Name:Baywillow Blue Design 
Gender:Bitch 
DOB:05-06-2011 
Colour:Blue and Tan 
Owner(s): Mrs M B Reeves  
Breeder:Mrs M B Reeves 
CH Lairehope Lord of the Glen At Tweedburn (D)
21-08-2009
Colour: Grizzle and Tan
CH Tweedburn Valentino (D)
14-02-2003
Colour: Dark Red Grizzle
Stineval Razzamadaz (D)
10-02-1995
CH Dazzle 'em Lyndhay (D)
Working Girl of Stineval (B)
Tweedburn Miss Flip (B)
29-05-1999
Tweedburn Stroller (D)
Breconbeds Sophie (B)
Lairehope Diamant Chienne (B)
12-08-2006
Colour: Blue and Tan
Design By Jordi (D)
03-10-2004
Lairhope Blue Gene (D)
Ashbrae Pickle (B)
Lairehope La Bandita (B)
10-09-2004
CH Akenside Vanish (D)
Lairhope Sherry (B)
Baywillow Pacey Lacey (B)
17-06-2009
Colour: Blue and Tan
CH/Fin CH Baywillow Racing Blue JW (D)
17-03-2005
Colour: Blue and Tan
CH Rhozzum Columbo (D)
14-01-1999
CH Lings Gorse By Otterbobs (D)
Rhozzum Busy (B)
CH Baywillow Sunspice (B)
30-07-1998
Total Eclipse At Baywillow (D)
Irton Berneray Baywillow (B)
Baywillow Tarte Tatin JW (B)
23-05-2006
Colour: Grizzle and Tan
CH Tythrop Tapas (D)
17-01-2005
Nor CH / CH Lyddington Last Supper At Risdene (D)
CH Tythrop T'pau (B)
Baywillow Beguiling (B)
30-07-2003
CH Tythrop Taggart At Smalesmouth (D)
CH Baywillow Sunspice (B)

Show Placings

Ladies Kennel Association
10th Dec 2011
Judge: Mrs Sarah Dandy
I was delighted with both my dog and bitch line ups, from a numerically strong entry of 181 dogs all were worthy winners, from very well contended classes, with several really promising youngsters. Temperaments were uniformly sound which is of great importance in any breed
Minor Puppy - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Class Critique
Three promising youngsters
Southern Border Terrier Club Members Limited Show
4th Mar 2012
Judge: Mr Mark Lowry (Ravenside)
Many thanks to the Southern Border Terrier Club for inviting me to judge their limit show. Also special thanks to my stewards for their smooth efficient help during a most enjoyable day. Also big thanks to all the exhibitors for giving me such a nice entry. On the whole I thought the quality was of a good standard, coats were at various stages which is to be expected. I did notice that a few exhibits were scissored which did spoil them. A couple had tails that were cut straight at the end which did upset the overall picture somewhat. Borders should have a “carrot” tail, but not a chopped carrot! Mouths were good, with a lot of big strong teeth on display, even right through to the veterans. I was very happy with my principle winners and feel confident more success lays ahead for them.
Puppy - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
eight months blue and tan with lots going for her. Very nice otter head with dark eye, good reach of neck, set into narrow shoulders, flat rib.Good topline and tailset. Moved well. Another one for the future RBP.
Crufts
11th Mar 2012
Judge: Mr Stewart McPherson (Brumberhill)
It was a great honour to be invited to judge at Crufts, possibly the pinnacle of anyone’s judging career. My thanks must go to the exhibitors for the entry of 264 dogs, making 304 entries, by far the largest entry for a single judge in the Group, which made for a very long day. Thanks also, must, go to my Stewards, Kim Lathaen and Eddie Bishop, for their efficient services, which ensured we finished just in time for my BOB to make the Terrier Group. I last judged the Breed at LKA, just over three years ago. This was always going to be an interesting entry, after my preamble then, which was a bit “fire and brimstone”, where I stated my deep concerns about the, in my opinion, untypical heads that were creeping into the Breed, gradually being accepted, as being correct, particularly the excessively broad skulls and high set ears. Therefore, knowing my preference for the otter like, MODERATELY broad skull, asked for in the Standard, I have to say, not without a little amusement, the “lollipop on a stick” type “Teddy Bear” heads with deep stops were almost conspicuous by their absence today! While upper arm length was a major problem last time, in the younger classes, I found far fewer today that were totally unable to stand with their front legs underneath them, perpendicular to the floor, which, hopefully, was a good sign that Breeders are recognising and attempting to remedy the problem. Movement, on the whole was pretty acceptable, behind especially. Front, maybe not quite as good, a small minority being rather less than accurate, flicking out, or toeing in. Most covered plenty of ground on the move. The majority were spannable. Most were in good, harsh coat, or evidence of texture coming through. I realise it’s the start of the show season, so those short of coat weren’t unduly penalised. My reasoning being, that, coats are transitory, whereas poor conformation will always be poor conformation, regardless of the wrapping. I know they are a working Terrier, but, I have to say, considering the occasion, I was shocked at how dirty some of the dogs were. Some were thick with grease and would certainly have benefited from a bath, if only for their own comfort! I was very pleased with both my line ups in the challenge for the CC’s, indeed, the first three in most classes. I felt that they all fitted my interpretation of the Standard and could, if required, do the job of a working Terrier.
