Show Placings
Scottish Kennel Club 206th Championship Show
17th May 2025
Judge: Mr J Gilpin (Otterbobs)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each exhibitor for providing me with an excellent entry, and l would like to thank the Scottish Kennel Club for inviting me to judge at their General Championship Show, unfortunately l never got my ring stewards name but a massive thank you to you for keeping things flowing.
Best Puppy
Name at show: Flegato Fons Amoris
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Flegato Fons Amoris
Placing Critique
6 months old, lovely feminine head, & a sparkle in her eye & good expression, narrow chested & Racey body, a lot to like about her and she has a lot of potential for one so young.
Scottish Kennel Club 205th Championship Show
17th May 2025
Judge: Mr Ian Hopper (Esyntona)
Thank you to the following.
SKC for inviting me to judge after my two previous appointments at Driffield were cancelled due to corvid restrictions and the storms.
The stewards who helped keeping the classes running smoothly at times we had to wait for exhibitors who were showing in the SKC Champ show in the adjacent ring.
To all the exhibitors who entered their dogs under me, I was looking for dogs that were fit for function for what they were originally bred for even though very few get the chance to carry this out.
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Flegato Fons Amoris
Placing Critique
Red grizzle nice head correct ear set, scissor bite, in harsh coat, easily spannable preferred movement of winner on the day could easily swap places on another day
Class Critique
Nice class of pups some need to settle on the move.
Southern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
7th Jun 2025
Judge: Mrs Jane Roberts (Smalesmouth)
Many thanks to the officers and committee of the Southern Border Terrier Club for the invitation to judge at the club’s championship show on 7th June. Congratulations to them for providing such an excellent and well run show. Thanks also to my stewards Sian Mckay and Sophie Leggat for their cheerful and efficient help. Many thanks to all who entered. It is always a priviledge and pleasure to go over your dogs and I thank all the exhibitors for that opportunity. It was also an honour to be the 51st judge to award a DCC to CH Otterbobs Tolson, making him the Breed CC record holder. Many congratulations to his owners.
Overall, I thought there was plenty of quality from puppies through to the veterans. I thought that size was good, as were coats and heads. I was really pleased that I also found an improvement in length and shape of tails. Downside was front movement as there were a significant number who were not accurate in this department.
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Flegato Fons Amoris
Placing Critique
Lovely 7 mnth grizzle bitch. Enjoying herself. Balanced outline Feminine head and narrow bodylines with excellent front, ribbed well back, good topline and tail set. Presented in very good double jacket and thick pelt. Moved accurately from all angles. Liked her a lot. Very promising.
Leeds Championship Show
24th Jul 2025
Judge: Mr Peter Armstrong (Atron)
I would first like to thank the Officers and Committee of Leeds City & District Canine Association Championship Show for inviting me to judge at their show, and for the hospitality shown to me on the day. However, most of all, thank you to all the exhibitors for providing me with such a quality entry to assess on this, my first appointment in the breed at this level. I had the privilege of going over so many quality dogs that difficult decisions often had to be made. As always, coats were at different stages, sometimes reflected in the placings, but coats come and go, construction does not. I did not discern any kinked tails and no bad temperaments were apparent. The adequately sized ring however was quite difficult for the exhibitors to circumnavigate, with varying gradients, going uphill away from the judge, coming back downhill but with another gradient across the ring to cope with as well. There were several bumps and hollows in the ring as well, in places which made standing your exhibit to best effect not quite so easy. Many astute exhibitors realising this changed their handling technique to cater for this, some did not
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Flegato Fons Amoris
Driffield Championship Dog Show
25th Aug 2025
Judge: Mrs Julie Fletcher (Northborders)
I was so excited to be invited to give tickets for the first time so a big thank you to Driffield Committee for the invite but especially to the exhibitors for my fabulous entry
I found some really lovely dogs to go over and in some classes I wished I had more awards to give out , I was very pleased with my final line ups
Temperaments all day were very good. I didn't see one cross word between the dogs , Coats as always were varying and in some classes it was a consideration. The open and limit classes were of the highest quality and very enjoyable to judge
I thoroughly enjoyed my day and such a privilege to be able to go over all of your dogs , thank you
Junior - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Flegato Fons Amoris
Placing Critique
9mth old Grizzle and tan puppy, ina beautiful correct harsh double jacket , nicely angulated moved and showed really well , good tail and tail set , good for bone and neat tight feet , pushed hard for best puppy bitch
Driffield Championship Dog Show 49th
25th Aug 2025
Judge: Mr Bob Wright (Totherend)
My thanks to the Driffield Championship Show Committee for the opportunity to go over a quality entry and a real thank you to the exhibitors for entering and coping with the unusual arrangements.
I know many expect to see a line up all of a type but you can only put up what is entered and you can’t deny a quality dog that is within the standard over a poorer exhibit of a type you personally prefer.
After the show I was re-introduced light heartedly (I hope) to a dog described by the exhibitor as “the one I didn’t like”, which I suspect is the interpretation many exhibitors of beaten dogs have. As a general rule I believe it’s much more likely that a beaten dog is in fact a liked dog but that on the day there may have been others that were liked more!
Over the years there have been many different concerns about where the breed is heading but I’m pleased to say that some of these look to have been put to bed. I saw lots of good mouths with big strong teeth and only two level bites. Loose thick pelts were a plenty and I’m delighted to see the return of good full coats shown with pride. There were no kinked tails but a good carrot tail is now as rare has hens teeth with flag poles more the norm.
Some puppies are coming in large and leggy and many entries were borderline for spanning. Close rear movement and loose fronts were a blight on some otherwise good dogs.
However, with the exception of a couple of classes, most exhibits were of real quality and I’m sure many exhibitors were left wondering why they never got placed. The answer is that you probably deserved one but I only had 5 to give and in some cases the 5th could equally well have been first. Limit bitch was absolutely full of quality and in Open bitch they were all well worthy of a CC with little to choose between them.
So overall I’m pleased with our efforts to produce quality exhibits but ditch the flag poles and enjoy the champions that you all take home.
Junior - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Flegato Fons Amoris
Placing Critique
Lively G&T, nice size, keen expression, good dentition, pelt & coat ok, nice reach of neck,top line and tail set, good bend of stifle, moved ok, just preferred body length of 1.
Joint Border Terrier Clubs Championship Show
31st Aug 2025
Judge: Mrs Jane Morton-Shaw (Fehmarn)
Many thanks to the committee for inviting me to judge what turned out to be the last Joint Ch Show. I had a wonderful day, & I was very ably and efficiently aided by my two stewards Tracey Anscombe and Peter Armstrong & I send my thanks out to them again (shows can’t run without good stewards).
My main down side to a lot of the Borders I went over was the front movement (I’m not immune to this either)! This needs watching and careful breeding to try and improve on this fault - not easy I know, but something to aim for. Again very few Borders with a good thick pelt which we used to have. Top lines have much improved generally and good to see that most of the exhibits were in good fit/hard condition.
Novice - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Flegato Fons Amoris
Placing Critique
A nice typey bitch in good harsh coat. Correct top line and tail set. Neat feet & correct bite. She had a good bend of stifle. She moved OK but she needs to settle in her front movement.
Darlington Championship Show
13th Sep 2025
Judge: Mrs. Carolyn Richardson (Staynorwood)
Puppy - Bitch /
Reserve
Name at show: Flegato Fons Amoris
