First Place in Yearling - Dog, Judge: Mrs Janet Lee (Tythrop)
My thanks to the officers & committee for their invitation & hospitality , I thoroughly enjoyed my day with them , the border folk & their dogs .Thanks too to my stewards for the day who kept the ring running smoothly . It is 28 years since I attended my 1st YLCBTC Ch show , watching Ch Dandyhow Crofter gain his title & Ch Thistycroft Candlelight take top honours . I remember clearly the heavy fall Ted Hutchinson had due to lack of mats , thankfully no-one slipped today , though some dogs did.
For me the most important sentence is ˜essentially a working terrier” I fully appreciate a gorgeous otter head & all breed details , but the common factor of all terriers pedigree & crossbreed who go to ground is that they are narrow fronted & eminently spannable , having a flat rib, this is a flattish egg shape , never slab-sided , well sprung nor barrel chested , all equally faulty in a Border . If the frame is too big by being either too deep &/or sprung they will get stuck & die underground as not all places are diggable . I was taught they should resemble a lightweight hunter , legs slightly longer than depth of body & ˜fairly long in body”, i.e. longer wither to end of loin than wither to elbow with no trace of brisket below elbow . These essentials plus positive straight scopy movement were uppermost today . I have no colour prejudice nor pedigree preference at all.
Temperaments were excellent in the ring with only a couple of “outbursts” from outside, a must for a working terrier is an equable nature . All males were entire . A few misplaced teeth & tail faults which would not affect work but do pass on to progeny . Untypical round eyes often too close together are prone to damage & ulceration working , & give a surprised foreign look rather than kind in repose & keen when alert correct expression . Quite a few ran down to the shoulders being either short in foreleg &/or steep in croup . Was pleased my winners have enough scope & soundness to get there & handled well enough in rib & front to be able to get in & more importantly , back out again.
Tall,13m light grizzle with quality & type .Loved his masculine outlook . Head is ottery with longer than broad flat skull , well placed dark kind eye , little stop & powerful foreface with big teeth & strong underjaw . Nice neck into clean narrow shoulders , well off for bone into excellent deep feet . Flat rib carried well back into strong loin . Well angulated hindquarters with defined second thigh. Has an exceptionally good coat, deep & harsh topcoat with lose deep undercoat thus his pelt is thick , loose & pliant . It makes him look heavier than he picks up. Moved extremely well keeping the same outline as when stood , totally accurate coming & going , he took my eye in the challenge when he lengthened his stride & flowed round with style . DCC & BOS. I see from catalogue is litter brother to winner of JB , what a fortunate breeder .