Special Puppy - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
9 months. Typical head and expression. Good neck, shoulder, front and feet, topline and tailset. Narrow bodylines. Good rib and hindquarters. Good coat and pelt. Sound, free mover. Shade rangier than 1st, just needing further maturity to knit together, quite correct for her age.
Class Critique
Strong class, thought all five placed were very promising.
National Terrier
7th Apr 2012
Judge: Miss Sally Leslie (Risdene)
Thank you for a super entry. At times I felt I had been let loose in a sweetie shop such was the quality of the exhibits before me. Indeed because I was spoilt I was hard on jaw and dentition faults and Borders that were more smart terrier than true Border in type. My experience over the years leads me to believe that such faults are heart-breakingly likely to continue to bite in the future if not stamped on. My main winners were true Borders. You read of “a-ha moments” and happily for me there were some rather nice ones here. Good times indeed.
Puppy - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
Another good b/t built on classic lines, has scope and presents a lovely picture , good in front and rear assembly with correct bone, stands balanced, moves out well, undoubtedly a good one and nip and tuck with the MPB for best overall
East Anglia Border Terrier Club Championship Show
15th Apr 2012
Judge: Mrs Su Williams (Hollybridge)
Thank you very much to the Officers and Committee of the Club for inviting me to judge today. Special Thank you must go to my two very able Stewards Bev & Simon Jackson for the smooth running of the ring. I was impressed by the over all quality of the exhibits today; it was definitely a case of more winners than awards! I was pleased to see overall that mouths were very good. There were a couple of minor incisor alignment issues but nothing to penalize. Thankfully tails are improving, in recent years the long thin sickle curled over tail became too regular a sight, Today they were far outnumbered by more typically carried tails. On a slightly negative note -cleanliness, a number of dogs were quite pungent and just because they are ‘Essentially a working terrier’ they don’t have to smell like they just came from a dig! Muscle tone was lacking in some fit looking Borders bringing the worry some might be fed for condition instead of exercised for it! Coats that transient problem, many sadly had to be marked down today due to lack of coat. While some evidence of texture was there in many cases. I had to place dogs without coat according to how they appeared on the day!
Puppy - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
Lovely feminine and balanced bitch shown in good coat, Attractive head and level topline She just wasn’t as positive in front movement as the minor winner in the challenge.
WELKS
28th Apr 2012
Judge: Mr Phil Sharp
I appreciated the good entry. With a ring rather restricted in size ( not to mention a bitterly cold wind blowing through the cattle shed), I felt it was necessary to give the dogs as much opportunity as possible to move. Unfortunately, several moved rather wide behind, while one or two were plaiting in front. Coats were a problem , with a couple of good looking dogs showing absolutely no topcoat at all. It was interesting to see that most, but not all, of the dogs that I saw when I last judged Borders in 2010 had come on well.
Puppy - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Joint Border Terrier Clubs' Championship Show
6th May 2012
Judge: Mr W Shorthose (Cundytyke)
Many thanks to the Committee of the Border Terrier Club, who were the hosts of this year’s Joint Border Terrier Club show, for inviting me to judge such a prestigious event. My thanks go, particularly, to my stewards, who kept things running smoothly and enabled me to get through a big entry in an unrushed way. Overall, I felt the quality was reasonably high, with a lot to like. There were only a few which I felt could have done with a few square meals as they were a bit on the thin side. Exhibitors should know how to balance food intake with exercise to produce dogs in the correct condition. Lack of muscle on more was a greater problem. While the standard states ‘capable of following a horse’ many would have been tired following one round a stable yard let alone across country. This is evident when dogs are moved but not giving an active breed sufficient exercise also has an effect on their mental wellbeing. There were a number of untypical heads. I wonder if some people don’t understand the proportions of an otter’s skull as some muzzles were lacking in breadth giving a ‘foxy’look, while other heads were too rounded giving the impression of a teddy bear. Mouths were not a big problem with only a couple incorrect and coats were also, generally, good. Most exhibits had an undercoat though there were quite a number which had thin skins. A good, thick, loose pelt is essential for a working terrier. Very few could not be spanned, so most would have been capable of getting to ground. A ‘one size fits all’ attitude does not really apply to working terriers as there are a variety of jobs and situations to be encountered but they do have to be able to get there in the first place. I was very pleased with my top winners and extend my thanks to all the exhibitors.
