First Place in Yearling - Bitch, Judge: Mrs Lesley Gosling (Akinside)
I must first extend thanks to my very professional and able stewards, who kept me on track and on time.
My general remarks here cover the real concerns I have about the way the breed is heading currently. Increasingly, upright shoulders and poor fronts are becoming the norm rather than the exception. Upright shoulders may produce a flashy show dog on its toes, but Borders are not flashy by nature. I suspect I have referred to this problem in every critique I have written for Championship shows I’ve judged and it appears to be getting worse, not better. Please read the standard carefully; look at anatomical drawings of the dog skeleton. Shoulders are now at a steep 60 degrees on some exhibits instead of the normal – and correct – 45 degrees. Undercoats are being raked out to give a cleaner profile – why? Borders – working terriers – need their undercoats 24/7 to keep them warm in bad winter weather while they are waiting to be called for action. It is a requirement of the standard, not a fashion statement. Sooner or later we will end up with a single coated breed, and to its detriment.
Judging today, temperaments were very good; I found two kinked tails, several minor dentition issues, many dirty teeth and one undershot mouth. Males were all entire. Coats were mostly betwixt and between but the good double coats were exceptionally good. I love to see happy dogs with wagging tails but some dogs were very lack lustre and did not seem to be enjoying their day. There were also one or two exhibits too thin and lacking in condition. Finally, baiting is still a contentious topic for me – I use bait sometimes myself – but on occasions it was almost impossible to get at the dogs or examine them without getting round, over, or under an outstretched arm with bait. As a courtesy to judges, please keep baiting to a minimum, especially on the table.
Thank you to everyone for accepting my decisions sportingly. It was a genuine pleasure to go over the entry – winners and non-winners.
The two winners ‘flowed’ round the show ring in this class. A memorable sight for lovers of BTs. Impossible to achieve if construction on either was faulty.
My opening remark says everything about the way these two exhibits are constructed. This b/t bitch appears to be heavy in the keel, as blues sometimes do, but she was spannable. Loved her head and expression – feminine with an assured, watchful look about her. Narrow front, good layback of rib. Good reach of neck into clean shoulders. Great coat texture, well ticked. Looking at her head in profile, she has the otterlike ‘plane’ from the skull top to the leather end. Dark eye & broad muzzle, good dentition. Good short carrot tail. Well angulated behind and driving easily round the ring. Delighted to award her BCC & BoB.