Show Placings
Okehampton & District Canine Society Open Show
17th Sep 2017
Judge: Caroline Friend-Rees (Amical)
Best Puppy
Name at show: TPG1, Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Post Graduate /
First Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
South Wales Kennel Association
8th Oct 2017
Judge: Mr. Mark Ord (Marnadee)
Thank you to my very able stewards who kept the proceedings running smoothly & all exhibitors who entered under me today. I consider it a great privilege to handle this delightful breed. A very enjoyable day for me awarding C.C.s in this breed for the first time. I had my first Border T in 1975 and have followed the breed with interest ever since. As a judge this is just my opinion on the breed from those entered under me today. We all have a slightly different interpretation of the breed standard and I think that is what makes exhibiting & breeding a great interest, however I do think it is vital to remember what the breed was developed originally to do and make sure we do not loose vital breed points.
Today I found the depth of quality was in the bitches, I was pleased to say the majority of bitches were of correct size and easy to span, I unfortunately can not say the same for the males. I was disappointed with front movement, I found tails of correct length & shape lacking in many and some odd expressions. On a positive note I was more than happy with many of my classes, some classes you were spoilt for choice and that is great to see, in-fact some classes were exceptionally good quality, it was a case of splitting hairs & on dogs performance. The majority had good double coats of good texture & nice loose pelts. Temperaments were also very good, the Border should be biddable and never snappy with people or other dogs & this was good to see.
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Class Critique
Good class of youngsters.
Terrier Club of Devon & Cornwall Open Show
15th Oct 2017
Judge: Debbie Lorraine (Raleniro)
The Terrier Club of Devon and Cornwall Open Show 15th October 2017 Border Terriers I would like to thank the society for inviting me to judge at this group open show, and for the warm welcome and the lovely hospitality shown to my husband and I on the day. I was delighted to be asked to judge in this part of the country and we thoroughly enjoyed our time in the area, topped off by having the opportunity to judge so many lovely dogs. Most of all I would like to thank the exhibitors for giving me the opportunity to go over their dogs and the very friendly and sporting way in which they accepted my decisions. I was delighted with my entry, and had some lovely examples of the breed to judge. Thank you also to my steward who kept things running smoothly. I found no incorrect bites, all males were entire, and temperaments were excellent throughout. There were a couple of exhibits, who for me were up to size and a little difficult to span, but all dogs were shown in good, fit condition. I thoroughly enjoyed my day!
Best Puppy
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Puppy /
First Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
7 months grizzle and tan bitch with a lovely strong but feminine otter head, neat ears with a lovely expression. Correct bite. Straight front with enough bone. Good angulation fore and aft and easily spanned. Loose pelt and harsh jacket. Good for size at present but doesn’t want to grow on too much more. Presented a lovely, balanced profile and powered round the ring with drive and purpose which helped seal her win in the class. Pleased to award her BPIB.
Newton Abbot & South Deveon CS Open Show
27th Jan 2018
Judge: Mr Ken Andrews (South Wales)
Best Puppy
Name at show: TPG4, Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Post Graduate /
First Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
The Terrier Club of Devon & Cornwall Open Show
18th Feb 2018
Judge: Sue Wilson (Olderhill)
Thank you so much to the Society for this invitation to judge, and for their hospitality. Many thanks to my stewards for their hard work. Also, thanks to the exhibitors. All my winners were easily spannable and good representatives of the breed. I thoughly enjoyed my day.
Best Puppy
Name at show: RBPIS, Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Puppy /
First Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
Lovely little bitch puppy. Liked her head and expression. Good reach of neck and correct shoulder angulation. Good harsh coat and thick pelt. Easily spannable, moved out really well. Thrilled to see she went Reserve Best Puppy in Show
Crufts
9th Mar 2018
Judge: Mr.Carl Gunnar-Stafberg
Best Puppy - Bitch
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Best Puppy
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Exeter & County CS Open Show
24th Mar 2018
Judge: Tracey Anscombe (Orangebox)
My thanks to the committee and secretary for the invitation to judge at your show. This is such a well run and welcoming show and my thanks to the exhibitors for entering especially with being a late replacement judge. I apologise for only placing to Reserve in the classes my steward and I went by the catalogue that only listed placing to 4th. My thanks also to the group judge Vanessa Wegmann-Williams.
Reserve Best Of Breed
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Post Graduate /
Second Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
Grizzle and tan bitch just over a year old. Beautiful head with small ears and good bite. Moved well but can carry her tail a bit high when excited but this doesn't detract from her outline and drive in rear action. Not quite the coat of 1 but more easily spanned that the open dog winner which gave her the edge for RBOB. Was also awarded RBOB in Group
The Southern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
9th Jun 2018
Judge: Mr W Shorthose (Cundytyke)
It is always a particular honour to judge a Breed Club Championship Show and my thanks go to the committee for their hospitality and my stewards who kept things running smoothly. I found only two poor mouths but more had wrong, thin skins and some needed to go home for a good feed. A working terrier needs to be correctly muscled and too many needed nourishment and exercise. The biggest problem, however, remains poor front movement showing both incorrect shoulders and, for some, over angulation in the hindquarters.
