Show Placings
Manchester Championship Show
20th Jan 2024
Judge: Mr Richard Allen (Penparc)
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
A quality puppy with lots of potential, lovely type and size, typical head, strong muzzle, in good body and coat condition, easily spanned and a thick pelt, moved and showed well.
Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
Repeat
Yorkshire, Lancashire & Cheshire Border Terrier Club Open Show
27th Jan 2024
Judge: Mr R Wright (Borderexpress)
Thank you to the committee of the YLC Border Terrier Club for this appointment, a very hard working team that pulled a lovely show together at a great venue and also my two very capable stewards Bridget Singh and Margaret Davies. To the exhibitors that also supported me on my wonderful entry for the day and generated a great atmosphere around the ring.
The lunch time interval also kept me busy with 6 lovely puppies taking part in the puppy walk, a great idea successfully carried out by the club and an opportunity to get the youngsters out and into a show environment – some promising youngsters to go over made the interval very pleasing.
I was really pleased with my final line ups on the day although I felt that the bitch classes were stronger than the dog classes, jackets with Crufts up and coming in a few weeks were varying so again thank you for putting exhibits forward that we all knew could do with some more jacket to just complete the picture.
Best Puppy - Dog
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
6 month old grizzle dog of a handy size and construction and on his toes in the ring, nice head with neat ears with good shoulders into a good level tip line moving and in the stack – excellent tail set. Very good in the rib and spans very easy, lots to like and one to keep an eye on (Best puppy Dog)
Wellingborough & District Canine Society Open Show
28th Jan 2024
Judge: Mrs Sue Spafford (Dassett)
Puppy - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
Just 6 months old, good head and expression. Straightest of topline and well-set tail. Easily spanned, lacking coat today. Only lost out to maturity of winner and on the move, as less settled which I’m sure will improve with age
The Midland Border Terrier Club Open Show
4th Feb 2024
Judge: Lesley Armstrong-Rodgers (Atron/Scottsway)
It was a great honour to be invited to judge The Midland Border Terrier Club Open Show and therefore my thanks go to the Committee for the opportunity. I thoroughly enjoyed my day at this friendly well run show. It was advantageous in having such a good sized ring in which to watch the dogs move. Borders need room to get into their stride and show their effortless movement and profile when viewed in side gait.
A special thank you also to Richard and Sharon, my two stewards for keeping things running smoothly. It is always a great help for any judge to be blessed with competent stewards. Finally a big thank you to all the Exhibitors for bringing their dogs under me for my opinion and for accepting my decisions with good grace. As always coats were at differing stages, often reflected in the placings, but coats do come and go, construction does not !. Overall I found temperaments excellent, as well it should be, which bodes well for the breed.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
A lovely Grizzle nearing 7 months who shows a lot of potential. He has a good head and expression, dark eye and correct dentition. Stands on a straight front with neat feet, level topline, spanned with ease and owns a thick pliable pelt. Lovely carroty tail set well on and racy hindquarters. Moved well around the ring and confidently for one so young. I am sure as he matures he will trouble the best.
The Terrier Club of South Wales Open Show
11th Feb 2024
Judge: Sarah Pateman (Lessien)
First, I would like to thank the committee for inviting me to judge my breed the Border Terrier, then the Irish Terrier and all the handling classes.
This show was so friendly, and I was looked after from the minute I arrived till the moment I left.
Thank you, Tina Jones, for the delicious food and Richard Wright for being my steward for all my judging classes including the Irish Terriers and all the handling classes.
What an amazing entry I had although a few absentees the class of dogs present were of good quality, and I am very grateful to all exhibitors who entrusted in me to go over their dogs and accepting my decisions on the day
Best Puppy - Dog
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
18/07/2023. Confident lad, keen dark eye, ears correctly placed to broad skull, good teeth, shall stop, good reach of neck into narrow front, up on his toes, nice length of rib into correct rear angulation, moved OK.
