Show Placings
Boston Championship Show
8th Jan 2012
Judge: Mrs Wendy Mooney (Chesterton)
I appreciate that at this time of year with both dark mornings and early sunsets travelling and showing your Borders might not seem like the most enjoyable way to spend your weekend. So a sincere thank you to all those exhibitors who attended my first Championship Show appointment. We were the only terrier breed to have CC’s on offer and I had a lovely entry of 122 dogs. The venue and ring allocated were both excellent. No draughts or noisy blow-heaters. It was actually very civilised. Thank you to my steward who was efficient and supportive throughout. It made my task so much easier.
I was surprised to find that many exhibits, whilst prima facie, moved soundly, lacked the drive that is so important if they are to do a real day’s work. I was also a little disappointed that many Borders had tight pelts, which sometimes were thick but lacked that looseness that could get them, quite literally, out of a tight hole!
I was delighted with my overall winners and, I thank all those who graciously accepted my decisions.
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Placing Critique
Lots to like about this baby of 6½ months. Still very immature and needs time. Strong teeth and jaw with excellent scissor bite. Has lovely long length of rib and is narrow throughout. I liked her small neat feet but her coat looked to be just past its best but still neatly presented by her owner.
Manchester Championship Dog Show
19th Jan 2012
Judge: Mrs F A Somerfield
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Yorkshire, Lancashire & Cheshire Border Terrier Club Open Show
24th Mar 2012
Judge: Miss Tracey Peacock (Ragatam)
My Thanks To The Officers And Committee For Inviting Me To Judge Their Show, To The Stewards, Mrs. Doreen Rushby And Mrs. Tracy Butler For Keeping The Ring Running Smoothly And To The Exhibitors For Allowing Me To Go Over Their Dogs.
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
Reserve
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
National Terrier
7th Apr 2012
Judge: Miss Sally Leslie (Risdene)
Thank you for a super entry. At times I felt I had been let loose in a sweetie shop such was the quality of the exhibits before me. Indeed because I was spoilt I was hard on jaw and dentition faults and Borders that were more smart terrier than true Border in type. My experience over the years leads me to believe that such faults are heart-breakingly likely to continue to bite in the future if not stamped on. My main winners were true Borders. You read of “a-ha moments†and happily for me there were some rather nice ones here. Good times indeed.
Puppy - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Placing Critique
stood out for superb coat and pelt, skin pliable and thick, coat dense and close, good head and expression with correct stop and nice eye, stands well on good padded feet, shapely all through
Novice - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Scottish Kennel Club
19th May 2012
Judge: Mr John Bainbridge
A small but interesting entry with many good quality exhibits a pleasure to judge after the challenge of my previous two huge entries. The BOB and Dog CC winners are excellent examples of the breed with otter head, good length neck into well laid shoulders, correct length of body, flowing top line, well ribbed back into strong loin and well angulated rear quarters, short hocks and good feet, narrow throughout and spannable making for a dog that can run with the horse and go to ground on arrival. Both were in double full coats but the bitch presented better in hers and relaxed in the final challenge to show her full quality to take BOB.
Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Placing Critique
Nice size and length, well constructed throughout, good shaped otter head that should develop correctly, presented well in harsh jacket and moved out well but was not so spot on as the dog in the B P challenge.
Novice - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Southern Counties Championship Show
2nd Jun 2012
Judge: Mr Geoff Corish
A lovely entry. I thoroughly enjoyed judging the breed again & was able to find some lovely Borders. It was a great pleasure to watch my BOB go G4 as well.
Puppy - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Border Union Championship Show
17th Jun 2012
Judge: Mrs Kate Walton (Enterlaw)
After an absence from the Showring and judging for the past 18 months, due to illness I was interested to find almost a new generation in my entry. Not even the appalling June weather and the resultant sudden switch from outdoor to indoor rings could dampen my enthusiasm hut I do apologise to exhibitors for the lack of adequate space in the indoor wet-weather accommodation. Thank you all so much for your sporting patience and to my two excellent stewards for their assistance in moving us under cover so efficiently. After Open Dog. I just could not record legibly in my judging book! I much enjoyed looking over and handling this large entry with relatively few absentees. I was very impressed by the standard and quality of my main winners and in the way the dogs adapted to the change of rings. It was a pity that the benching for the congested indoor ring was so far away. I felt particularly sorry for all the bitch exhibits who were obliged to show in such a small muddy ring, especially those in the big classes which had to be split and the fact that other terrier breeds with smaller entries were given larger rings, Considering the conditions, all temperaments were excellent. Only one level mouth and two slightly out of alignment. All dogs were entire. Movement is still an overall problem. Some exhibits could be tidier!
