THE SCOTTISH BORDER TERRIER CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW - 13/11/2021
Massive Thank You to The Officers & Committee for inviting me to judge your Championship Show today. This club I was a member of in the formative years and have fond memories of the very first Championship Show where I was an exhibitor. It is good to see a club go from strength to strength and the committee worked very hard to put on this event in what has been difficult times to plan ahead. Thank you everyone who entered today and I was honoured with an entry of 150 Dogs, 192 Entries & 0 NFCs. Like every show absentees were inevitable but I hope those present today took my decisions sportingly.
A few general observations on todays entry which are my thoughts and because I care so much for this lovely breed. Driving to the venue today was a perfect way to view the countryside where this breed was developed and all could see the rough terrain they would need to work in. It is essential you judge a breed with the work they were bred to do foremost in your mind and learn why they are built the way they were and why the breed standard exists. It is a dog show and we now want to see them clean, healthy and well presented but I was sad to see today several exhibits with very clear evidence of scissor work on the coats and not just on tidying feet etc. Please stop this trend NOW. Several were scissored from hip to hock, no need to do this & does nothing to enhance the dog. Good otter heads were not in abundance today and I witnessed a lot of fly away ears. We have always witnessed the odd one but today quite a number could be seen when the dog was in action & not always on youngsters either.
Coats as always were in various stages today but you must judge the dog on the day and find evidence of the correct texture and undercoat which is vital to stop the working dog getting wet through to the skin. Mouths were very good today as where tails which have thankfully improved greatly. Some exhibits in my opinion had lovely conformation however where far too big and long in leg. I though ribs were good with only a few that would be unable to be spanned with the average size hands. I did find today the bitches were more uniform for size so just need to work on the males not becoming big, leggy & heavy.
Minor Puppy D (3) : 1 & B.P. D. Goddard’s Awbrooksky Never Back Down, scores very highly with size, correct in head shape & well set V shaped ears, well set neck leading into good shoulder & upper arm proportions, body is excellent for young age, neat cat like feet & thick pads, super top line & tail well set on, in excellent coat, presented & handled to perfection. Owner & handler very much in harmony together to get best result, very promising young male who has what is required at this age ; 2 Blakey’s Kentwone Monster, another of pleasing size & I see has same sire as 1, pleasing in head & eye, ears need to settle, a little unsettled on move today & carrying a little too much weight. With more confidence this youngster has potential. Scored well in rear movement, tail well set & carried. In good double coat & has excellent thick loose pelt ; 3 Mullen’s Fevstone Warhorse.
Puppy D (8-2abs) : 1 A Never Back Down ; 2 Walker’s Smurfski Jingle Bells well coated bl/tan, pleasing for size, well shaped rib & top line held at all times, has a lovely shaped tail which is correctly set on. Strong driving quarters which propelled him once he started to stride out. Needs a little more rapport with his handler but time hopefully will provide this ; 3 Mullen’s The Joker Lets Rock And Roll To Fevstone.
Jun D (9 - 2abs) : Golding’s Beaconpike Dionysus, pleasing in head, eye & ear, moderate length to neck leading to well placed shoulder & corresponding upper arm, has excellent body & ribs carried well back, strong in loin, easy to span rib & not over sprung, sound driving rear action which then provides the action to enable the front correctly, in excellent double coat, tail correctly set & carried ; 2 Singh’s Raewulf Alchemy At Vandamere, short strong muzzle & strong jaw, well set ears, lovely rib & loin, moved true fore & aft with minimum effort, not the coat of 1 today but evidence of that it is coming through ; 3 Gilpin’s Otterbobs Brimmer.
Yearling D (5-1abs) : 1 Armstrong’s Howthwaite Sylvester strong jaw & good otter shaped head, well set neck, has correct proportions to his front & uses it when he settles to move out, carries his ribs well back & strong firm loin, carrot shaped tail, neat feet with thick pads, just coming into his new coat & was spannable ; 2 Lowrys Riverside Helissio, has desirable head shape with strong jaw & dentition, liked his body shape & easy to span his rib, neat feet, moved with ease & confidence, not the best of coats today ; 3 Richardson’s Staynorwood Rambler.
