Name:Benattivo Double Flame 
Gender:Bitch 
DOB:23-10-2011 
Colour:Red 
Owner(s): Mr C & Mrs S Girling  
Breeder:Mr C & Mrs S Girling 
Bandicoot Double O Seven (D)
22-11-2007
Colour: Grizzle
CH Gameway Kiwi JW (D)
18-09-2002
Colour: Unknown
Dandyhow Golden Arrow (D)
05-01-1998
CH Quatford Kardinal (D)
CH Dandyhow Bright Sparkle (B)
Gameway Sapphire (B)
07-12-2000
CH Hynerbrook Quartz (D)
Dandyhow Cosmopolitan At Gameway (B)
Jephanil Rosa Pomifera At Bandicoot (B)
30-03-2004
Colour: Grizzle
Pipruda Shaamit (D)
07-04-1998
CH Pipruda Poachers Pocket (D)
Phlip Cornopean (B)
Diamond Dip (B)
08-05-1997
Kelgram Kayhasi (D)
Kenvee Mintey (B)
Benattivo Rosina JW (B)
09-04-2008
Colour: Grizzle and Tan
CH Dandyhow Figaro At Glebeheath JW ShCM (D)
04-10-2004
Colour: Grizzle and Tan
CH/Am/Can CH Conundrum Co-Writer (D)
16-09-2001
CH Otterkin Lyricist (D)
Conundrum Twist of Fate (B)
CH Dandyhow Iolanthe (B)
12-10-2001
CH Dandyhow Mr Punch (D)
Dandyhow Desiree (B)
Benattivo Rockrose (B)
08-09-2004
Colour: Grizzle and Tan
CH Gameway Kiwi JW (D)
18-09-2002
Dandyhow Golden Arrow (D)
Gameway Sapphire (B)
Gameway Indigo At Benattivo (B)
10-02-2003
CH Otterkin Blue Bayou Conundrum (D)
Gameway Masquerade (B)

Show Placings

Bath Championship Show
25th May 2012
Judge: Mrs Diane Rayner (Stoneygin)
It was a real privilege to be asked to judge this show. I had a very good entry which pleased me and hope I did it justice. The dogs were generally in good fit condition, came across a few that were too thin, you can’t expect a young active dog to gain good muscle tone if you don’t feed them enough. They must feel miserable kept in that condition, constantly hungry. It was a very hot day, but we tried to keep them in the shade as long as possible but a few were showing signs of the heat. There were a few that looked rather scruffy with long nails and looked as if they had forgotten to take off their carpet slippers. But most were a pleasure to go over. I was very pleased with my winners.
Minor Puppy - Bitch / Reserve
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Southern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
21st Jun 2012
Judge: Mr Bill Gray (Pontbeck)
I would first like to thank the Club for the invitation to judge one of the most prestigious shows in the calendar. I have looked forward to the appointment for several years and I must say I was not disappointed with my day. The entry was full of quality, especially in the bitch classes, with the open bitch class being the best class I have ever judged. I have been concerned, over the past few years, on how the breed would develop after the fox hunting ban. If todays entry is typical of the breed as a whole, I can only say it is in safe hands. Movement is still a problem but a much smaller problem than the last time I judged. The number of exhibits with short carrot tails pleased me greatly and the majority of the entry had good double coats, some exceptional and thick pelts. There were a few exhibits with level bites and one with a crowded mouth. One exhibit had a kinked tail. The show was very quiet with little noise from the exhibits, well done everyone, terriers need a bit of spark but should not show aggression to each other and the temperaments here today were to be commended to the dog`s owners. I didn’t have any under fed dogs showing all had a good covering of flesh but there were a number of poor, soft muscled dogs which needed more exercise.` The ability to follow a horse` is there in the breed standard, get the dogs out and get them fit. I thank my stewards for their unobtrusive efficiency and attentiveness which made the day run smoothly.
Minor Puppy - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Blackpool Championship Show
22nd Jun 2012
Judge: Mr Dan Ericsson (Sweden)
Movement was difficult to assess under these circumstances, but most dogs seemed to cope remarkably well despite knee high mud & a water logged ring – living proof of the hardiness of the breed! Despite the appalling weather I enjoyed my day with the Borders very much & was impressed with the overall quality of the dogs & the keen sportsmanship of the exhibitors.
Minor Puppy - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Class Critique
Lovely class of hopefuls coping remarkably well in what had now become a very muddy ring!
Windsor Championship Show
1st Jul 2012
Judge: Mr K Holmes
Minor Puppy - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Placing Critique
Another 8 mth old and a sound prospect, really showey, very good head and expression, moved well.