Puppy - Bitch /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Graduate - Bitch /
Reserve
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
East of England Championbship Show
6th Jul 2012
Judge: Mr Brian Baxter (Beenaben)
I thought the quality of the dogs has improved since the last time I judged. They were on a par with the bitches in depth
Junior - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Graduate - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Northern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
17th Jul 2012
Judge: Mrs. A. C. Fryer (Irton)
My thanks to the Northern Club for the opportunity to judge their 40th Championship show and for their wonderful hospitality; to the exhibitors for giving me such a lovely entry and to my stewards Doreen Rushby & Tracy Peacock for their assistance through the day.
I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my day, as we expect from this club there was a wonderful atmosphere all day with good support for the winners and, of course, very impressive rosettes!
I was pleased with the entry and thought the Veteran class outstanding. In general exhibits were good types of Border, presented clean and reasonably well muscled. I dislike over handling and excessive stacking of exhibits, these are working terriers and if made right they will – eventually – stand right. In general heads were typical, some with excellent expressions. Coats, of course, were all over the place but where present were of good quality and in the main pelts were OK with some very good examples. Feet generally were OK but good tight well padded feet were definitely in the minority. Similarly ears were generally OK but small, well set, well shaped thick ears were scarce. Tails and tailset were very much a plus with some very good examples, just a few rather long or thin ones. I was pleased to find enough well made dogs who covered their ground cleanly without fuss and flicking but good movement was definitely one of the major problems, particularly in the bitches.
Shoulder placement was a problem in a significant number of exhibits, mostly these were upright shoulders out at the withers giving big problems with front movement. These may look good standing but these dogs are not sound on the move, a vital requirement for a Border.
I accept that an older dog can lose teeth or have a bite move but I was disappointed to find a number of young dogs with incorrect bites, missing and broken teeth. I thought a number of heads were weak, particularly across the jaw and these seem to go with rather small teeth, I wonder if these are related problems?
Junior - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Placing Critique
Another nice bitch of a totally different type, OK in head, good bone and feet; very nice shoulder and good behind, shown in good coat and a good mover who covered her ground well if a bit hasty at times.
Graduate - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Placing Critique
2nd in junior.
The Midland Border Terrier Club Championship Show
5th Aug 2012
Judge: Nicholls & Dean
*Dog Critique*
An excellent entry at this my first club championship show. There were quality exhibits in all classes and overall, if this entry can be used as a yardstick, the dogs are now almost as good as the bitches, which couldn’t be said only a short while ago. This must bode well for the future of the breed.
I have been very critical of movement in the past, but I found a distinct improvement here and most of the class card winners had good parallel movement going away and back, and plenty of drive with economical front action. Coats were generally very good and heads were much improved with only a few weak snipey muzzles and apple skulls.
Many thanks to my hard working stewards, Sharon Pickering and Ray Bryan, who succeeded in keeping me out of trouble.
*Bitch Critique*
A very satisfying day, I had many good bitches to go over. My thanks to the MBTC for the invitation to judge and to the exhibitors for entering. All were capable of being spanned, there was a good number of typical jackets and overall quality was such that this was a factor in the placings. No bad mouths and many with good strong teeth. Construction has improved but be careful not to overdo the hind angulation and remember we look for narrow fronts. A few round ears and several larger than I prefer. Racy lines preferred but be careful as some lacked substance. I though the principal winners were all very good. BIS, RBIS and BOS were all worthy winners.
Junior - Bitch /
Reserve
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Graduate - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Placing Critique
Strong in skull but would prefer more strength of muzzle and neater ear. Best hindquarters in this class. Well laid shoulder and attractive in profile. Needs to tighten on the move.
Paignton & District FA
7th Aug 2012
Judge: Miss Rebecca Barber (Alcumlow)
I would like to thank the committee for their hospitality, I thoroughly enjoyed my day. Thank you to all of the exhibitors for giving me such a good entry of quality dogs. I judge according to the breed standard and I felt that my winners today were extremely fitting.
Junior - Bitch /
Reserve
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Class Critique
A lovely class with some real quality, I will be interested to see how these bitches develop and I am sure there are some future champions here.
