Show Placings
The Border Terrier Club Open Show
25th Feb 2023
Judge: Mrs Julie Fletcher North (Northborders)
Firstly I would like to thank the Committee for my invite to judge my first Club show , also my 2 able stewards Judy and Kathy for keeping me and the ring in order , mostly I thank the exhibitors for their wonderful entry and allowing me to go over their beautiful dogs , I thoroughly enjoyed myself, I was really pleased with both my line ups , I loved all my main winners and look forward to following their futures
Best Puppy - Dog
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Reserve Best Puppy
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
Blue & Tan , 6mths old raw baby , head is developing nicely , correct bite with lovely big teeth , lovely expression nicely set ears ,has a correct double jacket of good texture and ticking starting to show itself , easily spanned , nice bone , tighter feet will help the over all picture ,moved well for such a raw baby , nice type
Novice - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
1St in Minor Puppy
The Border Terrier Club Championship Show
25th Mar 2023
Judge: Mrs Charlotte Archibald (Tweedburn)
What an absolute honour and a privilege to be invited to judge this show, my thanks to the Officers and Committee of the Border Terrier Club, and my two excellent stewards for the day, Judy and Marina.
My sincere thanks also, to ALL the exhibitors for making it truly memorable, with 196 dogs, 233 entries.
Some very close decisions had to be made!
On the down side, I found some very short muzzles and small teeth, and quite a number of filthy teeth!! Temperaments were generally good, there were 2 kinked tails and 1 suspect mouth, a lack of muscle tone and condition in some exhibits, which is essential for a terrier to do it’s job.
That said, it was an absolute joy to see so many super dogs.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
7 mths b/t just a raw baby, had great expression, easily spanned, coat awaiting some more ticking, moved out well on neat feet.
Northern Counties Sporting Terrier Association Group Open Show
26th Mar 2023
Judge: Anne Higham (Comberdown)
I would like to thank The Northern Border Terrier Club for nominating me and the committee of the Northern Counties Sporting Terrier Association for inviting me to judge at this wonderful friendly and hospitable show. Thank you to my two stewards who kept everything running smoothly and to the exhibitors for their entry and attendance on such a cold day.
I found all males entire and one level bite.
Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
8 month old blue & tan. Lovely head and expression with correct set ears. He had a scissor bite with large teeth. Good for bone and easily spanned. Good texture to coat with some ticking. Moved well.
The Northern Border Terrier Club Open Show
8th Apr 2023
Judge: Mrs J Carr (Wreighaugh)
My thanks go to the Committee of the NBTC for their invitation to judge their Open Show. I was honoured to receive this appointment and am incredibly grateful to the exhibitors who gave me such a great entry. It was a most enjoyable day and special thanks go to my Stewards, Andrea Pitt and Mark Atkinson, for keeping me on track and helping the ring to run smoothly.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
Strong 8 month old blue and tan. Up to size but easily spanned with a good length of rib. Good head with big teeth, correct bite, strong jaw and nice length of muzzle. He has a super pelt and correct coat with evidence of ticking coming through. He moved well which won him the class
Novice - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
East Anglia Border Terrier Club Championship Show
16th Apr 2023
Judge: Miss Tracey James (Blackmine)
A bit thank to the committee of EABTC for inviting me to judge their championship show. I really enjoyed my day and when I later looked at the catalogue to see my winners I found it interesting reading, as all my major winners were of similar lines.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
upstanding b/t, Strong masculine head, good bone, neat feet, level topline, easily spanned. Would like a better tail carriage. Moved with purpose. Well presented.
Novice - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Joint Border Terrier Clubs' Championship Show
30th Apr 2023
Judge: Mrs Hilary Gilpin (Otterbobs)
A very big thank you to the SBTC for inviting me to judge this very well run show, to Marina for stewarding and to the exhibitors for entering under me.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
8 moth old very dark BL/T leggier pup than 1st, he has a harsh jacket, ribs well back, moved out and shown well, just too tall for me,
National Dog Show
6th May 2023
Judge: Brigitte Belin Bernaudin (France)
First, I thank the committee for the invitation to judge this prestigious show. Thanks to my stewards for making a super job and keep my judging running smoothly. It was a real honour and privilege as foreign judge and breeder to have the opportunity of this 1st appointment to give CC in my breed, and thank to exhibitors to allow me to go over so many good Border.
Being able in my country to work my dogs, I have been looking for the right conformation as asks in the standard, making dogs able to do their original work underground and was happy many could do so.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
Blue and tan. Stronger than 1st but easily spannable. good ribs. Masculine head with strong bite,. has excellent pelt and coat with correct ticking. Move well.
