Show Placings
Bath Canine Society Championship Show
27th May 2016
Judge: Mr Alan Hedges (Ramblix)
My thanks go to the Officers and Committee of Bath show for inviting me to come and judge Border Terriers for the first time, and on the Bath Billiard Table as well, it was a fabulous day for me and will live long in my memory.
I thought the dogs were better than the bitches although reading through my critique it doesn’t sound like that, but it was. If I may make a couple of points. Nobody who goes to shows goes to lose and some are making it rather easy for the judge to give them a hard time. Long pointed nails are not good news , nor is standing the dog like a rocking horse. If you are going to use bait, the dog needs to think it has a chance of getting it, the idea is to bring him up on his toes and make a much better picture. Every little helps, none of the opposition are going to roll over and make it easy for you!
Hind movement was generally better than front movement, and plenty could have been fitter.
My thanks go to all who entered, you gave me a wonderful day and I was honoured by each and every one of you
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus
Placing Critique
This chap has a good front, level topline and a good tail and set. He moved well in front, was easily spanned and has decent head.
The Sothern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
11th Jun 2016
Judge: Professor S P Dean (Tyrian)
It was a pleasure to judge the SBTC Championship Show and very pleasing to do so on their return to the Cheltenham racecourse. The new venue on the racecourse site has impressive facilities and they helped to provide a good atmosphere all day.
The bitch classes were generally very much better than the dog classes and the number of border terriers with thick pelts and a good coat was impressive. Heads are very much improved although some deep stops and large heavy ears cost a few dogs a higher placing.
In general terms the construction of hindquarters has improved but we are now seeing some dogs which have too much bend of stifle and end up with their hocks well behind their tail root when standing. Lay-back of shoulders has also improved yet some still have those relatively upright shoulders which yield a stilted movement in front. In addition, we need to keep the narrowness of the breed in mind, the border terrier does not have a rounded chest and should be well ribbed back as a result.
I struggled to span quite a few male dogs but the bitches were much better. Dentition was very good overall and very strongly made teeth was most enjoyable to find and always an impressive quality to see when examining a border terrier’s mouth.
Finally it was nice to see a few dogs with the characteristic thick carrot-shaped tail which, when set on correctly, always finishes the overall picture. Keep in mind it is an asset for the working terrier.
At the end there were some very promising youngsters who will contribute the future of the breed and several very high quality Border Terriers competing for Best in Show.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus
Placing Critique
Young 8mo, stood alone. Full of promise. Typical head and expression, thick pelt and harsh coat just beginning to change. Constructed correctly, neat carrot tail completes the picture, Moved well. Expect rear construction to improve as he matures.
Welsh Kennel Club
20th Aug 2016
Judge: Mr S Plane
Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus
Placing Critique
A good type of dog who I think still needs to grow on a little, very racy throughout pleasing head and eye spans easily with a loose pelt but could have carried more coat on the day. Free on the move but at times lost his outline but a good happy temperament.
National Terrier Club
1st Apr 2017
Judge: Mr A Horner (Stineval)
Thank you to The National Terrier Club for the appointment also my stewards who did a sterling job in keeping everything moving smoothly and a thank you to the exhibitors for allowing me the opportunity to go over their prized possessions. A few dogs were under weight and some would benefit by having their feet and nails some attention. I only found one suspect mouth and lots lacking in body condition. Some need to put scissors in the drawer and leave them there too! I was pleased with the final lines of my winners of both sexes.
Post Graduate - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus
Birmingham National Dog Show
4th May 2017
Judge: Mr Terence Tuck
Post Graduate - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus
Royal Welsh Premier Open Show
21st May 2017
Judge: Rachel Larner (Hawcoat)
Limit /
First Place
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus
The Southern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
11th Jun 2017
Judge: Mr Arthur Cuthbertson (Ashbrae)
My thanks to the Club for my appointment which I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to the Officers and Committee for their hospitality and gift. Thanks to my stewards Tina Morgan and Jane Roberts for the efficient way they kept the show moving along. I was very pleased with my final line ups, which were all presented in very good coat and condition. I would have been happy to have awarded at least 3 CC’s in each sex. All the dogs placed had correct dentition which was very pleasing. Movement has improved since the last time I judged. However I do think more thought should be taken regarding heads as a lot appear to be lacking strength under the eye and jaw, which results in losing the otter like head.
