Show Placings
Yorkshire, Lancashire & Cheshire Border Terrier Club Open Show
28th Jan 2023
Judge: Dr. Margaret Armstrong (Ploughdown)
I’d like to thank Yorks, Lancs and Cheshire Border Terrier Club for inviting me to judge their January Open Show. It was a privilege. I was given a really warm welcome and the hospitality was second to none. The venue was bright and airy and provided for a large ring with plenty of room for exhibitors. I was very ably assisted on the day by my two stewards, Margaret Davis and Sian McKay, who organised the ring with cheerful good humour and efficiency. It was also super to be present for the presentation by the Club to Pat and Brian Baxter, who always add a convivial and kindly presence to any gathering. Lastly I’d like to thank the exhibitors for coming out in numbers in chilly January and who accepted my placings with such good grace.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
Placing Critique
Another blue/tan 6 month old. Very much a baby, seeming to enjoy himself in the ring, giving his handler some challenge. Promising head showing a good balance between skull and foreface. Scissor bite. Dark eye with a lovely expression and small ears set close to his cheek. Graceful neck flowing into a narrow body. Short carroty tail. Super double coat for a pup and showing evidence of blue. Vey good pigmentation. Still tightening in the forehand. Moved out with drive.
Wath,West Melton and District Canine Society Open Show
4th Mar 2023
Judge: Miss Bridget Singh (Borderbridge)
Thank you to the committee for inviting me to judge at your show. Thanks to Paul and Yvonne the stewards on the day. A big thank you to the exhibitors for allowing me to judge your lovely borders on the day.
The quality of the entries was very good, not enough cards to go around! I made my decisions based on the dog on the day, another day many could swap places. I was looking for good confirmation and movement on the day, I let presentation take a back seat as coats can come and go, but confirmation and movement never change.
One or two were hard to span and a couple with tight almost level bites.
Junior /
Reserve
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
The Border Terrier Club Championship Show
25th Mar 2023
Judge: Mrs Charlotte Archibald (Tweedburn)
What an absolute honour and a privilege to be invited to judge this show, my thanks to the Officers and Committee of the Border Terrier Club, and my two excellent stewards for the day, Judy and Marina.
My sincere thanks also, to ALL the exhibitors for making it truly memorable, with 196 dogs, 233 entries.
Some very close decisions had to be made!
On the down side, I found some very short muzzles and small teeth, and quite a number of filthy teeth!! Temperaments were generally good, there were 2 kinked tails and 1 suspect mouth, a lack of muscle tone and condition in some exhibits, which is essential for a terrier to do it’s job.
That said, it was an absolute joy to see so many super dogs.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
Placing Critique
8mths b/t a tad heavy in ear, but still very much a baby, good body lines with a carroty tail, moved a little hesitantly.
The Northern Border Terrier Club Open Show
8th Apr 2023
Judge: Mrs J Carr (Wreighaugh)
My thanks go to the Committee of the NBTC for their invitation to judge their Open Show. I was honoured to receive this appointment and am incredibly grateful to the exhibitors who gave me such a great entry. It was a most enjoyable day and special thanks go to my Stewards, Andrea Pitt and Mark Atkinson, for keeping me on track and helping the ring to run smoothly.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
Novice - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
Yorkshire, Lancashire & Cheshire Border Terrier Club Open Show
22nd Apr 2023
Judge: Debbie Lorraine (Raleniro)
I would like to thank the Club for the invitation to judge this show. It was originally planned for me to judge in April 2020, but this was rearranged due to the pandemic and other outstanding appointments. I would like to thank the Committee for the wonderful hospitality shown to me throughout the day, and thank you to my Steward who kept things running smoothly. I thoroughly enjoyed my day.
I have not judged for just over 4 years, so it was a pleasure to see so many new dogs and new faces around the ring. I was pleasantly surprised by the strength and quality throughout the classes, and pleased to see a return to a more narrow dog, as I was seeing a trend for wide fronts last time I judged.
All dogs were entire and temperaments throughout were good. Bites were correct, with just the odd broken, misplaced or dirty tooth. Coats were, as to be expected, at various stages. There were a few close decisions, and some classes where I wish I had more prize cards to give out. Thank you to all the exhibitors for the privilege of judging your dogs, and also for the sporting way in which they accepted my decisions.