The Scottish Kennel Club (May) Championship Show
21st May 2023
Judge: Mr Frank Kane (Hirontower)
Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
9 months blue/tan with excellent coat and pelt, good neck and shoulder and narrow front, foreface a little long, sound, tail carriage can settle
Bath Canine Society
29th May 2023
Judge: Mrs Anne Gregory (Remony)
My thanks to the officers and committee of Bath Canine Society for inviting me to judge today. A big thank you to my two very efficient stewards, Mark and Joyce, who kept the ring running smoothly and efficiently. Thank you also to the exhibitors for giving me the opportunity to go over their dogs, it is always a privilege to do so. I was disappointed not to have been able to stay and watch the groups but circumstances outwith my control prevented me from doing so.
While there were plenty of good ‘otter’ heads in evidence, I found some heads lacking in muzzle strength and some with stops that were too deep, neither of which is desirable. Some exhibits were too heavy in frame and consequently didn’t come to hand easily. Some dogs had weak pasterns and feet that could have been tighter. Coats were at varying stages, with some in their underclothes, some just going over the top, and in some cases, this was a deciding factor. Overall, movement was good with correct tracking, plenty of drive off well angulated hindquarters and good length of stride. Some dogs could have benefited from more ring training and, at times, baiting on the table was excessive. A dog scrambling to get to bait makes it more difficult to assess. On a positive note, I did have some quality dogs to go over and was well pleased with my winners and final line-up. I was also pleased to see my Best Veteran win the Terrier Veteran Group, my Best Puppy shortlisted in the Terrier Puppy Group and my Best Special Beginners, Special Beginners Terrier Group 4
Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
Masculine head of good type, with big teeth, strong jaw and dark eye. Up on the leg but narrow and spannable, good length of rib, lovely harsh jacket which could have more ticking, moved well.
Border Union Agricultural Society
17th Jun 2023
Judge: Mr Colin Girling (Benattivo)
I would like to thank the Officers and Committee for giving me the opportunity to judge Border Terriers in their spiritual home territory. My stewards, Audrey & Judith did a great job in running the class changes efficiently on a hot humid day. It was a lovely entry, with many exhibits that I had not judged before – thank you all. I found some exhibits which could have been better prepared with attention to coat, body condition and clean teeth. A few level bites a couple of kink tails influenced placings but all dogs were entire and overall a nice group of BT’s to go over. My main winners had breed qualities that outweighed any imperfection, that in my opinion wouldn’t impact on its ability to perform its traditional work.
Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
This Blue and Tan puppy is well proportioned if up to size but still easily spanned with good coat and thick loose pelt. Masculine head with short strong muzzle moved well keeping his top-line to win this class.
The Northern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
15th Jul 2023
Judge: Mr David Fryer (Irton)
My thanks to the Club for trusting me with a fine entry of dogs at this, one of my favourite shows; to my stewards for their understated efficiency which kept the show rolling; and to the exhibitors for the opportunity to go over their dogs, and for the sporting acceptance of my decisions.
The Border Terrier Breed Standard is a very brief document; as such, it needs some interpretation. The clue is in the first clause of it; ‘Essentially a working terrier’. This, together with a knowledge of the work the breed is traditionally expected to perform, gives an idea of the dog required. Thus we need a dog which can keep with the hunt over rough moorland country in what may be inclement weather, and then be able to go to ground and bolt or hold it’s own to a cornered fox. This implies sound, efficient movement, adequate heart and lung room, a weatherproof double coat and a thick, pliable pelt; but at the same time be small enough and flexible enough to follow a fox to ground .
Overall, I found most exhibits to be sound, and well presented (sometimes ‘overpresented’ to the extent that coats had more appearance than substance). The most prevalent fault I observed was untidy, converging front movement; an inevitable consequence of short upper arm and upright fronts. I did also find a few faulty bites; one undershot, one youngster with a lower incisor seriously out of line; and several with level bites, which, though permitted in the standard, are not (to my mind) desirable; also undesirable to me were the number of exhibits with small teeth in weak forefaces. There were also a couple of ‘winter noses’, but that, to me, is a purely cosmetic point and not to be penalised. All males were entire.