West Midlands Terrier Society Open Show
17th Feb 2024
Judge: Mr Matt Smith (Alncroft)
Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
The Southern Border Terrier Club Open Show
3rd Mar 2024
Judge: Miss Nicola Foster (Thozow)
It was a great honour to be invited to Judge a Border Terrier Club Open show so I would like to thank the Southern Club for this opportunity. It was a day I had been looking forward too, so I would also like to thank the exhibitors for their entries, allowing me to access their dogs and for accepting my decisions. I was most grateful to my stewards Sian McKay & Marina Fleming who kept the ring running efficiently, and also live streamed the challenges and BIS.
Best Puppy - Dog
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
7 month grizzle dog, presented in a harsh double coat. Short well filled muzzle, dark expressive eyes, and neat well placed ears. Straight front, neat tight feet, and a good depth of rib, and is spannable. Free agile movement. BPD
Crufts
10th Mar 2024
Judge: Mrs Lesley Gosling (Akinside)
A tremendous entry of 275 Borders ( 25 absentees on the day)to enjoy handling, judging and placing. I must extend my appreciation to my two valiant stewards for their patience and skill in keeping classes moving. Thank you all.
I do believe our breed is changing, but in subtle ways. The lack of opportunities for true terrier work below ground for some Borders has been replaced by agility and other energetic pursuits, but lack of hard muscle tone has produced a ‘softer’ body on some exhibits. Some feet are slacker, pads are more spread and thinner and some fronts are wide. Movement is not always positive and a ‘driving’ action is lacking. Size is fluctuating too. We have a ‘working’ breed - let’s ensure that features defining the breed are not lost, i.e. ‘spannability’; a hard, harsh top coat and soft protective undercoat (not enough of those today); a dark, expressive eye, a broad skull and strong quarters – ‘the engine is at the back!’. Heads generally were good, but some bitch heads veered towards coarseness.
One thing not lost is the Border’s kind temperament – curious, interested and ready for anything.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
7 1/2 month old red grizzle - promising red youngster of good build; pleasing expression on a good head still developing. Moved out well and parallel on neat feet
Oswestry & District Kennel Association Open Show
17th Mar 2024
Judge: Mr Kevin Yeates (Bluebabel)
I’d like to thank the committee for appointing me for this show. With 16 dogs entered and 2 absent I was very pleased with my above average entry for this show. All the dogs had good dentition, and coats generally good
Junior /
Second Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
8 month old grizzle dog, litter brother to best puppy. Good dentition,otter head with good neck and level topline. Good bend of stifle and neat carrot tail.
The Border Terrier Club Championship Show
30th Mar 2024
Judge: Mrs Lynda Ward (Roundtown)
It was an honour to be invited to judge this, our parent club’s show. My thanks to the committee who ran such a lovely event with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. My judge’s gift is much appreciated and will be a treasured momento of the day.
My superstar stewards, Janice Johnson and Liz Barrett, worked hard and unobtrusively whilst keeping the classes moving smoothly over a long day – well done ladies.
Many thanks of course to the exhibitors who made the journey on a major bank holiday weekend giving a large and quality entry of 190 dogs making 229 entries plus 10 NFC.
I had some lovely sound and typical Borders to go over and, had I had them, I would have had no qualms in awarding 4 dog tickets and 5 bitch tickets.
Unfortunately there are always downsides in a big entry and today size was an issue with some overly large exhibits who were not spannable and very heavily built.
There were a number of youngsters which were obviously unused to having their mouths examined and more practice in a calm atmosphere would help to make them comfortable and avoid stress for them and their handlers.
Ears need watching as some were quite large and spoiled the head.
Sadly, as in the past I must complain about long tails. Tails are an integral aspect of the overall picture of a typical Border outline and long is simply wrong. Our breed standard is spartan compared to many others but for tails the description is clear and begins with, “Moderately short; fairly thick at base, then tapering.” Hopefully the issue will be addressed before the untypical becomes the norm.
On a positive note …
Feet were overall small and thickly padded although some would benefit from trimming and shorter nails.