Sp. Beginners D (2) : 1 S Jingle Bells ; 2 Spence’s Foxwater Captain Scarlet taller than 1 and not as good in top line, scores for good front, has double coat of correct textures, correct in rib but slightly long in loin which spoils top line, tail of correct set & length.
Novice D (1) ; 1 F Captain S.
Grad D (3) : 1 R Alchemy at V ; 2 Milton’s Baillieswells Kilchoman this dog is pleasing to go over but would benefit if coat was tidied to his advantage, has a lovely head, easy to span his rib & ribs carried well back, has double coat & harsh texture top coat just needs tidied, once he settled moved out well ; 3 Aldous’s Twigglestone Steps To Hevn.
Post Grad D (6) : 1 R Alchemy at V ; 2 Collis’s Akenside Graphite correct for size with desirable shaped head, neck & shoulders, would like slightly smaller ears but were correctly set on head, well placed rib which you can span with ease, no exaggeration & correct coat, bl/tan would prefer a little more ticking, cat like feet, game & eager looking dog ; 3 Johnson’s Blue Duke Of Cumbria At Roseghyll.
Mid Limit D (3-2abs) : 1 Fryer’s Knowecrag Tam O’Shanter By Irton 2 yr old male who is pleasing in body & deceptive as hidden under a heavy top coat, moderate in breadth of skull with short muzzle, excellent large & strong dentition, can span his rib & strong in loin, racy muscled quarters which give him the desirable driving rear action, tail of correct shape & length, sound & workmanlike appearance, moved well.
Limit D (13-2abs) 1 & C.C, B.O.S. & R.B.I.S. Mckay’s Achouffe Mckays Fable of Redesholt this 3 yr old dog is impressive on first entering the ring, hands on he is all male without any coarseness, I would not like anything bigger in size but easy to span his narrow ribs which are not over sprung are well laid back, strong firm loin, excellent top & under line. He was presented fit & hard with good second thigh, correct neck, shoulder & corresponding upper arm length, neat feet with thick padding, excellent top harsh waterproof coat with undercoat in evidence, desirable otter head with strong dentition. A few dogs I would have given top award today but this one stood out as a C.C. winner should ; 2 Spafford’s Reedwater Doc Holliday By Dassett, this dog did well as a puppy under me and I was very happy to see he has developed into a quality dog. Desirable head shape, fair length of neck & has good narrow front, in excellent body shape, lovely flowing movement once he got into his stride, cat like feet & correct tail set & shape. Just developing a new coat but one I was impressed with greatly ; 3 Atkinson’s Tojamatt Rhythm N’Blues At Raewulf
Open D (9-4Abs) : 1 & Res C.C. Gilpin’s Ch. Otterbobs Tolson, very nice stallion male who for me the best is yet to be seen as is only over two years old. Has excellent ribbing & loin, correct otter head with moderate broad skull & short strong muzzle with strong large teeth. Moderate length of neck that fits into his front well. Strong racy quarters with well set hocks, correct tail set. Moved sound with lovely front action which is not always seen, just changing jackets at the moment so had to settle for Res C.C. today ; 2 Dean’s Cedarhill Melt In The Mouth, another I would consider for top honours, this is the desirable height of dog I look for and has the most lovely head & expression. Strong in jaw, double coat in evidence & loose pelt, effortless on the move with carrot tail well set on his none exaggerated rear. Only negative is I would prefer a narrower rib ; 3 Armstrong’s Lynsett Lewis.
Veteran D (12-4Abs) : 1 Fryer’s Irton Morse Code lovely rich red coat which makes him look heavier than he is, when you get your hands on him he does have the rib you could span and that is good at 11 yrs of age, very desirable in head, would like slightly narrower in front, correct in quarters & tail shape & set. In excellent double coat & hard muscular condition. Moved soundly ; 2 Archibald’s Ch. Lairhope Lord Of The Glen At Tweedsburn slightly older than 1 at 12 yrs of age this male has not lost any of his excellent body condition, still moves well but slightly less drive than 1,has an excellent rib & loin, good in top line with no exaggerations to his profile picture, well shaped head & good neck & shoulders ; 3 Carr’s Thorneyburn Peace Pipe at Wreighaugh.