Puppy - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
A blue and tan with a really good coat. There is a bit more substance to her than 1. Well proportioned head and very pleasing build to the forequarters. She didn’t move with the drive of the winner today but they all come on at different rates.
Birmingham National
13th May 2012
Judge: Mrs Pat Baxter
Puppy - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Novice - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
good bl/t, lots of ticking, typical Border head & expression, strong teeth, firm back end, moved out well
Bath Championship Show
25th May 2012
Judge: Mrs Diane Rayner (Stoneygin)
It was a real privilege to be asked to judge this show. I had a very good entry which pleased me and hope I did it justice. The dogs were generally in good fit condition, came across a few that were too thin, you can’t expect a young active dog to gain good muscle tone if you don’t feed them enough. They must feel miserable kept in that condition, constantly hungry. It was a very hot day, but we tried to keep them in the shade as long as possible but a few were showing signs of the heat. There were a few that looked rather scruffy with long nails and looked as if they had forgotten to take off their carpet slippers. But most were a pleasure to go over. I was very pleased with my winners.
Best Puppy
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Puppy - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
Lovely Blue and Tan youngster, Pretty head with kind expression. Good shoulder placement and ribbed well back. Narrow throughout. True movement coming and going with excellent side gait. Pleased to award her best puppy.
Graduate - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Three Counties Championship Show
10th Jun 2012
Judge: Mrs P McLellan
I enjoyed my day very much and must thank the exhibitors for an excellent entry. I was pleased with my principle winners. Some dogs were penalised today for lack of coat. I know coats will grow but at this level of showing dogs really need to be in good coat and in good coat condition. Movement in some exhibits left a lot to be desired.
Junior - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
Another b/t bitch. Finer in bone than the winner, with a longer length of leg. In decent coat. Narrow bodylines and good body length. Moved well.
Southern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
21st Jun 2012
Judge: Mr Bill Gray (Pontbeck)
I would first like to thank the Club for the invitation to judge one of the most prestigious shows in the calendar. I have looked forward to the appointment for several years and I must say I was not disappointed with my day. The entry was full of quality, especially in the bitch classes, with the open bitch class being the best class I have ever judged. I have been concerned, over the past few years, on how the breed would develop after the fox hunting ban. If todays entry is typical of the breed as a whole, I can only say it is in safe hands. Movement is still a problem but a much smaller problem than the last time I judged. The number of exhibits with short carrot tails pleased me greatly and the majority of the entry had good double coats, some exceptional and thick pelts. There were a few exhibits with level bites and one with a crowded mouth. One exhibit had a kinked tail. The show was very quiet with little noise from the exhibits, well done everyone, terriers need a bit of spark but should not show aggression to each other and the temperaments here today were to be commended to the dog`s owners. I didn’t have any under fed dogs showing all had a good covering of flesh but there were a number of poor, soft muscled dogs which needed more exercise.` The ability to follow a horse` is there in the breed standard, get the dogs out and get them fit. I thank my stewards for their unobtrusive efficiency and attentiveness which made the day run smoothly.
Junior - Bitch / Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Novice - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
East of England Championbship Show
6th Jul 2012
Judge: Mr Brian Baxter (Beenaben)
I thought the quality of the dogs has improved since the last time I judged. They were on a par with the bitches in depth
Junior - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
Close up to winner, correct bit coat, same remarks as winner.