Yorks, Lancs & Cheshire Border Terrier Club Championship Show
29th Sep 2012
Judge: Mrs Janet Lee (Tythrop)
My thanks to the officers & committee for their invitation & hospitality , I thoroughly enjoyed my day with them , the border folk & their dogs .Thanks too to my stewards for the day who kept the ring running smoothly . It is 28 years since I attended my 1st YLCBTC Ch show , watching Ch Dandyhow Crofter gain his title & Ch Thistycroft Candlelight take top honours . I remember clearly the heavy fall Ted Hutchinson had due to lack of mats , thankfully no-one slipped today , though some dogs did.
For me the most important sentence is ˜essentially a working terrier” I fully appreciate a gorgeous otter head & all breed details , but the common factor of all terriers pedigree & crossbreed who go to ground is that they are narrow fronted & eminently spannable , having a flat rib, this is a flattish egg shape , never slab-sided , well sprung nor barrel chested , all equally faulty in a Border . If the frame is too big by being either too deep &/or sprung they will get stuck & die underground as not all places are diggable . I was taught they should resemble a lightweight hunter , legs slightly longer than depth of body & ˜fairly long in body”, i.e. longer wither to end of loin than wither to elbow with no trace of brisket below elbow . These essentials plus positive straight scopy movement were uppermost today . I have no colour prejudice nor pedigree preference at all.
Temperaments were excellent in the ring with only a couple of “outbursts” from outside, a must for a working terrier is an equable nature . All males were entire . A few misplaced teeth & tail faults which would not affect work but do pass on to progeny . Untypical round eyes often too close together are prone to damage & ulceration working , & give a surprised foreign look rather than kind in repose & keen when alert correct expression . Quite a few ran down to the shoulders being either short in foreleg &/or steep in croup . Was pleased my winners have enough scope & soundness to get there & handled well enough in rib & front to be able to get in & more importantly , back out again.
Junior - Bitch /
Reserve
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Yearling - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Placing Critique
Similar stamp & outline with excellent angulation both in front & hindquarters . Feminine head eye & expression , good bite. Moved better in this class , but not as confident as 1 which affects her front & outline. Her coat & pelt are excellent .
Post Graduate - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
South Wales Kennel Association
13th Oct 2012
Judge: Mr David Fryer (Irton)
Not a numerically strong entry, but plenty of quality – I had no difficulty finding enough good ‘uns. The Border Terrier standard is short on detail, and needs interpretation. I see the key to that interpretation to be in the first two lines of the standard – ‘Essentially a working terrier‘, and ‘capable of following a horse, combining activity with gameness‘. It is further necessary to fully understand that the work the terrier is expected to do, is to go to ground to bolt a fox; that the horse in question is typically a sturdy hill pony, and the ground to follow it over is typically rough, upland country such as the Cheviots or North Pennines. Hence a sturdy dog is required, with enough scope and length to move economically on rough ground, enough lung and heart room to do it at speed all day, yet small enough to follow a fox to ground. Too short, or too narrow or sprung in the rib will not do this; nor will steep shoulders or under- or over-angulated hind quarters. Coat and pelt must be fit to protect from both weather and fox; quality is of more importance than grooming. Other than one senior citizen with missing teeth (understandable), a few exhibits with chipped teeth (no problem) and several with bites no better than level (not incorrect, merely undesirable), I found no bad mouths. All males were entire.
Junior - Bitch /
Reserve
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Graduate - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Placing Critique
(reserve in JB) Slightly larger type, short on coat today, sound but not impressive on the move.
Scottish Border Terrier Club Championship Show
10th Nov 2012
Judge: Professor A S Milton (Baillieswells)
It was a real pleasure to be invited to judge this show. Having been a member of the Club since its beginning, it was great to come back to Selkirk, to what I have always regarded as my ‘home’ club. There was the usual happy atmosphere, and everything was so well run.
As to the exhibits, I was impressed with the overall quality of the coats, so many with really harsh substantial topcoats and warm undercoats. Several exhibitors seemed to have had difficulty with the hairs around the neck. I know that they grow in different directions, but it is possible with hard work to get an even look. Borders should not be shown with a ruff. Many tails had not been stripped properly, not being tidy and not flowing from the end of the back. Some even had feathering on the underside. I wish exhibitors would not push the tail upright so that it is vertical to the spine.
They are not Airedales, and it spoils the topline. Front movement was very varied, but cow hocks were almost absent. Teeth were good. Far too many, in my opinion, were too big, and I had difficulty in spanning them. (Though looking back in the literature, this has been a complaint since the beginning of the breed!)
Graduate - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Placing Critique
Excellent head, good length of neck, level topline, well set tail, straight front, well angulated hindlegs. Slightly hesitant on the move.