Minor Puppy B (7-2Abs) : 1 Sansom’s Tarkaswell Highland Fling lovely size, feminine with beautiful head shape, strong muzzle, not a lot of top coat in evidence today but this girl is very desirable for her make & shape, has a good front, body developing well, moved with verve when she settled into herself, tail well set & carried, neat cat like feet with thick pads ; 2 Fleming’s Otterbobs Aira Force, another of excellent height, just a little on the stocky side today but she is a raw puppy. Lovely head piece with fair length of neck, has excellent thick double coat & excellent pelt, loved her rear & tail, with time this bitch will be a winner ; 3 Richardson’s Staynorwood Ramona.
Puppy B (9-4Abs) : 1 B.P.B. & B. P. I.S. Glen & Shield’s Liatch Madame Pommery At Wilholme perfect for size, in excellent form, double coat presented to perfection & good condition, she is mature in ring confidence and knows how to show to her best advantage.She is so well balanced on the stack and strides out well on move despite being a little over exuberant with her front at times but she is young & that will settle in time. Super head shape & well set eye & ears, well placed neck, shoulder & upper arm, good body for raw age with correct rib shape & firm in loin ; 2 Pickerings’s Picer Bess Pool, only slightly taller than 1 but very promising bitch, strong short muzzle & pleasing in skull, quite well developed in body for age, strong firm loin excellent coat & condition, neat feet with thick pads, moved well fore & aft, pleasing to go over with nothing exaggerated or heavy ; 3 T Highland F.
Jun B (6-4Abs) : 1 Golding’s Beakonpike Solstice, I see is litter sister to my Jun D winner & very similar and in feminine form. Liked this b a lot & considered for top honours, just needs time, lovely head, body desirable ribs & loin, one that could go all day, good double coat & thick loose pelt, racy quarters. Sound & free on the move ; 2 Ingram, Alcorn & Reynold’s Etterburn Mrs Bucket, correct in size, liked her front conformation & body developing still for age, moved soundly with driving rear action, well set tail, pleasing bitch that just needs time to come into herself & will do well.
Yearling B (9-2Abs) : 1 & Res C.C. Singh’s Goldenmill Illusion At Vandamere, strong muzzle with well shaped head, excellent in neck & uses her narrow front well, ribs well back & not over sprung, firm strong loin, well set hocks, carrot tail well set on & carried, neat feet with thick padding, her coat is just coming in & is of excellent harsh texture with dense undercoat, presented neat but workmanlike. Strong thick pelt & has ring presence about her ; 2 Spafford’s Dottie Pip At Dasset, very desirable bitch who pushed hard for top spot, not the coat of 1 today. Strong jaw & pleasing head, hands flow over her body lines, moved well with minimum effort from her. Nice narrow front & rib not heavy, firm quarters & in hard condition with good muscle tone, carrot tail well set & carried ; 3 Harbottle’s Tyneotter Solar Eclipse.
Sp. Beginners B (3) : 1 Spence’s Foxwater House Of Jazz JW , most lovely head shape with correct strong dentition, heavier in ribs than desirable which at times spoilt her outline & hindered her movement, despite that moved steadily, correct tail length, shape & set ; 2 Johnson’s Roseghyll Lady Solitaire, narrow front but throwing her legs out on move rather than reaching forward, coat past its best & now rather soft in texture, ready to take out. Pleasing in head, eye & ear, neat feet ; 3 Chandler’s Alderseadale Spirit of Hope.
Novice B (15-6Abs) : Despite being novice a quality class with worthy winners. Due to recent times dogs in this class that would have won well & be well out of this class now. 1 Atkinson’s Raewulf Mata Hari, scored highly for her body, excellent well laid ribbing, strong firm loin. Lovely top line & not overly long. Her profile picture is of balance & is pleasing to go over with everything in flowing order, quality head piece with good neck set into a good shoulder & upper arm, quality young girl who moved soundly both in front & rear ; 2 L Madame P at W ; 3 T Highland Fling.