Graduate - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
The Midland Border Terrier Club Championship Show
5th Aug 2012
Judge: Nicholls & Dean
*Dog Critique* An excellent entry at this my first club championship show. There were quality exhibits in all classes and overall, if this entry can be used as a yardstick, the dogs are now almost as good as the bitches, which couldn’t be said only a short while ago. This must bode well for the future of the breed. I have been very critical of movement in the past, but I found a distinct improvement here and most of the class card winners had good parallel movement going away and back, and plenty of drive with economical front action. Coats were generally very good and heads were much improved with only a few weak snipey muzzles and apple skulls. Many thanks to my hard working stewards, Sharon Pickering and Ray Bryan, who succeeded in keeping me out of trouble. *Bitch Critique* A very satisfying day, I had many good bitches to go over. My thanks to the MBTC for the invitation to judge and to the exhibitors for entering. All were capable of being spanned, there was a good number of typical jackets and overall quality was such that this was a factor in the placings. No bad mouths and many with good strong teeth. Construction has improved but be careful not to overdo the hind angulation and remember we look for narrow fronts. A few round ears and several larger than I prefer. Racy lines preferred but be careful as some lacked substance. I though the principal winners were all very good. BIS, RBIS and BOS were all worthy winners.
Graduate - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
B/T Good head with deeper stop than I prefer. Good reach of neck. Longer cast than 1. Typical harsh blue jacket. Good thick tail set on correctly. Lost out on the move.
Paignton & District FA
7th Aug 2012
Judge: Miss Rebecca Barber (Alcumlow)
I would like to thank the committee for their hospitality, I thoroughly enjoyed my day. Thank you to all of the exhibitors for giving me such a good entry of quality dogs. I judge according to the breed standard and I felt that my winners today were extremely fitting.
Junior - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
A beautiful blue and tan bitch in excellent coat with correct blue colouring. Lovely bodylines, she caught my eye when she entered the ring. Good head in proportion with body, flat skull and strong jaw. Correct angulation to the front and racy to the rear, narrow in body with good depth of chest. A pleasure to go over. Moved out well. Contended hard for the RCC.
Class Critique
A lovely class with some real quality, I will be interested to see how these bitches develop and I am sure there are some future champions here.
Bournemouth Championship Show
13th Aug 2012
Judge: Mr W Browne-Cole
Junior - Bitch / Reserve
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Novice - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Welsh Kennel Club
18th Aug 2012
Judge: Mr Jack Watson
Junior - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Novice - Bitch / Second Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
pleasing bitch with a strong head, dark eye, correct bite, nice depth of brisket, correct bend of stifle
Southern Border Terrier Club Open Show
16th Sep 2012
Judge: Mr Alan Hedges (Ramblix)
I considered it a great honour to be invited to judge this show. I looked forward to it greatly and I was not in any way disappointed. A classy club with a classy committee. My stewards were great and we had some interesting moments through the day, but we coped. Thank you to all involved with the club and most of all the exhibitors for doing me the honour of having me judge your dogs. Thank you. Whenever I judge Staffords, which is my own breed I always make the point that exhibitors should rid their dogs of any reasons to get beaten. Long pointed nails are not a good look, nor are they good for the dog. Even I can make a decent fist of a borders coat and as a singular part of the breed and its identification a bit more attention would not have gone amiss in some. Excess weight is not good for anybody, least of all, what is ostensibly a working terrier. I think there may well be some stars of the future in some of the lower classes and I shall watch with greater interest now when I am at the border ring. Thanks again to you all for coming and entering into the spirit of the day. I had a brilliant day and I hope you did too.
Junior - Bitch / Very Highly Commended
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Class Critique
Now we were cooking with gas, this was a much better class and I liked all of the first five, to coin a well used phrase, I am sure they will change places another day
Novice - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
VHC in strong junior class. Very typy, good coat, moved well enough.
Southern Border Terrier Club Limit Show
3rd Mar 2013
Judge: Mrs Linda Coleman (Hartswelin)
I would like to thank the club for giving me the opportunity to judge the breed. I also thank the exhibitors for entering their quality dogs under me. The atmosphere and sportsmanship from exhibitors and spectators made my day a very enjoyable one. All bites were correct and I found one monorchid. Front movement in general still has a way to go and there were far too many flat open feet with thin pads especially in the males. That said I felt I had a quality entry.
Graduate - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
Blue in good coarse coat with depth to it and an attractive amount of ticking. Good pelt, flat skull and well angulated front. Moved well.
