Show Placings
The Terrier Club of Devon & Cornwall Diamond Jubilee Show
19th Oct 2014
Judge: Mrs Mary Small (Tilomoray)
Puppy /
Second Place
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
Ladies Kennel Association
14th Dec 2014
Judge: Mr David G Winsley (Davmar)
Though the standard calls for a narrow body I found many dogs who were too skinny & I could easily feel their ribs! Heads were quite disappointing, many had long weak muzzles not the proportions one associates with an Otters head. Many exhibits lack the small round foot & I doubt if they would cope with the exercise it needs to follow a horse. Coats were mixed & many just a seasonal problem.
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
Reserve
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
West of England Ladies' Kennel Society
25th Apr 2015
Judge: Mrs Su Williams (Hollybridge)
I would like to thank the exhibitors for super entry, it was an honour to go over so many excellent quality border terriers . I had some close decisions in many classes and some quality dogs had to go cardless. Overall I was impressed with the standard of both dogs/bitches and with the condition of them. Almost all were in fit condition with muscle tone,spanning wasn't an issue I'm pleased to say. Which means the breed is in a good way.. Mouths too on the whole were correct with many having good sized and clean teeth. .While coats are of course transient, texture was very good and the vast majority had good thick and loose pelts.
Last but not least Huge Thanks must go to my very capable & experienced Stewards who made my day so much easier.
Novice - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
Placing Critique
Sweet grizzle & tan youngster with a lovely otterlike head, I liked her clean lines and positive movement. she is a slightly reluctant shower but her balanced lines with her good coat and pelt won her the class.
Christchurch and New Forest Canine Society Open Show
16th May 2015
Judge: Mrs Jill Stevens (Cobstoneway)
Thank you to the committee for my judging invitation and hospitality, and my two efficient stewards, and to the exhibitors for an entry of such lovely quality. Thank you also to the Southern Border Terrier Club for their kind donation of prize money.
I found no bad mouths, no kinked tails, and all males were entire. Sadly, there were no puppies entered.
Yearling /
First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
Placing Critique
Lovely g&t bitch, just out of puppy and still immature, but of a nice type and very promising. Good body length, ribbed well back, and narrow throughout, easily spanned. Feminine head, straight front and good shoulder and good angulation all round. Excellent loose pelt and full double coat, carroty tail. Moved out well.
Taunton and District Open Show
27th Jun 2015
Judge: Sue Wilson (Olderhill)
Best Of Breed
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
Yearling /
First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
Paignton & District Fanciers’ Association Championship Show
1st Aug 2015
Judge: Miss Diane Swales (Grabbist)
My thanks to the Secretary and Committee for inviting me to judge at this most enjoyable show and to my two extremely efficient stewards, Felicity Snook and Lady Elain Macdonald, who kept the ring flowing smoothly. I am grateful to the exhibitors for a good entry including some very nice Borders and some promising youngsters. Overall mouths were good with strong, clean teeth and correct bites except for one overshot. Skins were an improvement on my last judging appointment, the majority being thick and loose but I do not like the tendency to strip coats out leaving little evidence of a harsh, dense coat. Remembering that a Border is 'essentially a working Terrier' it concerns me that there are a number being shown that really do not measure up to that description both in jacket and the lack of drive and ability to cover the ground when moving. These comments do not apply to my winners and I was so pleased to find many that really measure up to most points in the standard.
Junior - Bitch /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
Bournemouth CS
10th Aug 2015
Judge: Mrs Lynda Ward
I would like to thank the officers and committee for inviting me to judge, the stewards for unobtrusively keeping things running smoothly and the exhibitors for bringing their good dogs and accepting my decisions with grace. I was gratified to have only 3 absentees despite the awful weather forecast. The necessary inside ring, albeit slightly sloping and uneven, was a decent size giving each exhibit the opportunity to get into stride. Coats varied but there were many good textured topcoats over dense undercoats and on the whole pelts were thick. My worst issue was that some exhibits, despite being narrow and not fat, were very heavy and also a difficult span. Pads were generally thick but feet could be better trimmed as some that looked large and flat actually weren’t on examination. I look for shortish carrot-like tails and although some were thick at the base and tapering correctly they were overly long. I only found 2 with misplaced teeth and it was delighted to find most today had large well set white teeth in good scissor bite. In the past I’ve commented on lack of condition and poor muscle tone in hindquarters so was happy that all today’s entry was presented fit and in hard condition. Overall type was good, I was pleased with both line ups and the veteran classes were a particular treat
RBCC
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
Junior - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
Placing Critique
Beautifully balanced feminine bitch who has a lovely ottery head with flat skull, small ears and short strong muzzle. She is a handy size and is easily spanned. A well laid shoulder and good turn of stifle enabled sound movement and she has a hard jacket on a super thick pelt and good topline with short well-shaped tail. Couldn’t resist her. RCC in hot competition.
Gillingham and Shaftesbury Agricultural Show
19th Aug 2015
Judge: Mrs Carolyne Fry (Bedeslea)
Junior /
First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
City of Birmingham
5th Sep 2015
Judge: Mrs P. Clark (Gameway)
My thanks to City of Birmingham for the invitation to judge and to the exhibitors who gave me such a good entry in both numbers and quality. Thank you also to my two hard working stewards who kept the ring running very smoothly. I found the limit and open classes in both dog and bitch had quality in depth and they were a pleasure to judge Thank You
Junior - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
Placing Critique
A strong but pretty head on this attractive bitch muzzle is short, small neat ears and good flat skull. A good topline and well carried tail she moved soundly. Coat which was certainly double was just passed its best and made her look a little more compact than she is.
Richmond
12th Sep 2015
Judge: Mrs Eileen Needham (Titanium)
I should like to thank Richmond committee for my invitation to judge Border Terriers. It is quite a while since I judged the breed and so came to it today with a very open mind. I thoroughly enjoyed my day, with the opportunity of going over some very lovely dogs. I had plenty of choice in choosing my winners, and I would thank the exhibitors for bringing their dogs and receiving my decisions sportingly. My Stewards were excellent, keeping everything moving like clockwork.
Junior - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
Placing Critique
very similar to winner in most respects, same age but not quite the maturity & confidence in the ring today
Crufts
13th Mar 2016
Judge: Mr W R Irving
It was a great honour to judge the breed at Crufts again - after having done so once before. That was some thirty nine years ago in 1977 when the show was still held at Olympia! The entry this year at 266 from 239 exhibits though down a good deal on last year, was still enough to be going on with and we finished by 3.30 p.m. thanks to my excellent stewards Mr and Mrs Chaston. The exhibitors all seemed very sporting in line with the breed’s sportsmanlike traditions.
I thought that the depth of quality was better in bitches than it was in dogs with several classes where I would have liked to have had more prizes. I thought that heads were in the main pretty good and that fronts, though there were still plenty which weren’t great, were rather better than the last few times I had judged. Crufts is always known as a bad time for coats and this year was no exception with very many lacking in coat and others with rather soft coats. Quite a number of dogs and bitches were rather long in body mainly caused by having ribs that were not as the breed standard demands “carried well back” and thus having loins that were long rather than the required “strong”.
And finally Border Terriers are supposed to have a tail which is, according to the standard, “set high and carried gaily” Quite a few slink around the ring looking miserable and present no sign of the “activity” required by the standard and with tails that are carried low rather than “gaily”. I like to see a Border Terrier that shows a bit of animation and has what I’d call ‘lines’.
My thanks to the exhibitors for entering and for the efficient way that they showed their dogs.
Mid Limit - Bitch /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Benattivo Good Friday
