Show Placings
Manchester Championship Show
20th Jan 2024
Judge: Mr Richard Allen (Penparc)
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Placing Critique
Very attractive baby who has a good head and expression, clean through the neck and shoulders, in very good body, lovely bone and feet, moved well.
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.
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Placing Critique
6 month old grizzle bitch that stood on her own - litter sister to minor puppy dog winner, very confident as she moved around the ring. Lovely feminine head with a dark eye and small V shaped ears, super top line/tail set and put down in excellent condition/jacket – one to watch as she matures
Wellingborough & District Canine Society Open Show
28th Jan 2024
Judge: Mrs Sue Spafford (Dassett)
Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Placing Critique
6 month old, very feminine bitch with dark eye and lovely expression. Good strength of muzzle, best of toplines leading to thick carroty tail. Easily spanned, narrow throughout, good pelt, a little short of coat today. Moved well with enthusiasm for age, kept her tail wagging all the way around the ring.
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.
Best Puppy - Bitch
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Placing Critique
This 7 month old baby shows so much promise and really impressed. Possesses a feminine head of correct proportions, V shaped ears set close to her head and strength in her muzzle. Narrow throughout and spanned easily. A straight front with neat feet. Ample rear quarters which she used to advantage, level topline and well set carroty tail. Her movement was true and with enthusiasiasm for such a youngster. Looked quite the part reaching from the front and driving from her from her racy hindquarters. A lovely puppy and consequently my BEST BITCH PUPPY. Only lost out for Best Puppy on maturity.
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
Name at show: RBPIS, Ragatam Daydreamer
Best Puppy - Bitch
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Placing Critique
18/07/2023. Cracking little bitch, confident on the move and on the table, very pretty, dark keen eye, otter head correct placed small dark ears, narrow throughout, clean shoulder into good length of rib, great angulation at both ends, moved well and covered her ground with purpose. Happy to award her BPB and BPIB and I look forward to seeing her in the future. PG3
West Midlands Terrier Society Open Show
17th Feb 2024
Judge: Mr Matt Smith (Alncroft)
Best Puppy
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
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 - Bitch
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Best Puppy
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Placing Critique
This bitch impressed me with lots to like, she is alert with a lovely feminine head, V shaped well placed ears, a dark kind eye and a well filled muzzle. She has neat compact feet with moderate length of neck leading into a well laid back shoulder and return of upper arm, giving her enough forechest; ribs are carried well back, a level topline and racy hindquarters. Moved with good reach and drive. BPB, BPIS
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 - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Placing Critique
Slightly longer in the body than the winner, but similar remarks apply. Happy puppy enjoying her day out – moved out well, driving from behind.
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
Reserve Best Of Breed
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Best Puppy
Name at show: TPG3, Ragatam Daydreamer
Puppy /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Placing Critique
8 month old grizzle bitch, moderately broad in skull with a good dark eye and expression. Body deep, narrow and ribbed well back with a strong loin and racy hindquarters allowing for good movement. A lot to like, hence res best of breed and best puppy and TPG3.
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 - Bitch /
Second Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Placing Critique
8 months old. Has a good head and strong bite. Well balanced with overall flowing body lines and strode out well.
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 - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Novice - Bitch /
Third Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
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.
Minor Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Placing Critique
at 8 and a half months maturing well. Lovely feminine head super dark eye and pigmentation, strong muzzle and big teeth. Correct lay of shoulder giving correct length of neck, well bodied with good length to back. Strong over the loin. Super harsh coat. Moved well.
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.
Best Puppy - Bitch
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Best Opposite Sex Puppy
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Placing Critique
Grizzle and tan of nine months old. Nice sized puppy. Feminine otter head with a lovely eye and well set ears. Very good neck and shoulders and good return of upper arm. Just right for bone. Well ribbed back with an excellent topline and tailset. Excellent racy hindquarters which she used well on the move. Shown in a dense topcoat with good undercoat and pelt. Very sound on the move and beautifully presented. Best puppy bitch.
The Midland Border Terrier Club Championship Show
12th May 2024
Judge: Mrs Laura Illingworth (Thorneyhurst)
Best Puppy - Bitch
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
National Dog Show
12th May 2024
Judge: Mr Patrick Glover (USA)
Puppy - Bitch /
First Place
Name at show: Ragatam Daydreamer
