First Place in Open - Dog, Judge: Mrs Janet Lee (Tythrop)
Thanks to Scottish Border Terrier club for inviting me to judge at their 2025 Ch show , hospitality as ever was excellent . My two Stewards kept things running smoothly , so thanks to Judy & Pam too .
I enjoyed my day with some very nice borders and only one or two folk were obviously unhappy , the rest took my decisions sportingly & I thank all for coming .
Overall the good dogs & bitches pleased me a lot , but some were simply not workmanlike enough to easily get to ground and back out again . Feet were very flat and thin in quite a few , one kinked tail , 2 rather poor bites & several lacking any muscle …. Active and game , capable of following horse or hounds , with the lithe build to enable earthwork in tight places is what we need …. I found a few good quality males & slightly more top quality females that could do the job if given opportunity , some however were too big in rib & wide in front and weighed well over standard . So some adjustment in future breeding plans may be necessary I felt , to return to a smaller narrower frame .
Blue and tan of very good type & balance in excellent fettle . Lovely typy head , moderately broad skull of good length , little stop , medium length muzzle , good underjaw & good bite . Optically rather distracting “make up “ can make him seem to have rounder eyes , but it’s just cosmetic , his eyes & expression are typical . Like his narrow front with clean limb straight legs & neat tight feet . Good clean well laid shoulders with height at wither, correct shape ribs well carried back into strong loin . Very good croup with tailset straight off his back & nice short carrot tail . Very well angulated rear , with low set hocks . Came in excellent order double coat and fit condition . Loved him going round on loose lead keeping his “self carriage” outline with excellent height at wither & driving from behind . Lovely quality , but still workmanlike , a pleasure to judge him & award him DCC & BIS .