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.
Puppy - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Placing Critique
9 mo. Good head with slightly large ears. Deep in chest and ribbed back thus short coupled. Typical tail, coat and pelt, hocks strong. Moved OK, overall preferred length of leg of 1.
Bournemouth Championship Show
13th Aug 2012
Judge: Mr W Browne-Cole
Puppy - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Welsh Kennel Club
18th Aug 2012
Judge: Mr Jack Watson
Puppy - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
City of Birmingham
1st Sep 2012
Judge: Mrs Marion Reeves (Baywillow)
Thank you for the lovely entry. The breed standard describes the body as ‘deep, narrow and fairly long’. Just how long may well be debatable as no proportions are suggested. However the standard surely infers that a Border should be longer than square. The standard also describes the border as ‘essentially a working terrier’. A working terrier needs sufficient length and flexibility to enable it to turn underground. It is difficult to imagine a square terrier achieving this easily. I think the above is not generally appreciated by all rounders.
Puppy - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Placing Critique
r/g. Of high quality all through. Lovely feminine head, correct overall outline, excellent angles, super harsh coat and thick pelt, well set carroty tail. A close call for BPB just thought MP a touch narrower in front.
Richmond Championship Show
5th Sep 2012
Judge: Miss Diane Swales (Grabbist)
My thanks to Richmond Dog Show Society for the opportunity to judge at this prestigious show, where I awarded CCs for the first time many years ago. Thank you to my two excellent stewards who kept the ring running so smoothly. In general, mouths were good and there was only one kinked tail. I was disappointed to find how many Borders have been bred with thin, tight pelts & there were too many upright shoulders resulting in stilted movement. I was really pleased to find that more dogs were shown free standing & on a loose lead.
Puppy - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Placing Critique
pleasing youngster, correct in all respects
Darlington Championship Show
14th Sep 2012
Judge: Mr David Hunt (Ottaswell)
Thank you to the committee of Darlington Dog Show society for inviting me to judge, with special thanks to my sole steward who worked tirelessly throughout the day to keep both me organised and the ring running smoothly. My appreciation also to the exhibitors for their good entry despite having to face the often long and tiring journey home on a Friday afternoon. Thankfully the weather remained dry for my judging however with a constant strong wind blowing this proved testing for exhibitors handling dogs in full coat. The ring was large with lots of room for the dogs to move, although the grass could have been cut much shorter. In general all exhibits were in reasonable condition, but as always I was surprised to find 3 dogs with incorrect bites being shown at this level. A working terrier should have coat on the undersides but I was surprised to find some with bellies that had obviously been trimmed/shaved to enhance their underlines. No problem temperaments.
Puppy - Bitch / Reserve
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Southern Border Terrier Club Open Show
16th Sep 2012
Judge: Mr Alan Hedges (Ramblix)
I considered it a great honour to be invited to judge this show. I looked forward to it greatly and I was not in any way disappointed. A classy club with a classy committee. My stewards were great and we had some interesting moments through the day, but we coped. Thank you to all involved with the club and most of all the exhibitors for doing me the honour of having me judge your dogs. Thank you. Whenever I judge Staffords, which is my own breed I always make the point that exhibitors should rid their dogs of any reasons to get beaten. Long pointed nails are not a good look, nor are they good for the dog. Even I can make a decent fist of a borders coat and as a singular part of the breed and its identification a bit more attention would not have gone amiss in some. Excess weight is not good for anybody, least of all, what is ostensibly a working terrier. I think there may well be some stars of the future in some of the lower classes and I shall watch with greater interest now when I am at the border ring. Thanks again to you all for coming and entering into the spirit of the day. I had a brilliant day and I hope you did too.
Best Puppy - Bitch
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Puppy - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Placing Critique
I was very taken with this youngster. She is neat and classy, she had the best head in the class and along with her good front, topline and hindquarters she won pretty readily. BPB
Manchester Championship Show
17th Jan 2013
Judge: Trish Clark (Gameway)
My sincere thanks to Manchester Dog Show Society for the invitation to award C Câ??s to the breed for the first time. The welcome was warm and I thoroughly enjoyed my day. I would also like to praise my stewards Anne Speak and Rob Taylor who kept the ring running smoothly. Thank you to all who entered and those who braved adverse weather conditions to get there. I was extremely pleased with my main winners who were all in great condition and fine examples of the breed. Of concern were a number of exhibits with round eyes and too much stop also some long and flat feet though some of these could be improved by trimming and nail clipping. Coats as ever were at all stages. I feel judges need to pay attention to correct double coats as a border could survive many things we pay particular attention to in the show ring but not five minutes doing his original job of work in the depths of winter without his correct jacket.