There was a good number of lovely otter-like heads of correct proportions with well placed dark eyes and a keen expression.
As is usual these days coat presentation was generally good and today there were plenty of dense coats of correct texture and thick skins.
Do I think the quality shown in this entry bodes well for the breed? Yes.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
National Terrier Club
6th Apr 2024
Judge: Miss Elspeth Jackson (Clipstone)
Thanks to the National Terrier Club for their invitation to judge at this prestigious show and to the exhibitors who did me the honour of judging their dogs. I was lucky to have two efficient stewards who kept things running smoothly, thank you Laura and Dave.
The entry showed a good depth of quality. In many classes the places were hotly contested with decisions needing to be made on the narrowest of margins. I was very pleased to find that there were some good coats on thick pelts and the nice thick short tails which set off a good border so well.
Minor Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Novice - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
Tall young dog built on the narrowest of lines and pleasing in profile. Racy in outline he has a neck of moderate length, straight front and narrow rib. Shown in good coat. Lots of potential but needs some time to mature.
The Northern Border Terrier Club Open Show
13th Apr 2024
Judge: Mrs P Cox (Cushatlaw)
I would like to say a big thank you to the officers an committee for kindly inviting me to judge this lovely open show and to all the exhibitors for exhibiting their dogs under me. A special thank you to the stewards who kept the ring running smoothly.
Best Puppy - Dog
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Reserve Best Puppy
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Minor Puppy - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
9 month old grizzle puppy, pleasing moderately broad head with well set ears and dark eye. Short strong muzzle. Good lay of shoulder, ribs carried well back. Easily spannable, good coat and undercoat and thick pelt. Moved well with drive. BPD, RBPIS
Maiden - Dog /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
East Anglia Border Terrier Club Championship Show
20th Apr 2024
Judge: Mrs Elizabeth Barrett (Howthwaite)
Thank you to the committee of the East Anglia Border Terrier Club for the honour of inviting me to judge your Championship show and for your great hospitality on the day. It was hit-and-miss as to whether or not I would be judging inside or out, and I’m pleased that the committee took the decision to hold it outdoors. It is far nicer for the dogs to be outside, even with the biting wind, and we are not to forget that they are designed to be outside in that type of weather, which reiterates the importance of a good coat. I hope everyone at ringside managed to keep the chill away, myself having Cumbrian bloodlines, found it rather pleasant. Thank you to my stewards Tracey, Dave and Mike who worked tirelessly to keep the ring moving. My biggest thanks are to the exhibitors who gave me an excellent entry and took all my decisions in a sporting manner. I know it is always said there are too many good dogs for the number of cards and that was especially true of the limit and open classes. I was spoiled for choice in a number of classes and had to split hairs on a number of occasions. Dog’s are never static and can have good days and bad days just the same as us, and condition and coats can change dramatically. Some dogs were out of top coat or had no harshness to their coat on the day which cost them on this occasion. Repeating myself from my last judging appointment, I made mention that true movement isn’t necessarily conducive to good movement if no ground is covered at the same time, ideally of course we want both but I would rather see a dog with a good outline in profile than one very accurate that’s going nowhere. Good construction should be a given, I know not much mention is made to that in our breed standard, but to constitute soundness to follow a horse, the construction must be balanced and correct with no exaggeration. Thankfully, there were not many exaggerations on the day. One or two were big ribbed and not quite spannable, and surprisingly they were not necessarily the ones that looked up to size. Overall, I was very pleased with the quality of the dogs presented.
Puppy - Dog /
Third Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Novice - Dog /
Second Place
Name at show: Ragatam Master Dreamer
Placing Critique
Grizzle and tan of a nice size, 3rd in puppy dog. Nice head with dark eye and good bite. Not too heavy in bone. Good rib shape and easily spanned. Good topline and tailset. Beautifully presented with a very good topcoat, undercoat and pelt. True on the move, but not quite as free moving in profile as 1
