Show Placings
Scottish Border Terrier Club Championship Show
8th Nov 2014
Judge: Mrs P McLellan (Breconbeds)
My thanks to the Scottish Committee for the invitation to judge our prestigious annual Championship Show; to my excellent steward Joyce Orr, and to the exhibitors for such a good entry.
I was happy with my class winners which were super examples of the breed. On the down side a number of exhibits were short in the leg and in the body, giving an unbalanced appearance and it’s very unlikely that they would be capable of following a horse, as the breed standard requires. Some pelts were too thin and too many dogs were single coated.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Lairehope Diamant Rouge
Placing Critique
Sound dark grizzle six month old baby in super harsh jacket. Lovely head and expression with correct bite, nice dark eye, good bone. Needs time to gain confidence and settle.
Carlisle & District Canine Society
4th Jan 2015
Judge: Mr Mark Lowry (Ravenside)
Puppy /
Third Place
Name at show: Lairehope Diamant Rouge
The Border Terrier Club Open Show
21st Feb 2015
Judge: Mr Ken Fraser (Ycart)
Firstly I would like to say thank you to the Border terrier club, committee and its membership for allowing me to judge their show. Many thanks to my two ring stewards Ken and Paul who helped the proceedings run smoothly. Last but certainly not least the exhibitors who sportingly accepted my decisions many thanks to you who allowed me to judge your dogs.
I was more than happy to present my main winners with their relevant top awards. Many of the terriers shown were in fine fettle and we can look forward to a positive future.
Temperaments seemed to be sound. Mouths on the whole were generally good. Coats were at various stages many had good texture and thickness to them with ample undercoat. However I did find a few kinked tails some of which were quite severe some also quite long and thin.
As custodians of the breed as well as breeders and show people a like we must take a careful look at some of the issues creeping into the breed, Foreign head shapes with ear sets which would not go amiss on a working Lakeland terrier. Weak muzzles and skulls which fall away under the eye.
Front assembly’s wide fronts, bad shoulder placement weak pasterns and poor feet were in evidence on some exhibits and they paid the price in the ring for this. Bodies and rib shape are another concern the breed standard states "deep, narrow, fairly long ribs carried well back" not short bodies and sprung ribs! Condition and muscle tone are key factors along with many of the other points in the breed standard which all contribute to the overall picture of a working terrier. After all the breed standard starts with the first sentence "essentially a working terrier" a sentence which must be adhered too now and in the future...
Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Lairehope Diamant Rouge
Placing Critique
Red grizzle dark eye shorter in muzzle, heavier built. Good jacket and tailset moved well i just preferred the bodylines of 1st.
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
Puppy - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Lairehope Diamant Rouge
The Border Terrier Club Championship Show
28th Mar 2015
Judge: Mr. Carl-Gunnar Stafberg (Bombax) Sweden
I will thank the club and the show committee for inviting me to judge this prestigious show, I feel very honoured to be invited. I really enjoyed my day and was very pleased with huge entries. My winner was really top quality border terriers, excelling in type and heads. The overall quality was very good, but I hoped to see more quality in the younger classes. Size was ok, coats in different stages because of the time of year. It was about 40 years since I judged my first CCshow in England and I still enjoy it so much. My stewards did a fantastic job on the day, keeping both me and the dogs in order. They make it running very smooth and efficient, thank you!!!
Puppy - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Lairehope Diamant Rouge
Border Union Agricultural Society
20th Jun 2015
Judge: Mrs Nancy Hogg (Raeburnfoot)
I thoroughly enjoyed my days judging at Border Union showground. Such a pleasant show. Many thanks go to my two very able stewards. They had the ring (& me) running like clockwork. Thanks also to the exhibitors who entered under me. Had some lovely dogs to go over & some hard decisions to make. Coats were probably the best I have seen for some time. Thick pelts, too, were much in evidence. Mouths were good. Fronts continue to be a problem & movement letting some otherwise promising dogs down.
Junior - Dog /
Reserve
Name at show: Lairehope Diamant Rouge
Scottish Kennel Club
30th Aug 2015
Judge: Mrs E Cuthbertson (Ashbrae)
My thanks to the society for my appointment & their hospitality, & to the exhibitors & my steward Bob Potts. Quite a mixed entry today of type & size with some being on the lean side & others rather overweight! I was surprised to find a couple totally oversized & therefore they paid the penalty. The over treating dogs I think is getting worse in the ring & on the table. Trying to assess a dog when it is fidgeting around looking for food is not satisfactory. Surely a dog can stand for a minute while being examined without having to be fed handfuls of food. The standard calls for a harsh & dense coat & the skin must be thick, many today were very short of coat & quite a number with thin pelts. A good coat is essential which seems to being overlooked in the breed today. The breed standard leans towards moderation not exaggeration & I hope this is maintained with the emphasis being on ‘essentially a working terrier’ & not ‘essentially a show terrier’.
Junior - Dog /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Lairehope Diamant Rouge