Junior - Bitch / Reserve
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Southern Border Terrier Club Limit Show
3rd Mar 2013
Judge: Mrs Linda Coleman (Hartswelin)
I would like to thank the club for giving me the opportunity to judge the breed. I also thank the exhibitors for entering their quality dogs under me. The atmosphere and sportsmanship from exhibitors and spectators made my day a very enjoyable one. All bites were correct and I found one monorchid. Front movement in general still has a way to go and there were far too many flat open feet with thin pads especially in the males. That said I felt I had a quality entry.
Best In Show
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Best Bitch
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Junior - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Placing Critique
16 month red who presented an overall finished picture. Good head, lovely angulation fore and aft. Nice strong carrot tail set on well. Thick pelt and the most super pin wire double coat. An easy winner of this class and moved out well to take B.B. and B.I.S.
Crufts
7th Mar 2013
Judge: Mrs Jayne Gillam (Orenberg)
I was indeed a great pleasure to judge at Crufts, in fact I loved every minute of it, and it really completed the Crufts experience for me having won the Dog CC and Best of Breed a couple of times, a bitch CC and Best Puppy there as an exhibitor in the past. I must thank all the exhibitors for their tremendous support with a record entry of 274 dogs making 307 entries, it was truly an international occasion as Crufts seems to be these days, with dogs and handlers representing I think, ten countries giving me a really good sample of winning dogs from around the world. You often read in critiques that judges say they didn't have enough cards to go round, and with the class sizes I had, this was certainly the case, and the only downside of the day for me was that some very tough descisions had to be made with many, many really good dogs leaving the ring without a card. Overall it was an interesting entry with a large variety of sizes and types, but then the standard allows for that as we have quite a wide weight range, no height reference and only the fact that they should be spannable to guide us.I never get too hung up on differing types or kennel types,as I can appreciate them all, providing they fit the standard. When judging I am looking for a dog fit for function, well constructed, not exagerrated in any way, fits the breed standard, and is capable of doing the job it was originally bred for.I was very pleased with my winners, my Best of Breed winner had it all, well constructed, in fabulous hard, fit condition, moved as though he could follow a horse all day and had a wonderful attitude in the show ring. I was thrilled to see him put in a faultless performance in the Group ring and winTerrier Group 4. My thanks go to Frank and Roger my very capable stewards who kept everything running smoothly, enabling me to get through the large entry in good time.
Special Junior - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Placing Critique
Handy sized red, pleasing head with a lovely expression. Shorter in rib than my winners but moved and showed well.
National Terrier
6th Apr 2013
Judge: Mrs. Margaret Curtis (Matamba)
Many thanks to all of the exhibitors who gave me such a nice entry of 201 dogs, giving 245 entries. My thanks go to my two stewards, with some large numbers in the classes they kept everything running smoothly and helped me to finish on time. Many decisions were difficult and some decent dogs went unplaced. There were things that came to hand while going over the dogs on the table, short ribs and over long in the loin and long hocks. Some of these short ribbed dogs were not over sprung and quite narrow through the body, but our standard states ‘ribs well back‘, something to be watched in your future breeding programs. Some dogs looked on the heavy side when I first looked around the ring, but on the table I was surprised how so many of these dogs came to hand no problem. Upright shoulders were noticeable and front movement in some classes was a problem, along with some very straight stifles and sickle movement. Puppies and youngsters you would expect to be forgiven for movement, along with the size of ears - within time the head develops and things start to balance out. Jackets were at all stages, spot on, starting to blow - with some owners trying to scissor or part strip them into shape, other coats were coming through with harshness and one or two had just undercoat. There were some that could have done with just a tidy up which would have helped the overall picture. General overall condition and the spanning on most dogs was acceptable, with good thick pelts. I did feel some of the puppies were thin and were quite hollow behind the ribs. I only had one bad mouth but plenty with strong jaws and large teeth. In general the shape and length of tails were good. A few low set tails, which when a dog is in a full jacket you can feel the low set when on the table but not necessarily see it on the move.