Junior - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
Up to size, good head and strong jaw. Narrow front and good topline and tailset. Bit short of coat today.
Windsor
29th Jun 2018
Judge: Miss Sarah Dandy (Dandale)
I was pleased with the quality of both my dog and bitch line ups, all were worthy winners with several most promising youngsters in both puppy and junior classes. I do like to watch movement in profile not only does it give a good indication of conformation but also the ability to follow a horse efficiently, so essential to the fitness for purpose of this working breed. I noted a lack of angulation front and back in many which restricts reach and drive. Untidy feet with unclipped nails do somewhat spoil the overall picture when an exhibit is standing on the table and can be easily fixed. Temperaments were uniformly sound which is of great importance and I thought the dogs (and exhibitors) coped really well in the extremely hot temperatures today.
Junior - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
Another well-made grizzle bitch that handles very well when you go over her. Pleasant, typical head and expression with good neck, shoulders and front. Defined clean wither into a good topline, croup and tailset balanced with pleasing underline. Short of coat today. Moved out extremely well in profile, tracking ok.
Yeovil & District Canine Society Premier Open Show
14th Jul 2018
Judge: Mr Robert Brewster (Stowthorney & Breckgreen)
Firstly, I would like to thank the committee of Yeovil & District Canine Society for asking me to judge at their Open Show. I would like to thank my stewards Adelaide Jasper & Angela Callow for keeping the ring order running smoothly. I would also like to thank the exhibitors for entering under me on what was an extremely warm day and thank them for taking my decisions gracefully.
Junior /
First Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
Grizzle and tan bitch that came to the hand well. Keen expression. Large strong teeth with a good scissor bite. Well laid shoulders into a level top line. Good tail set. Harsh double coat. Moved well.
Minehead & DCS Open Show
25th Jul 2018
Judge: Mandy Holmes (Bimandi)
Thank you to everyone that entered and showed on the day in very hot conditions. The ground we very uneven and the grass very spikey do to the extreme heat, some dogs found this a difficult to cope with and thus places on a different day could easily change. Well done to all my winners.
Special Yearling /
Second Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
16mt bitch,nice type of young bitch, spannable with thick pelt, flat broad skull with dark eye, correct dentition. Ribs well back, good angles front and rear. Unfortunately, this little girl did not like the ground at all so could not really assess her movement.
Paignton
4th Aug 2018
Judge: Professor A S Milton
I suspect I shall retire from judging now. I certainly have no intention, when it comes into effect, of paying the Kennel Club to get on their judging lists. I have always assumed, though I may be wrong, that I have been invited to judge because people wanted me to. I have no intention of 'prostituting’ my art by paying money for the privilege. If I may reminisce, I have never sought a judging appointment, indeed in the beginning I had never even thought about judging. Then one day a letter arrived from the secretary of a large open show in Scotland. Would I judge the terrier breeds and the terrier group at their next open show? I have, to this day, no idea who suggested my name. I had never judged before, not even a match or a limited show, I was on no judging list, they didn’t exist in those days, I had never stewarded, and have never done so to this day, I have to this day never attended any hands on or assessment seminar. After my first appointment invitations came at fairly frequent intervals, including two breed clubs, and eventually I received an invitation to judge at a Championship show. However, when I replied, with my judging cv, the committee told me that they couldn't continue with my appointment, as the Kennel Club would not accept the nomination owing to the 'parochial' range of my judging, which had, with one exception, all been in Scotland. Notwithstanding that for example two of the shows had been over 200 miles apart, and from my home to the breed club show in England over 500 miles. Peter Thompson (Thoraldby) and Sybil Churchill came to my rescue and I found myself judging at LKA.
A few thoughts on Border Terriers. Size has always been a problem, right from the beginning of the breed, with there being far too many large dogs, outside the weight standard, and the numbers seem to be getting larger (forgive the pun). I blame the breeders for this. In one class at Paignton, there was only one dog, which I could span. Movement is another problem; the trend at the moment seems to be very narrow hindquarters, with the feet nearly touching. In 1991, I made a video of Crufts with the late R.A. Williams judging. Almost without exception all the dogs are in full coat. (A few years ago there was a pirated video made of this tape). In the book 'About the Border Terrier', Walter Gardner says 'It is difficult to judge Border coats today because so often the dogs are stripped, well nigh skinned'. Two personal gripes, Border should be walked on a loose lead, not strung up, and should stand naturally, I do particularly dislike those exhibitors who are continually fussing with their dogs, moving a foot a cm here, a cm there and the like.
I should like to thank the committee of the Paignton show for inviting me to judge. They were all very helpful, and also the vets at the show who kindly looked after my young puppy which I had, perforce, to bring with me, whilst I was judging.
Junior - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
Strongly constructed young bitch with good head. Excellent top line and tail set. Good front and rear. In excellent coat, and good pelt. Moved well.
