First Place in Open - Dog, Judge: Mr. Mark Ord (Marnadee)
Having attended & a long association with this breed club I was very honoured when I received the invitation to judge this show. It is pleasing that the club has such a wealth of supporters who do such sterling work and put on shows that make you want to return to. Walking into this venue today brought back many memories of the past and I am sure the pioneers of the club would be thrilled to see how it has prospered from humble beginnings. The Border Terrier continues to hold its own compared to many of today’s terrier breeds both as a companion and show dog. Breed standards were compiled by looking at the dogs of the time and their working capabilities fitting this purpose, this should still be adhered to now despite hunting no longer being allowed. This being said dogs should be presented for the show ring to the best of an owner’s capabilities, in hard muscular condition and coat presented clean and fit for the purpose of working in rough terrain.
I today found mouths to be good in the majority and I like to see large dentition along with a correct scissor bite. Several had eyes that needed attention in the way of cleaning before coming into the show ring. We still are seeing the incorrect flipping front action due to short upper arms and if not addressed this will become the norm. After my last appointment, I was pleased to only see a small minority where scissoring had been used on the coats which should not be the case. I did find today several coats that I would class as broken rather than the desirable tight harsh top weatherproof coat with undercoat for warmth. On a positive note, the bitches were easy to span and only a minority of males could not be. Pelts were pretty good being both thick & loose.
Difficult decisions as all three dogs I have done well in previous judging, assignments and all have different levels of breed attributes so it was very much a case of judging them on the day’s performance and weighing up the breed points. On another day my decisions could have been very different.
judged him as a raw youngster in a puppy group & thought his potential was most promising. Approaching 4 he is now very much in his prime & never seen him looking better than he did today. Presented in excellent firm condition as was his coat which was double & of excellent texture. Like his size & bone, excellent ribbing, firm flexible loin, well-shaped neat feet, good carrot tail correctly set on & carried, full of showmanship today & moved out well. Typical in head with excellent short strong jaw, big strong dentition, keen expression & good sized v shaped ears. Res C.C.