Crufts
7th Mar 2013
Judge: Mrs Jayne Gillam (Orenberg)
I was indeed a great pleasure to judge at Crufts, in fact I loved every minute of it, and it really completed the Crufts experience for me having won the Dog CC and Best of Breed a couple of times, a bitch CC and Best Puppy there as an exhibitor in the past. I must thank all the exhibitors for their tremendous support with a record entry of 274 dogs making 307 entries, it was truly an international occasion as Crufts seems to be these days, with dogs and handlers representing I think, ten countries giving me a really good sample of winning dogs from around the world. You often read in critiques that judges say they didn't have enough cards to go round, and with the class sizes I had, this was certainly the case, and the only downside of the day for me was that some very tough descisions had to be made with many, many really good dogs leaving the ring without a card. Overall it was an interesting entry with a large variety of sizes and types, but then the standard allows for that as we have quite a wide weight range, no height reference and only the fact that they should be spannable to guide us.I never get too hung up on differing types or kennel types,as I can appreciate them all, providing they fit the standard. When judging I am looking for a dog fit for function, well constructed, not exagerrated in any way, fits the breed standard, and is capable of doing the job it was originally bred for.I was very pleased with my winners, my Best of Breed winner had it all, well constructed, in fabulous hard, fit condition, moved as though he could follow a horse all day and had a wonderful attitude in the show ring. I was thrilled to see him put in a faultless performance in the Group ring and winTerrier Group 4. My thanks go to Frank and Roger my very capable stewards who kept everything running smoothly, enabling me to get through the large entry in good time.
Yearling - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
Nice sized bitch, narrow throughout, lovely rib easily spanned, ribbed well back and and strong loin. Liked her head and expression not overdone in any way. Good neck into shoulders, good topline, lovely tail. Stood well on small neat feet.Super coat and pelt, liked her profile standing and on the move.
The Border Terrier Club Championship Show
30th Mar 2013
Judge: Mrs. Doreen Rushby (Dormic)
The Border Terrier Club held a Championship show at Low Hesket on 30 March 2013. I felt very honoured to judge at this show and my thanks go to the Committee and Exhibitors for such an enjoyable day.
Yearling - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
National Terrier
6th Apr 2013
Judge: Mrs. Margaret Curtis (Matamba)
Many thanks to all of the exhibitors who gave me such a nice entry of 201 dogs, giving 245 entries. My thanks go to my two stewards, with some large numbers in the classes they kept everything running smoothly and helped me to finish on time. Many decisions were difficult and some decent dogs went unplaced. There were things that came to hand while going over the dogs on the table, short ribs and over long in the loin and long hocks. Some of these short ribbed dogs were not over sprung and quite narrow through the body, but our standard states ‘ribs well back‘, something to be watched in your future breeding programs. Some dogs looked on the heavy side when I first looked around the ring, but on the table I was surprised how so many of these dogs came to hand no problem. Upright shoulders were noticeable and front movement in some classes was a problem, along with some very straight stifles and sickle movement. Puppies and youngsters you would expect to be forgiven for movement, along with the size of ears - within time the head develops and things start to balance out. Jackets were at all stages, spot on, starting to blow - with some owners trying to scissor or part strip them into shape, other coats were coming through with harshness and one or two had just undercoat. There were some that could have done with just a tidy up which would have helped the overall picture. General overall condition and the spanning on most dogs was acceptable, with good thick pelts. I did feel some of the puppies were thin and were quite hollow behind the ribs. I only had one bad mouth but plenty with strong jaws and large teeth. In general the shape and length of tails were good. A few low set tails, which when a dog is in a full jacket you can feel the low set when on the table but not necessarily see it on the move.
Yearling - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
National Dog Show
9th May 2013
Judge: Mrs Laura Illingworth (Thorneyhurst)
Thanks to Birmingham National for giving me the opportunity to judge this show and for providing me with two excellent stewards, who kept the ring running smoothly, also to all the exhibitors that gave me the pleasure of going over their dogs. The quality in some classes was superb especially the limit and open of both sexes, leaving me with more dogs I liked, than cards to award. Temperaments and presentation were good.
Limit - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Three Counties Championship Show
6th Jun 2013
Judge: Mrs Jena Tuck (Nettleby)
Limit - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
The Northern Border Terrier Club Championship Show
21st Jul 2013
Judge: Mr. G. Pickering (Picer)
I was honoured to be asked to judge the Northern Border Terrier Club Championship Show and I thoroughly enjoyed my day. I had an excellent entry, but was a little disappointed with the number of absentees. However the weather has been a challenge of late with some very high temperatures which I understand prevented some exhibitors from further afield attending. I would particularly like to thank the NBTC committee for looking after me so well and also for my expert stewards, Allan Horner and Doreen Rushby, who ably assisted me ensuring that everything ran smoothly. I would also like to thank all the exhibitors for their entries and for accepting my decisions so gracefully. As for the dogs on the day, coats varied as you would expect, but I do think movement is improving and although there were a few ‘flicking’ fronts, rear movement was in the main correct. I had one dog with a bad mouth and a few with misaligned teeth. This, I believe, is to be avoided in the show ring. All the dogs were entire and I could span all the exhibits. All in all, I was very pleased with both the dog and the bitch line ups, which meant that I had some real quality Border Terriers to pick from. All the winners looked the part – all in hard condition, with good heads and coats – able to do the job that they were bred for.