Post Graduate - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus
Welsh Kennel Club
19th Aug 2017
Judge: Mr Max King
Post Graduate - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus
The Southern Border Terrier Club Limit Show
15th Apr 2018
Judge: Ms Tina Jones (Otterholme)
My sincere thanks to the committee for the kind invitation to judge at my first club show, I enjoyed the day immensely. Thank you to my efficient stewards Tina Morgan, Rachel Larner and Wendy Mooney, show manager for keeping things running so smoothly.
My thanks must go to the exhibitors for bringing along their dogs today, and the sporting acceptance of my decisions.
I did note some untypical heads, which for me lacked for me the characterising feature of the breed, I found such heads to be somewhat exaggerated with too much stop, not the ‘moderately’ broad skull I was looking for.
On the whole, I found mouths were good, a couple of level bites, and one or two with misaligned teeth, but it was pleasing to find big strong teeth in most exhibits.
I was very pleased with my class winners; some decisions were very close especially in the bitch classes. In both sexes there were some promising youngsters coming through which can only auger well for the breed.
Limit - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus
Placing Critique
Grizzle dog who appealed for his balance throughout, unexaggerated, lovely masculine dog that excels with his correctly proportioned head, and strong jaw . I found him narrow throughout, just right for bone, without losing any substance, and not overdone in any way, narrow front, nice length of upper arm into excellent shoulders, correct in rib, hence easy to span and so balanced with it . Moved out well with long economical strides.
Class Critique
This was a strong class in terms of quality, but I was conscious of some hot headed terrier behaviour in the class, which I couldn’t reward, such temperaments would be a nuisance in the field. Sensible behaviour was rewarded here.
The Southern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
9th Jun 2018
Judge: Mr W Shorthose (Cundytyke)
It is always a particular honour to judge a Breed Club Championship Show and my thanks go to the committee for their hospitality and my stewards who kept things running smoothly. I found only two poor mouths but more had wrong, thin skins and some needed to go home for a good feed. A working terrier needs to be correctly muscled and too many needed nourishment and exercise. The biggest problem, however, remains poor front movement showing both incorrect shoulders and, for some, over angulation in the hindquarters.
DCC
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus by Badgerbeck
Best In Show
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus by Badgerbeck
Limit - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus by Badgerbeck
Placing Critique
Neatly put together dog who has all the essentials. All is in balance. Narrow in body but with both appropriate length and strength. Good reach of neck and sloping shoulder. Shown in good coat and had a realy good thick, loose skin. CC and BOB
Paignton
4th Aug 2018
Judge: Professor A S Milton
I suspect I shall retire from judging now. I certainly have no intention, when it comes into effect, of paying the Kennel Club to get on their judging lists. I have always assumed, though I may be wrong, that I have been invited to judge because people wanted me to. I have no intention of 'prostituting’ my art by paying money for the privilege. If I may reminisce, I have never sought a judging appointment, indeed in the beginning I had never even thought about judging. Then one day a letter arrived from the secretary of a large open show in Scotland. Would I judge the terrier breeds and the terrier group at their next open show? I have, to this day, no idea who suggested my name. I had never judged before, not even a match or a limited show, I was on no judging list, they didn’t exist in those days, I had never stewarded, and have never done so to this day, I have to this day never attended any hands on or assessment seminar. After my first appointment invitations came at fairly frequent intervals, including two breed clubs, and eventually I received an invitation to judge at a Championship show. However, when I replied, with my judging cv, the committee told me that they couldn't continue with my appointment, as the Kennel Club would not accept the nomination owing to the 'parochial' range of my judging, which had, with one exception, all been in Scotland. Notwithstanding that for example two of the shows had been over 200 miles apart, and from my home to the breed club show in England over 500 miles. Peter Thompson (Thoraldby) and Sybil Churchill came to my rescue and I found myself judging at LKA.