Best Puppy - Dog
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Best Puppy
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
11 mo b&t, good angulations fore and aft, nice enough head, good mouth, coat OK, moved comparatively well, well balanced, a decent tail; must not grow on. Best Puppy in Show, marginal decision on coat
Leeds Championship Show
29th Jul 2023
Judge: Mr Brian Aubrey (Jenabeck)
Thank you all for a wonderful entry, I had to make some difficult choices on the day, but as always, I judge the dog on the day friend or foe and not what the dog as done in the past or what it will do in the future.
a few things did concern me on the day (1 ) so Many dirty teeth, (2) a few unfit dogs due to being overweight, (3) and the most concerning is short legs on one or two of the borders,
Puppy - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
The Midland Border Terrier Club Championship Show
6th Aug 2023
Judge: Mr. Bob Wright (Totherend)
It was a real honour to judge my home club’s show and my thanks go to a great committee for the opportunity and the way they run the club with all hands to the wheel. Richard Wright and Sharon Pickering had my back and have my appreciation for a great day’s stewarding.
I was disappointed in the early dog classes where what initially looked like an impressive line-up failed to materialise once on the table or on the move. Movement was a weak spot for a surprisingly large number of exhibits, especially front movement. There were three poor mouths and one exhibit that couldn’t be spanned but lots of good pelts, coats and neat feet. However long tails are becoming more common and a true carrot tail is about as rare as hen’s teeth. I was fascinated by some handlers interpretation of a triangle, suffice to say it’s a good job it wasn’t a maths exam.
Once again there were only two CCs available which is a great shame when there are so many who warrant them. I can only sympathise with those who went home empty handed. It was most likely a reflection of the strength of the classes rather than their standing. The bitch classes were especially strong with at least six exhibits worthy of much more than I had available to offer. When it came to the line ups I was clearly torn and had to be really picky to get to a decision but in the end I was pleased with all the winners.
Whilst there is still much that can be done to improve some aspects of the breed there is a lot to be proud of with some really stunning exhibits out there.
Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Wolsingham & Wear Valley Agricultural Society Open Show
3rd Sep 2023
Judge: David Alcorn (Lourdace/Comalegy)
Thank you to the committee for inviting me to judge at this buzzing, well organised, show. It was an extremely hot day so I moved dogs less than I perhaps would normally, to allow for the extreme temperatures we were all enjoying but the dogs were not. There was a good public attendance who seemed to enjoy the array of breeds on show. Thank you for the marvellous entries in the terrier breeds which made for a very enjoyable day indeed.
Border Terrier
Junior /
Third Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Darlington Championship Show
17th Sep 2023
Judge: Mrs D Bullen (Fevstone)
I would like to thank the committee for inviting me to judge for the second time. I had a good entry of 125 with a few absentees as is usual, the dogs were of varying types and sizes which is to be expected. The ones that were unspannable aren’t fit for function as they fall at the first hurdle so to speak.
There are quite a lot creeping into the breed of late which lack power in the foreface. Falling away below the eye with a foreign expression. Also lacking in underjaw. Again a weakness in the breed which needs addressing or we will lose these qualities essential to work. A lot now have too short an upperarm which is vital in construction as it propels the dog forward as he should cover the ground effortlessly striding out. Not Pitter patter slowly. On a more positive note I found a lot of quality true to type borders that were a pleasure to judge. Effortless free movement which is essential. I’m sure the breed will go on to have a bright future if we all keep to the breed type.
Junior - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Yorkshire, Lancashire & Cheshire Border Terrier Club Championship Show
30th Sep 2023
Judge: Mrs J Guvercin (Glebeheath)
Thank you to the committee for this appointment, everyone worked hard to make it an enjoyable day. This venue always has a super atmosphere, however, the ring is too small really to see outlines, being far too near the dogs and side profile movement is very difficult to see, let alone for the dogs to perform really well. Many moved poorly, not liking the smooth mats and although I had to judge them on this today, I think most would move much better outside in a big grass ring.
Junior - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Novice - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
The Scottish Kennel Club
1st Oct 2023
Judge: Mr M Armstrong (Bitcon)
Junior - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
The Northern Border Terrier Club Open Show
7th Oct 2023
Judge: Mrs Norma Ellis (Normbar)
Thank you to the Committee for organising such a well run show. The quality of the the dogs was very good, making my decisions more difficult in a good way. Nice atmosphere plus friendly sportsmanship prevailed.
Junior - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
Workmanlike and mature boy well muscled and fit. Much to praise in head and coat. Thick pelt. Well constructed, best of fronts and moved soundly, tight feet.
Novice - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
The Border Terrier Club Open Show
14th Oct 2023
Judge: Mrs Sue Baxter (Mysulan)
Firstly I’d like to thank The Border Terrier Club Committee for their very kind invitation to judge this Open show, I felt honoured and privileged . I thoroughly enjoyed my day and the hospitality on offer , the lunch certainly hit the spot..thank you Nancy Hogg. My two stewards, Jane Morton-Shaw and Marina Fleming kept things running smoothly and I am grateful for their support .
