Show Placings
Manchester Championship Show
15th Jan 2026
Judge: Dr Ian Gabriel (Gaybryl)
Many thanks for the lovely entry, both in terms of quality and quantity. I thoroughly enjoyed my day with the Border Terriers. When I last judged I felt there were too many with houndy large ears, this did not seem to be replicated in today’s entry which was pleasing and expression was generally much improved. What I did notice was that front action is something that we need to watch. Being Manchester and the last Championship show pre Crufts there were quite a few dogs who had been stripped in preparation and quite a few out of coat. In part that did play a part in some of my fineer placings.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chainsmoker Fiery Lucifer
Puppy - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Chainsmoker Fiery Lucifer
Terrier Club of South Wales Open Show
8th Feb 2026
Judge: Mrs Katrina Golding (Beaconpike)
Thank you, Terrier Club of South Wales, for the invitation to judge border terriers, I was delighted with my entry of 47. Thank you to my ring steward Tracey Anscombe for keeping the ring running smoothly. I had a lovely day with some lovely dogs to judge.
Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Chainsmoker Fiery Lucifer
The Southern Border Terrier Club Open Show
1st Mar 2026
Judge: Mr Kevin Yeates (Bluebabel)
My thanks to the committee for giving me this opportunity. I had a lovely day going over some lovely dogs. Mouths were very good with only one level bite. A couple of weak front pasterns, and a few carrying too much condition. They are after all ‘essentially a working terrier’
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chainsmoker Fiery Lucifer
Placing Critique
8 months blue n tan, good dentition, good eye and expression, short strong muzzle,nicely balanced with a good coat and pelt, preferred movement of 1st.
Crufts
6th Mar 2026
Judge: Mrs Hilary Gilpin (Otterbobs)
Thank you to the Crufts committee for inviting me to judge and bringing my appointment forward one year. Many thanks to Pam Cox and Judy Carr for the professional stewarding they provided.
I enjoyed a full day’s judging and was very pleased to hear the applause from around the ring when dogs were placed, good sportsmanship.
Out of 264 entries, I had one wry mouth, one kinked tail, 6 very underweight dogs none of them placed. Dogs that had no coat were penalised as were very thin pelts. As a dog groomer of 48 years, I know when coats are chalked, not nice to feel. One exhibit while on the table had only one testicle the owner was gobsmacked but felt it and agreed there was only one, I was blamed for having cold hands!!! what after handling dogs in previous classes, ten minutes later the said dog came back for me to check again and yes there were two. I was disgusted to find an exhibit with sores on both cheeks; I was told what happened. And I’m leaving it there.
Teeth were very clean, only one tooth lost in an oldie.
I thought movement really should have been better than it was today, as I said thin pelts and no coats were penalised.
If I repeat myself with the first two placings that’s because they were what I was looking for.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Chainsmoker Fiery Lucifer
Placing Critique
B/t lovely skull, dark eyes, a little long in the muzzle, shoulders well laid, ribs well back, thick pelt, tail carriage ok, a little loose in front movement, hope he doesn’t grow on.
Bridgewater & DCS Open Show
22nd Mar 2026
Judge: Nigel Davies (Hasburystaff)
Best Puppy
Name at show: Chainsmoker Fiery Lucifer
Puppy /
First Place
Name at show: Chainsmoker Fiery Lucifer
East Anglia Border Terrier Club Championship Show
18th Apr 2026
Judge: Mr Stewart McPherson (Brumberhill)
Unexpectedly judging, this year, being brought forward a year, due to the incapacity of the scheduled Judge. Best wishes to Dave for a speedy recovery. My thanks to the Club for the invitation and to my stewards, Andy and Rob, for keeping everything running smoothly and to the exhibitors for a super entry, which I enjoyed judging. It was a super large ring, giving dogs every chance to really move out and the weather, although a bit nippy at times, held out.
Now to the dogs, themselves. On the whole, heads were good, most having the “moderately broad skull” asked for in the Standard, very few being overly broad, with deep stops, more reminiscent of the Asiatic otter, rather than the native River otter.
Necks, into shoulder, were, on the whole ok, the main problem, as ever, being short upper arms, giving a front construction, set too far forward, on the body, rather than under it, more Fox Terrier than Border Terrier, meaning that the elbow was the widest part of the dog, not ideal on a dog bred to go to ground.
Bone varied, while we don’t want heavy bone, a few were too light, those with straight fronts and quality bone, down to small feet, with thick pads were a joy to find.
I’ve got hands like shovels, so the majority were spannable, but even I struggled with one or two! A few were, to my mind, short in rib, lacking the carry back, giving an untypical cut up underline.
Topline and tailsets were in the main good, just a few “not quite” sloping in croup. Tails, in the main, were good, not too many long ones. A few could have been thicker at the base, but none curled over the back.
The majority had good racy hindquarters, very few showing the stilted rear action that seems to be creeping in to the breed, totally incorrect in a breed that should be capable of “following a horse” as there’s no length of stride, driving from the hocks.
The main point of concern, I found, is an alarming number, whose back legs are simply not on the same track as the front ones, when moving, I assume, due to a slight imbalance between the front and rear construction, the angles not matching, to give efficient movement.
Coats and pelts were pretty good, even those short of coat, had, in the main, evidence of harshness. Given it’s pretty much the start of the show season, none were unduly penalised, my view being coats are transient, construction is a constant.
Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Chainsmoker Fiery Lucifer At Modrelabky
Placing Critique
Blue and tan. Not quite the head of the winner, at the moment, but it is typical and should finish well, given time. Just preferred neck, shoulder and front of the winner as just inclined to stand a touch wide, at times. Super topline and tailset. Good hindquarters used well. Superb coat and pelt. Needs time, but has promise.
Yeovil & District Canine Society Open Show
3rd May 2026
Judge: Ben Regeer (Slamdunk)
Best Puppy
Name at show: TPG3, Chainsmoker Fiery Lucifer At Modrelabky
Puppy /
First Place
Name at show: Chainsmoker Fiery Lucifer At Modrelabky