A few thoughts on Border Terriers. Size has always been a problem, right from the beginning of the breed, with there being far too many large dogs, outside the weight standard, and the numbers seem to be getting larger (forgive the pun). I blame the breeders for this. In one class at Paignton, there was only one dog, which I could span. Movement is another problem; the trend at the moment seems to be very narrow hindquarters, with the feet nearly touching. In 1991, I made a video of Crufts with the late R.A. Williams judging. Almost without exception all the dogs are in full coat. (A few years ago there was a pirated video made of this tape). In the book 'About the Border Terrier', Walter Gardner says 'It is difficult to judge Border coats today because so often the dogs are stripped, well nigh skinned'. Two personal gripes, Border should be walked on a loose lead, not strung up, and should stand naturally, I do particularly dislike those exhibitors who are continually fussing with their dogs, moving a foot a cm here, a cm there and the like.
I should like to thank the committee of the Paignton show for inviting me to judge. They were all very helpful, and also the vets at the show who kindly looked after my young puppy which I had, perforce, to bring with me, whilst I was judging.
Limit - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus by Badgerbeck
Bournemouth Canine Association
13th Aug 2018
Judge: Mrs Eileen Cole (Towden)
I would like to thank Bournemouth Canine Association for inviting me to judge the Border Terriers and their hospitality on arrival and to my very efficient stewards. I would also like to thank the exhibitors for entering their dogs and giving me the honour of going over them, most were in top condition and movement on the whole was good, coats varied quite a lot and there were a couple of level bite teeth, but I was very pleased with my final line up.
Limit - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus by Badgerbeck
Placing Critique
Grizzle dog super racy lines lovely head dark eyes and varmity expression narrow and straight front good length of neck into well placed shoulder good tail placement well let down in hock shown in fit condition good double jacket and thick pelt spanned ok moved well both ways.
Southern Border Terrier Club Open Show
16th Sep 2018
Judge: Mr Julien Barney (Romaunt)
A big thank you to the committee for giving me the opportunity to judge at this well run show. A super sporting atmosphere around the ring on a very pleasant sunny autumn afternoon.
My general comments would be about heads and the lack of that typical Otter look with a good skull and a powerful muzzle required to do their job. Front movement in some wasn’t good being tied in front and I wonder how well they would be able to follow a horse for a good days hunting. Plus size seemed to be an issue with some being well up to the limit.
Limit - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus by Badgerbeck
Placing Critique
Preferred the front construction. Clean straight front into correct depth of brisket. Good length of loin into moderate rear construction. Good coat and condition. Masculine head and expression.
The Southern Border Terrier Club Open Show
16th Sep 2023
Judge: Mr Robert Brewster (Stowthorney & Breckgreen)
I would like to thanks the officers and committee of The Southern Border Terrier Club for giving me the honour of judging their Open Show. I first signed the contract for the show in 2017, but due to Covid and the Lockdown I have only just fulfilled my judging appointment. Whist remembering those who are no longer with us due to the Covid Pandemic. I was happy with my entry and would like to also thank the exhibitors for entering under me and thank them all for taking my decisions, some of which were difficult, in a sportsmanlike way. I found most exhibits to be in good order, but I was quite worried that I found some younger exhibits with a build-up of scale on their teeth. This should be addressed as soon as possible. I was also delighted with a young exhibitor, attending her first show, on a whole handling her young dog so well whilst full of nerves and inexperience. We need to encourage these youngsters as they are the custodians of our breed
Special Open Working Dog or Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Blewecourt Zeus by Badgerbeck
Placing Critique
This boy has everything needed to do his job. Broard skull with a dark eye. Large teeth with a correct bite. Narrow throughout. Spanned with ease. Correct double jacket with thick pelt. Moved out with ease and purpose.