Limit - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
A typical border bitch who is unexaggerated in anyway. Good, well proportioned head with keen expression and very strong white and well placed teeth. Lovely straight front, good shoulder placement and strong loin. Just right for bone with an exceptional double coat. Moved out with class.
The Midland Border Terrier Club Championship Show
4th Aug 2013
Judge: Sharp & Bailey
*Dog Critique* My thanks to the Committee for inviting me to judge the Championship Show for the second time, the first being 10 years ago, and thanks to my Stewards for their efficiency. The entry of 103 with only 9 absentees was pleasing. Some judges concentrate on heads, others on shape of eyes, or on small dark ears, some on presentation, others on neat accurate movement. As for me – I judge on a whether a dog is “fit for function” as a working terrier plus whether it looks like a Border Terrier and no other type of terrier. A good proportion of the entry had major faults of construction which would render them, not useless, but inefficient at the job Border Terriers are designed to perform. For instance, short rib cages do not allow for lung room for the stamina a terrier needs to run all day, and these short rib cages (often sprung) were very much in evidence in the entry. Some were accompanied by long loins which might give the impression to the ringside that the dog had good length. Secondly, upright shoulders, often with steep upper arms are a major design fault. A well laid shoulder with well angulated upper arm which brings the elbow under the body is not just a pleasure to look at – these act as shock absorbers when the dog is running so that his joints are not jarred, leading to wear and tear, thus shortening his effective life as a working terrier. Finally, wide fronts, often associated with the previous construction – a Border should be able to creep into any space occupied by a fox, and these, despite their chunky appearance have very little body under that fur. Coats were mixed as to be expected – and there were some really good pelts, only a couple with paper thin pelts. Undercoat was often missing on the back, but present on the sides. A handful of bad mouths, perhaps some all rounders might accept these but I could not. Few really outstanding otter heads which stay in one’s memory for years, but most were adequate. My critique will not contain descriptions of the dogs, but will give an indication of why they were placed as they were. If your dog was not as high in the placings as you had hoped, take a good objective look at him, and you might find out why. *Bitch Critique* A big thank you to the MBTC committee for asking me to judge the Ch. Show it was a great honour. Thank you also to my stewards Ray & Sharon for making the classes run so smoothly. A nice entry of 144 bitches. I enjoyed the day; it was lovely to judge the bitches. The depth of quality in most of the classes was very pleasing. However, the fronts are still a problem within the breed & need to be addressed in future litters. Some quality bitches went cardless, unfortunately there is only 5 cards & many went without being placed. I was so delighted that my fellow judge Marie, agreed that my BCC & BRCC, should win the top honours, Best in Show and RBIS.
Limit - Bitch / First Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Placing Critique
Quality feminine b/t bitch, short strong muzzle flat stop, mod broad skull, good expression. Well laid shoulders, narrow throughout excellent rear quarters giving her plenty of drive on the move in good double harsh coat. Showed well.
South Wales Kennel Association
13th Oct 2013
Judge: Mrs Julie Guvercin
My most sincere thanks to all exhibitors for giving me such a lovely entry of 117 making 153 entries, the highest in the terrier group and one of only a few to break the 100 mark in the whole show. It is human nature for us all to ringside judge and we are all guilty of this, but going over an exhibit first hand, is further revealing, a privilege for which, I was truly grateful. Some lovely dogs, some more workman like than others, some in better condition than others, a few outstanding ones and the odd one or two I’d love to own! I am the first to admit I love a flashy dog who will stand up and show, but along with that must come the workman like qualities that make it able to be essentially a working terrier. There is nothing to suggest in my mind, that the two trains of thought can’t co-exist, they can and they must. Nervous or aggressive dogs and there were just one or two, were not rewarded, this is surely a temperament to be discouraged. Dour is a different matter altogether, especially when its nearly always on an otherwise, super exhibit, a frustrating combination.
Limit - Bitch / Third Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design
Cheltenham & District Canine Society Open Show
9th Feb 2014
Judge: Eillen Coles (Towden)
Open / Second Place
Name at show: Baywillow Blue Design