Junior - Bitch / Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
The Midland Border Terrier Club Championship Show
4th Aug 2013
Judge: Sharp & Bailey
*Dog Critique* My thanks to the Committee for inviting me to judge the Championship Show for the second time, the first being 10 years ago, and thanks to my Stewards for their efficiency. The entry of 103 with only 9 absentees was pleasing. Some judges concentrate on heads, others on shape of eyes, or on small dark ears, some on presentation, others on neat accurate movement. As for me – I judge on a whether a dog is “fit for function” as a working terrier plus whether it looks like a Border Terrier and no other type of terrier. A good proportion of the entry had major faults of construction which would render them, not useless, but inefficient at the job Border Terriers are designed to perform. For instance, short rib cages do not allow for lung room for the stamina a terrier needs to run all day, and these short rib cages (often sprung) were very much in evidence in the entry. Some were accompanied by long loins which might give the impression to the ringside that the dog had good length. Secondly, upright shoulders, often with steep upper arms are a major design fault. A well laid shoulder with well angulated upper arm which brings the elbow under the body is not just a pleasure to look at – these act as shock absorbers when the dog is running so that his joints are not jarred, leading to wear and tear, thus shortening his effective life as a working terrier. Finally, wide fronts, often associated with the previous construction – a Border should be able to creep into any space occupied by a fox, and these, despite their chunky appearance have very little body under that fur. Coats were mixed as to be expected – and there were some really good pelts, only a couple with paper thin pelts. Undercoat was often missing on the back, but present on the sides. A handful of bad mouths, perhaps some all rounders might accept these but I could not. Few really outstanding otter heads which stay in one’s memory for years, but most were adequate. My critique will not contain descriptions of the dogs, but will give an indication of why they were placed as they were. If your dog was not as high in the placings as you had hoped, take a good objective look at him, and you might find out why. *Bitch Critique* A big thank you to the MBTC committee for asking me to judge the Ch. Show it was a great honour. Thank you also to my stewards Ray & Sharon for making the classes run so smoothly. A nice entry of 144 bitches. I enjoyed the day; it was lovely to judge the bitches. The depth of quality in most of the classes was very pleasing. However, the fronts are still a problem within the breed & need to be addressed in future litters. Some quality bitches went cardless, unfortunately there is only 5 cards & many went without being placed. I was so delighted that my fellow judge Marie, agreed that my BCC & BRCC, should win the top honours, Best in Show and RBIS.
Yearling - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Placing Critique
lovely feminine bitch of correct size. Good straight front, well laid shoulders, level top line into well set tail, presented in correct coat. In tip top show condition. Moved out well.
East Anglia Border Terrier Club Open Show
24th Nov 2013
Judge: Gemma Alpe (Pipruda)
I want to thank the committee of East Anglian Border Terrier Club for inviting me to judge there November open show was a great privilege as growing up showing as a youngester at many of there breed club shows. My thanks also to my very experienced stewards of the day Bev Jackson and Simon Jackson who without them I'm sure my ring would not have ran so smoothly,and to all that entered under me. I was generally very pleased with the overall quality of the dogs entered under me a few who shone from the first time I caught sight of them. But no major faults found on the day which pleased me.
Open - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Ladies Kennel Association
15th Dec 2013
Judge: Mrs Jayne Alpe
I was honoured to accept this appointment at short notice, due to Kathy Wilkinson’s ill health. I was impressed with the new halls and layout this year. I was able to judge with no preconceptions, as I have only been to two shows this year, so the majority of dogs were new to me. A good size entry with some good quality dogs present in a number of classes in which I was splitting hairs I had two very good stewards who handled the large classes with calm and efficient precision allowing me to get on with my job. Overall movement, has improved considerably. In my opinion Borders should move soundly, positively and with the minimum of effort needed to cover the ground well, this means that they use far less energy when travelling distances, and my principal winners all fitted this criteria. Nice large teeth and good bites were very much in evidence. At long last I am starting to see definition between dogs and bitches, I like to see a masculine dog and a feminine bitch. The other thing I was pleased to see was the majority had good tight feet. Some exhibitors seem to be under the impression that an underweight dog is a way to make them easier to span, it doesn’t work! I hate to be able to feel bone and not muscle. I learnt after judging that there was some kind of aggression in one of the classes, unfortunately I did not witness this personally, as I was going over a dog on the table, if I had of seen it then I would have taken appropriate action as this type of temperament is totally unacceptable in our lovely breed.
Limit - Bitch / Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Taunton & District Canine Association
5th Jan 2014
Judge: Sue Thomson (Ashgate)
Best Of Breed
Name at show: RBIS, TG1, Benattivo Double Flame
Open - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Boston & District Canine Society
12th Jan 2014
Judge: Mr David Maggs
I would like to thank the committee for inviting me to judge at this show, and to my two stewards who were very efficient and good natured throughout. I was a little dissapointed at the lack of coat on quite a few of the exhibits today, apparently many had been stripped ready for Crufts,I found no bad mouths, movement on the whole was good and I was very pleased with the overall condition and soundness, had no problem spanning any of the exhibits.