Lastly, can I please apologise for the delay in submitting my critique, as I usually have them done within a day or two of the show. There has been an ongoing issue with the health of a close relative which has taken up a lot of my time, so again, apologies for the delay.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
Placing Critique
Almost 9 months blue and tan. Typical head with lovely expression, good bite. Very narrow throughout and easily spanned. Lovely straight front with tight feet. Good angulation and length of rib .Coat past it’s best but was still of good texture. Moved out well once settled.
Novice - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
Placing Critique
see 1st in MPD
Joint Border Terrier Clubs' Championship Show
30th Apr 2023
Judge: Mrs Hilary Gilpin (Otterbobs)
A very big thank you to the SBTC for inviting me to judge this very well run show, to Marina for stewarding and to the exhibitors for entering under me.
Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
Novice - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
East of England Agricultural Society
6th Jul 2023
Judge: Joyce Martin (Merumhor)
Many thanks to the officers and committee for the invitation to judge Border Terriers at the East of England Agricultural Society Show, which was to be the last one run by this society. It was a super venue with lovely big rings which gave the dogs a chance to stride out. Many thanks to my ring stewards Peter and Lesley Armstrong for keeping things running smoothly and efficiently. I was delighted with my entry of 109 dogs making a total entry of 149 and pleased with the overall quality of dogs shown. Thank you to the exhibitors for giving the chance to go over your dogs and for the sporting way the placings were taken. It is indeed a privilege to have the opportunity do so. I was thrilled to be able to watch the terrier group and see my BOB - Stineval Lambert JW take group 1 in a quality line up. I also was delighted to hear that my BPIB - Glebeheath Ophelia went Group 3 in the Puppy Group.
Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
Placing Critique
A blue and tan puppy with a strong head and big teeth. He is built on narrow lines with a level topline which he held on the move. He had good angulations and a good harsh jacket. He was the best mover in the class.
The Northern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
15th Jul 2023
Judge: Mr David Fryer (Irton)
My thanks to the Club for trusting me with a fine entry of dogs at this, one of my favourite shows; to my stewards for their understated efficiency which kept the show rolling; and to the exhibitors for the opportunity to go over their dogs, and for the sporting acceptance of my decisions.
The Border Terrier Breed Standard is a very brief document; as such, it needs some interpretation. The clue is in the first clause of it; ‘Essentially a working terrier’. This, together with a knowledge of the work the breed is traditionally expected to perform, gives an idea of the dog required. Thus we need a dog which can keep with the hunt over rough moorland country in what may be inclement weather, and then be able to go to ground and bolt or hold it’s own to a cornered fox. This implies sound, efficient movement, adequate heart and lung room, a weatherproof double coat and a thick, pliable pelt; but at the same time be small enough and flexible enough to follow a fox to ground .
Overall, I found most exhibits to be sound, and well presented (sometimes ‘overpresented’ to the extent that coats had more appearance than substance). The most prevalent fault I observed was untidy, converging front movement; an inevitable consequence of short upper arm and upright fronts. I did also find a few faulty bites; one undershot, one youngster with a lower incisor seriously out of line; and several with level bites, which, though permitted in the standard, are not (to my mind) desirable; also undesirable to me were the number of exhibits with small teeth in weak forefaces. There were also a couple of ‘winter noses’, but that, to me, is a purely cosmetic point and not to be penalised. All males were entire.
Puppy - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
The Northern Border Terrier Club Open Show
7th Oct 2023
Judge: Mrs Norma Ellis (Normbar)
Thank you to the Committee for organising such a well run show. The quality of the the dogs was very good, making my decisions more difficult in a good way. Nice atmosphere plus friendly sportsmanship prevailed.
Junior - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
Novice - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
Yorkshire, Lancashire & Cheshire Border Terrier Club Open Show
4th May 2024
Judge: Mr Ken Fraser (Ycart)
Post Graduate - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Karison Kirsch
Placing Critique
Blue and tan keen expression, moderately broad skull with little stop,correct bite,Narrow bodied,thick jacket with good pelt, level topline moved ok.