To the exhibitors , my thanks go unbounded as I had a lovely selection of good quality dogs to go over and there were certainly some tough decisions in many of the classes. It is an education to finally go over some of the dogs I have admired from the ring side. I am grateful that my decisions were taken, mostly in a sporting manner.
My general findings were , all males were intact , I found no kinked tails ( 1 dog had a bump on the underside of its tail , not a kink in my opinion), jackets were, as usual , at various stages of growth. I was impressed by the fact that all animals before me could be spanned , some a little easier than others.
Once again I feel compelled to comment on the state of nails and feet. In my opinion , many dogs had nails that were too long and some needed drastic fur trimming to enhance the shape of the feet.In my opinion it is a shame to groom your dogs for the ring but forget that ,especially whilst on the table, the judge has a perfect view of any, long nails and/or woolly “ Yeti” feet .
Junior - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
Lovely strong B&T boy … super head , great width and depth of muzzle …Dark expressive eyes… moderate length of neck into correct shoulders… ribs extend well back and into strong loin…Topline and tailset good… good harsh coat and generous pelt … preferred front angles , hocks were well let down and feet were cat like with with very thick pads … sound on the move ..a lot to like about him…
Novice - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
see class 3
Northern Counties Sporting Terrier Association Group Open Show
15th Oct 2023
Judge: Mr Ian Halbert (Marrimay)
I would like to thank the committee for the kind invitation to judge Border Terriers and for the warm welcome I received. Also thanks go to my steward for doing such a good job. My apologies to the Secretary and exhibitors for the delay in submitting this critique due to circumstances beyond my control
Junior - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
The Scottish Border Terrier Club Championship Show
11th Nov 2023
Judge: Mr Mark Lowry (Ravenside)
Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for a lovely entry and also to the Scottish BTC for this opportunity. Special thanks go to my two stewards for the day who kept everything running smoothly and for their good company. Although the lighting in the hall isn’t the best, it was adequate and the large square ring was perfect for watching movement, something I feel is very important in a border terrier. On that note I found my main winners to excel in this department. I was pleased to judge some strong puppy classes and also some strong adult classes
Junior - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
Blue & Tan, taller than 1st dog, easily spanned. Straight narrow front another well-constructed dog front and back that showed well. Coat not at its best today
Graduate - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Ladies Kennel Association
8th Dec 2023
Judge: Mr Ken Bartlett (Dwilencia)
Junior - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Graduate - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Post Graduate - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
Balanced head, neck fits into well laid shoulders, spans well, good length of body, in good coat, moves well up and back
Penrith & DCS Open Show
17th Dec 2023
Judge: Siân McKay (Redesholt)
My thanks go to both the Penrith & District Canine Society and the Border Terrier Club for considering me to judge a super entry of some quality dogs. The show committee were most welcoming and kept the judges well fed and watered. My stewards – Sue, Jane and Katrina keeping the proceedings flowing smoothly- my thanks.
All dogs presented today were of sound temperaments, all found to be spannable and, as to be expected, various stages of coat with some excellent coats and pelts on display. Movement overall was most pleasing; with some excellent examples of strong reach and drive making for fluid balanced movement. In some classes I found myself splitting hairs due to the quality of the exhibits. Again, my one plea is for clean teeth!
Junior - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
16-month-old Blue and Tan dog. Another strong masculine headed blue and tan dog that moved well, keeping topline, and was easily spanned. Up to size for me but has a great coat and pelt. Splitting hairs between 1 & 2 could easily swap places another day.
Post Graduate - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
See 2nd Junior Dog
Manchester Championship Show
20th Jan 2024
Judge: Mr Richard Allen (Penparc)
Junior - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
He showed well, has a strong head and dark eye, in good body and coat condition, well muscled quarters, moved ok.
Post Graduate - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
The Scottish Border Terrier Club Members Limited Show
28th Jan 2024
Judge: Mr. P. Appleby (Hollexby)
Firstly I would like to thank the committee for inviting me to judge this show, it was an honour and a privilege, secondly thank you to the exhibitors for entering a lovely selection of dogs for me to go over, and lastly but not leastly to my Stewards, Liz Barret and Val Mason for keeping me right.
Junior - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
18 Month old Blue and Tan, nice head with good teeth and bite, nice coat, good feet, correct tail set, movement was good but not as crisp as 1st place
Post Graduate - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
As Junior Dog.
The Border Terrier Club Open Show
24th Feb 2024
Judge: Libby Tanton-Joy (Itsaso)
Thank you to the committee for inviting me to judge their open show held at Jedburgh, the home of the border terrier. It was a great privilege, and I had some amazing dogs present who are a credit to their owners, thank you for bringing them.