Limit - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Placing Critique
Nice head with a keen expression, strong teeth, good reach of neck on to correct shoulders, front straight, hindquarters racy, decent coat and good pelt, moved well
Manchester Dog Show Society
16th Jan 2014
Judge: Mr Philip J Greenway
RBCC
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Limit - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Placing Critique
this bitch really appealed instantly in mind for higher honours. Very good head, neck, topline, set on, super shoulders, well angulated rear, moved true all round. Perhaps a little more coat & furnishings. RCC.
Bournemouth CA Championship Show
10th Aug 2014
Judge: Mrs M Reeves (Baywillow)
A very enjoyable appointment in spite of the wind and rain. I found some lovely borders for the top awards. The line up for the bitch challenge was especially pleasing, each one of top quality with some very promising youngsters. On the minus side there were too many that were wide in front. This is a serious fault in a breed who need to get through narrow spaces underground. Whilst I am always critical of dogs that lack rear angulation there are one or two appearing in the breed who are over angulated which is not correct for a border.
Limit - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Class Critique
Super class with some good ones going home cardless
Southern Border Terrier Club Open Show
21st Sep 2014
Judge: Mrs Trudi Baird (Dowgri)
Many thanks to the Southern Border Terrier club for inviting me to judge and for their fabulous hospitality. The new venue had light inside much improved from the old venue and was in a beautiful setting . My appreciation goes to my ring stewards Andrew Mooney , Bev Marsh & Jane Roberts who ensured the entrants were in order, and kept the classes running smoothly. A good entry ,numerically and in quality , which gave way to some close decisions. Coats were as always at different stages , I found myself forgiving lack of coat or blown coats in favour of correct movement .Some exhibits that on first glance I thought were my winners let themselves down on the move , there were a couple who “crabbed” and some who’s front movement was very untidy .From ringside these dogs looked wonderful stacked . Some dogs were moved rather fast which may have contributed to their wayward movement. A few dogs had too much beard and cheek hair left on , this stood out even more when the rest of the dog was immaculately presented . On the plus side I found fit, well conditioned dogs , teeth and bites were good ,and excellent temperaments - bar a couple who were uncharacteristically shy . I was extremely pleased with both line ups and was spoilt for choice with the top honours. Thank you for allowing me to go over your lovely dogs.
Open - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Placing Critique
Red bitch of handy size, spanned easily, pretty head and expression, in fuller coat than winner, good short thick well carried tail .Moved out well .
Crufts
7th Mar 2015
Judge: Miss Elspeth Jackson (Clipstone)
First of all I would like to thank the Kennel Club for the honour and pleasure of judging this prestigious show. I must then thank my efficient and capable stewards who kept me on track and looked after me through the day. Most of all I would like thank the exhibitors who rose from their beds at early hours and drove many miles to give me an entry of Border Terriers to be proud of and one which is was a delight to judge. It was not only strong numerically strong but also in depth of quality. It is a cliché to say that there were not enough cards to go around but in this entry it was certainly true. Determining all the final line up in each class was difficult and also in many deciding who should make the short list was also a challenge. Good dogs went without a card, ones who in a different entry I would have been happy to see as winners. In the challenges decisions remained tough and more than those that took the top honours were worthy of doing so and I would have been very pleased to have had more awards to give out. In the days following this year’s show Crufts, dog shows and those who participate in them came in for some criticism. The picture painted by the media at this time was certainly not my experience. Before, during and after the show I found show people to be nothing but good natured, genuine and supportive. I enjoyed every minute of my day and hope that those that supported me with an entry or as spectators at the ringside did so too
Limit - Bitch / Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
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.
Open - Bitch / Reserve
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
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.
Open - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Class Critique
A Strong Class
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.
Limit - Bitch / Reserve
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame
Class Critique
I thought this was a very strong class with several bitches perfectly capable of winning CCs.
Manchester General Championship Show
19th Jan 2017
Judge: Mrs Karen Dean (Tyrian)
I would first like to thank the society for inviting me to judge and also my stewards for efficiently managing the ring. This is a particularly difficult time of year for coats especially with Crufts on the horizon, producing some results that would change on another day. Several exhibits lacked the harsh top coat and some were past their best resulting in good harshness but lack of undercoat so giving a thin feel to coat and particularly the pelt. I was a little disappointed in the number of exhibits that were not displaying the drive I was looking for and hope this is also due to the time of year. I was particularly pleased with both my CC and RCC winners especially in relation to their movement.
Open - Bitch / Reserve
Name at show: Benattivo Double Flame