Post Graduate - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl
Coventry Ladies Kennel Society Open Show
1st Jan 2013
Judge: Stephen Randle Goodwin (Lanola)
Post Graduate /
Second Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl JW
Mountsorrel & District Canine Society
14th Apr 2013
Judge: Mr Chris Wallace (Hobholt)
Open /
Third Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl JW
WELKS
28th Apr 2013
Judge: Mrs Jane Roberts (Smalesmouth)
My first appointment at this level and I would like to thank the officers and committee of WELKS for the invitation. Grateful thanks to my stewards who kept everything moving so efficiently and thanks to all the exhibitors who gave me the privilege of going over their dogs. I thoroughly enjoyed my day and fully appreciated the opportunity to judge some high quality exhibits. Some decisions were difficult and places could change on another day.
On a positive note temperaments were good, as were mouths and feet. On the down side I felt that there were not enough exhibits that moved with drive and there were several with wide fronts - these are faults that would impact on the dog's ability to work.
Yearling - Bitch /
Reserve
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl JW
Joint Border Terrier Club's Championship Show
5th May 2013
Judge: Mrs Denise Townsend (Llanishen)
I was thrilled to be awarded this prestigious appointment and would like to thank everyone for making this a very enjoyable day. I have always been a fan of the joint show and the opportunity it gives for the clubs to come together. The entire organising team was marvellous but special mention must go to my stewards Peter Roderick and Colin Girling for all their support and assistance, and to collecting ring organisers Wendy and Andrew Mooney for keeping the action flowing. Also thanks to Kathy Wilkinson and Su Williams for all their help in organising the event.
Overall I was pleased with the quality of my entry although there was more quality in depth in bitches. Movement was generally good and there were very few wry mouths. True otter heads seem somewhat in decline and there were several single coats. However, I was delighted with all of my winners.
Post Graduate - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl JW
National Dog Show
9th May 2013
Judge: Mrs Laura Illingworth (Thorneyhurst)
Thanks to Birmingham National for giving me the opportunity to judge this show and for providing me with two excellent stewards, who kept the ring running smoothly, also to all the exhibitors that gave me the pleasure of going over their dogs.
The quality in some classes was superb especially the limit and open of both sexes, leaving me with more dogs I liked, than cards to award. Temperaments and presentation were good.
Post Graduate - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl JW
Three Counties Championship Show
6th Jun 2013
Judge: Mrs Jena Tuck (Nettleby)
Post Graduate - Bitch /
Reserve
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl JW
Southern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
14th Jun 2014
Judge: Mrs Wendy Mooney (Chesterton)
Congratulations to the committee of the Southern Border Terrier Club for running an excellent show at a new venue under extreme circumstances. Due to a nasty virus the appointed judge, Mrs Betty Judge, was taken ill the day before and was not well enough to carry out her duties. I know that she was absolutely devastated and had been looking forward to the appointment for a long time.
Faced with such an emergency, show manager, Mr David Hunt managed the situation with complete calm and professionalism. I was both honoured and shocked to be invited to step in to judge and here, I must say a huge thank you to the committee for asking me but in particular to the exhibitors who had entered under and were expecting another judge and took the situation so sportingly.
I am grateful to everyone who accepted my decisions and placings so graciously and to my great team of stewards: Andrew Mooney, Elspeth Jackson and Bev Marsh, who kept everything running smoothly and between them managed to multi-task and juggle photographs, collecting ring, announcing, paperwork awards etc etc.
And so to the dogs themselves – there were some superb entries and it was an absolute pleasure to go over and place them. Some of the classes were so strong that even good dogs didn’t get placed.
Coats and presentation were generally excellent - something, which was not so apparent the last time I judged. This I put down principally to the time of year (for both shows).
Movement today seemed in many of the dogs to be lacking the drive that I would have wished for. In part, I think the surface may have been to blame (but not in all instances) and had we been outside on the grass this might have been different. I do slightly regret that I did not decide to judge the dogs outside.
Mouths were good in all but one (suspect) case, as were the temperaments. Size I think will need to be kept in check, there seemed to be a fair number who seemed to be heavy enough, others who were too deep to be easily spanned.
I was so thrilled with my “stars” of the show. It was a pleasure to judge all of your dogs; they were a lovely, quality entry.
Post Graduate - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Kersfell Chorus Girl JW
Placing Critique
Grizzle bitch with a beautiful head. Another one in great coat and condition with lovely loose pelt. Nicely balanced quality bitch. Just lost out on front movement to the winners.