Bournemouth Canine Association
13th Aug 2018
Judge: Mrs Eileen Cole (Towden)
I would like to thank Bournemouth Canine Association for inviting me to judge the Border Terriers and their hospitality on arrival and to my very efficient stewards. I would also like to thank the exhibitors for entering their dogs and giving me the honour of going over them, most were in top condition and movement on the whole was good, coats varied quite a lot and there were a couple of level bite teeth, but I was very pleased with my final line up.
Junior - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
Nice size grizzle bitch pleasing head shown in good double coat and thick pelt good shoulder placement well laid ribs good angulated hind quarters in fit condition moved well.
Novice - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
City of Birmingham
1st Sep 2018
Judge: Mr Dave Matthews (Tojamatt)
Many thanks to City of Birmingham Canine Society for giving me the opportunity to judge this show , my first Championship show, may I also thank every exhibitor who entered the show ,and also my steward Alan Tomlinson for his help.
I enjoyed my day ,I was very pleased with the entry,I had some difficult decisions to make on the day .
The ring was of a good size and that gave the exibits the chance to get into there stride,front movement on some exibits was a little loose ,but I had some real good movers, a few low set tails are creeping in to the breed ,Iwas pleased with the condition and presentation of the exhibits ,I found some really good pelts and coats, I am pleased to say the the day passed without a cross word from any of the exibits ,I was pleased with heads and expression , some foreign expressions had been appearing in recent years.
May I again thank you all for the chance to go over your dogs , and for the way you accepted my decisions .
Junior - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
A little larger than one she was in full coat of good quality with a thick loose pelt giving an impression of being a lot heavier than she is. Nice head and expression dark eye with good bite and big teeth. Narrow front good reach of neck and good shoulders and ribs, easily spanned. Moved well both ways.
North Devon CA Open Show
8th Sep 2018
Judge: Mrs Marion Reeves (Baywillow)
Limit /
Third Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Exonian Canine Association Open Show
1st Dec 2018
Judge: Mr Julian Bainey
Open /
Second Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Bristol and District Open Show
9th Dec 2018
Judge: Mrs C Hand
Open /
Third Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Ladies Kennel Association
16th Dec 2018
Judge: Mrs. K. Wilkinson (Otterkin)
Thanks to the exhibitors for a super entry of Border Terriers. As I repeatedly say, the shows are about the dogs and the exhibitors and are not held for the benefit of the judges, so I appreciated the honour of going over your dogs. Thanks also to the ring stewards Angie Feildsend and Andrea Caudrelier who kept everything flowing smoothly so that we finished in good time. With an entry of 148 dogs making 159 entries, we had the highest entry in the Terrier Group and what a lovely entry it was that awaited me on 16th December. As my finalists came into the ring for each set of CCs, I thought "I like all these!!"
After the show was over, I was told that the four dogs I had brought together at the top of the ring, when deciding on the Dog CC, were all related to one dog and in fact three of them were by that same dog, one I have often referred to in the past when discussing stud dogs with people, as a dog who consistently puts breed type on his progeny, so I was thrilled to be told that Ch Grindelvald In Full Cry JW sired three of the dogs and was the great grandsire of the fourth and to confirm that in the catalogue later. Congratulations to Mrs Margaret Bailey on breeding and owning a dog who clearly puts his breed type stamp on his progeny.
Unless something changes drastically with the Judges Competency Framework, this will be my last General Championship Show appointment and so, when asking for the name of the dog to whom I had awarded the CC and Best of Breed at the end when I was filling in the Award Cards, it was fitting that I then found out his name was Dassett Last Waltz JW. So pleased to later see him pulled out in the shortcut in the Terrier Group. Good luck for the future.
Yearling - Bitch /
Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Manchester Championship Show
18th Jan 2019
Judge: Mrs. Kathy Newsome (Kighill)
My first judging appointment at a Championship show and what a lovely day I had. Firstly I would like to thank the Manchester Dog Society for inviting me to judge their show, and also to all the exhibitors for showing their support.
I had a lovely selection of dogs and I was very pleased with the quality that came before me. All dogs were entire and mouths were good. Some dogs could have done with being tidied up a little more.
Post Graduate - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
pleasing head, good level top line, good mouth preferred the drive of 1 on the move.
Illfracombe and District Canine Society Open Show
16th Feb 2019
Judge:
Reserve Best Of Breed
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Open /
First Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
The Terrier Club of Devon and Cornwall
17th Feb 2019
Judge: Mrs. Carolyn Richardson (Staynorwood)
Many thanks to Officers and Committee for their kind invitation to judge their Open Show and the exhibitors for the sporting way they accepted my decisions. I was very pleased with my winners on the day and also pleased to see my BOB going Best in Show, this was the icing on the cake from a very enjoyable weekend spent in Cornwall.
Open - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Earthtaw Jessica Rabbit
Placing Critique
Nice bitch with typical otter head and earset. Good double coat. Moved ok.
