Westmoreland CA Open Show
4th Jun 2016
Judge: Mrs Jane Maxwell
Post Graduate /
Second Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Goosnargh & Longridge Agricultural Society Open Show
8th Jul 2017
Judge: Amelia Bovill (Ingwine)
Graduate /
Third Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Darwen Canine Society Open Show
17th Dec 2017
Judge: Lianne Bryant
Open /
Second Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Cartmel Agricultural Society Open Show
1st Aug 2018
Judge: Mrs Carol Dunford
Post Graduate /
Third Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
Darwen CS Open Show
9th Dec 2018
Judge: Mr L Reynolds
Post Graduate /
Third Place
Name at show: Vito Volterra Of Birthwaite