Grad B (11-4Abs) : 1 R Mata H ; 2 D Pip at D ; 3 Aldou’s T Serendipite.
Post Grad B (9) : 1 Dixon’s Otterpaws Firebird SHCM broad in skull & strong jaw, liked her narrow front, nice body lines & in good double coat of correct texture, dense undercoat, carrot tail of correct length, moved steadily but a little apprehensively at times ; 2 Anderson’s Glenbucket Highland Queen, similar in size & shape to 1 but slightly wider in front, coat now ready to strip which makes her also look heavier. Can span rib & has good quarters, moved soundly in rear ; 3 Gregory’s Remony Cider Sparkle.
Mid Limit B (8-3Abs) : 1 Sansom’s Tarkaswell High Fidelity, quality for shape & make, lovely front & ribs correct, moved true & with ease, very desirable in head shape with everything correctly in place, neat small feet, tail well set & of carrot shape, dense undercoat but today just gaining her new top coat ; 2 Fraser’s Achnagairn Touch Of Class, heavier & stockier than 1 but still of pleasing type, loved her head & neck, coat was surprising to me as despite being short the undercoat was dense & very harsh, quality bitch who has many quality attributes & in lovely muscular condition ; 3 Armstrong-Rodger’s Otterwood Diaderm.
Limit B (15-2Abs) : 1 Wilmitt’s Goldenmill Harvest Fantasy, I see is litter sister to my Yearling B winner today. Another considered for top award, most lovely body lines & pleasing for her feminine size, very good skull would just like slightly shorter muzzle, excellent neck & shoulder set, spot on for ribbing & strong in loin, very easy to span yet no way shelly, excellent racy quarters & her movement was a joy to see, has excellent double coat & was presented to perfection, liked her a lot ; 2 Pickering’s Picer Isabel Derby another top quality b who pushed hard for top honours today, very desirable head, ribs carried well back & neither slab sided or barrel just right, firm loin & lovely flexible loin, driving rear action & tail well set, lost out to 1 today as preferred front action but on another day who knows, lovely b. 3 Horner’s Stineval Memphis To Emblehope.
Open B (11-6Abs) : 1 Broomhead’s Bardenfox Tale As Old As Time, 4 yr old b who was on top form today in both shape, condition & excellent coat. Harsh top coat of good length, dense undercoat which was presented to perfection & not overdone. She was neatly but not over presented. Has excellent body condition with perfect rib & loin. Well set neck to her most lovely balance of shoulder & equal in upper arm length. Strong padding on her neat cat like feet, tail carrot shape & well set. Stands giving the most pleasing profile & you just hope she moves like you expect, thankfully she did & was my C.C. winner & B.I.S. Do hope her worthy crown is not far away. 2 Sansom’s Tarkaswell Sea The Stars, this is another who excels for breed qualities, has excellent movement and is very feminine with most lovely head, eye & ear. Although has a good coat was not quite as harsh as 1 today and had to be content with 2nd place. Her sporting owner gets the best out of her and has her in hard condition and as she is without any exaggeration one that could work all day, quality who deserves to go to the top ; 3 Lowry’s Riverside Sabor A Mi.
Veteran B (11-6Abs) : 1 Gregory”s Ch. Lemony Frosted Ivy JW SHCM, did this girl well as a youngster & has had a good career & gained her worthy title. Lovely for head & has good coat but due to be stripped soon, moved with ease & enjoying her time in the ring today ; 2 Armstrong’s Carrickfarm Mika SHCM VW, have never seen this b looking better, a lot older than 1 so her movement was not as flowing today. Still has an excellent body shape & has not gone heavy in any way, excellent hard condition & does not look her age, sound in her rear ; 3 Portsmouth’s Kalebank Harvest Festival.
Brace (4-1Abs) : 1 Dixon’s bitches similar in size & make, more together on the move ; 2 Birrell’s thought would be my winner but not as together when moved as 1, these two males were not as similar in size as the bitches were. All had good head shapes & were of pleasing size. ; 3 Johnson’s.
Mark Ord (Judge)