Thank you to my stewards for organising the rings so smoothly and keeping me on track so we finished at a reasonable time. The hospitality was second to none and I would like to thank the whole committee for this.
Post Graduate - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
Masculine blue and tan with such a typical head that attracts the attention. He really looks like he can do a day’s work very sound in movement and balance. Coat is just coming through but evidence of texture and depth. Spannable with good shoulder and rib. Rear angulation drives his movement from behind.
Crufts
10th Mar 2024
Judge: Mrs Lesley Gosling (Akinside)
A tremendous entry of 275 Borders ( 25 absentees on the day)to enjoy handling, judging and placing. I must extend my appreciation to my two valiant stewards for their patience and skill in keeping classes moving. Thank you all.
I do believe our breed is changing, but in subtle ways. The lack of opportunities for true terrier work below ground for some Borders has been replaced by agility and other energetic pursuits, but lack of hard muscle tone has produced a ‘softer’ body on some exhibits. Some feet are slacker, pads are more spread and thinner and some fronts are wide. Movement is not always positive and a ‘driving’ action is lacking. Size is fluctuating too. We have a ‘working’ breed - let’s ensure that features defining the breed are not lost, i.e. ‘spannability’; a hard, harsh top coat and soft protective undercoat (not enough of those today); a dark, expressive eye, a broad skull and strong quarters – ‘the engine is at the back!’. Heads generally were good, but some bitch heads veered towards coarseness.
One thing not lost is the Border’s kind temperament – curious, interested and ready for anything.
Yearling - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Northern Counties Sporting Terrier Golden Jubilee Open Show
17th Mar 2024
Judge: Mrs Margaret Davies (Glenorchy)
Many Thanks to the Society for inviting me to judge at their Golden Jubilee Open Show. Thank you to my two stewards who kept things running smoothly and also my grateful thanks to all the exhibitors who came under me and gave me a lovely entry.
Most of the exhibits were presented in a good clean condition, but a few could have done with a little finer tuning on their presentation. Just one level bite.
I find the true otter head is disappearing and movement left a lot to be desired, fronts were knitting and rears were moving close behind. Apart from that, I had an enjoyable day, thank you all.
Post Graduate - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
Placing Critique
nice dog with good head, correct ear placement, nice dark eye, good front and feet, moved okay.
The Border Terrier Club Championship Show
30th Mar 2024
Judge: Mrs Lynda Ward (Roundtown)
It was an honour to be invited to judge this, our parent club’s show. My thanks to the committee who ran such a lovely event with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. My judge’s gift is much appreciated and will be a treasured momento of the day.
My superstar stewards, Janice Johnson and Liz Barrett, worked hard and unobtrusively whilst keeping the classes moving smoothly over a long day – well done ladies.
Many thanks of course to the exhibitors who made the journey on a major bank holiday weekend giving a large and quality entry of 190 dogs making 229 entries plus 10 NFC.
I had some lovely sound and typical Borders to go over and, had I had them, I would have had no qualms in awarding 4 dog tickets and 5 bitch tickets.
Unfortunately there are always downsides in a big entry and today size was an issue with some overly large exhibits who were not spannable and very heavily built.
There were a number of youngsters which were obviously unused to having their mouths examined and more practice in a calm atmosphere would help to make them comfortable and avoid stress for them and their handlers.
Ears need watching as some were quite large and spoiled the head.
Sadly, as in the past I must complain about long tails. Tails are an integral aspect of the overall picture of a typical Border outline and long is simply wrong. Our breed standard is spartan compared to many others but for tails the description is clear and begins with, “Moderately short; fairly thick at base, then tapering.” Hopefully the issue will be addressed before the untypical becomes the norm.
On a positive note …
Feet were overall small and thickly padded although some would benefit from trimming and shorter nails.
There was a good number of lovely otter-like heads of correct proportions with well placed dark eyes and a keen expression.
As is usual these days coat presentation was generally good and today there were plenty of dense coats of correct texture and thick skins.
Do I think the quality shown in this entry bodes well for the breed? Yes.
Yearling - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
National Terrier Club
6th Apr 2024
Judge: Miss Elspeth Jackson (Clipstone)
Thanks to the National Terrier Club for their invitation to judge at this prestigious show and to the exhibitors who did me the honour of judging their dogs. I was lucky to have two efficient stewards who kept things running smoothly, thank you Laura and Dave.
The entry showed a good depth of quality. In many classes the places were hotly contested with decisions needing to be made on the narrowest of margins. I was very pleased to find that there were some good coats on thick pelts and the nice thick short tails which set off a good border so well.
Yearling - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Tyneotter Bolt From The Blue
