"Specialty Report from the President"

Our first National specialty was held in conjunction with Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry All Breed shows on Sunday, August 30th, 2009 at Long Sault, Ontario.

Set in a beautiful park on the St. Lawrence, the venue was ideal (except for Mother Nature). Festivities began Friday with the Border Terrier Club of Ontario specialty. The judging was held under sunny skies and reasonable temperature. By the evening, when both clubs joined together for a steak BBQ, the winds came up as the temperature went down. We all bundled up and enjoyed a lovely dinner catered by Neil & Diana Edwards. Neil and Diana gave up their only weekend off this year from performing professional dog show secretarial services to cook for us. Their efforts were not in vain. The steaks were perfect and the accompanied salads and desserts terrific. Everyone enjoyed each other's company in spite of the weather.

Saturday dawned and we were into the breed being judged at the all breed show followed by Terrier breed judging at the Rideau Terrier specialty. Both times we lucked out with the weather although later in the day, the weather changed and as people finished their time in the ring, they all went their separate ways to warm and cozy hotels or RVs.

Luck was with us on Sunday. Breed judging for the specialty started in the sun and just as best otter head was being judged at the end, the skies opened. Noora Haapanen from Finland judged the puppy sweeps and veteran sweeps. She kept focused on her job and presented Best in Sweeps to McHenry's Rage Against the Machine, Best of Opposite in Sweeps to Shivaree Jansim Jinx, Best Veteran in Sweeps to Ch. Falconbrook Lust For Life and Best of Opposite in Veterans to Ch. OTCH Holly Hill Handsome Jansim. Jayne Gillam of Orenberg Kennels in the UK passed judgment on our Borders and awarded Best of Breed and Best Otter Head to Ch. Duet's March Madness, Best of Opposite in Breed to Gr. Ch. Ganymede's Canadian Idol, Best of Winners to Giles Hill Honeybee, Best Puppy to Terriland Moonlight Singer and Awards of Merit to Ch. L'Dickens Bandersnatch Devilry and Ch. Roschel's May Magic. Please see Jayne's critique below. We really appreciated Jayne and Noora coming out to judge our first National specialty. Exhibitors commented on how well Jayne went over the dogs and how well the dogs responded to Noora. It is always a positive result when the judges are well versed in the important points of the Border Terrier.

Although the rain came for our Border Terrier games, the Border folks still stayed and brought their dogs out to experience the fun part of being a Border Terrier. Thanks to Pam Dyer and Anna Robaczewski for persevering in the rain to make this happen.

I wish to thank Anna Robaczewski for also running the steak BBQ from receiving the reservations to issuing tickets for the dinner and drinks. Susan Rome and Jen Holder can always be relied upon to run the silent auction and this year, they did a superb job. Jen Holder also deserves thanks for her choice of the lovely pottery trophies that adorned our trophy table as well as going stateside to pick them up and decorating our trophy table. Susan Rome was by Jen's side to work through the trophy table set-up. Richard Lake and his daughter, Kathy, were good enough to create a lovely grooming box for our Best of Breed trophy as well as the cheese boards that were given to the judges. Kathy Lake did her excellent woodburning depictions of the Border Terrier on all the handcrafts of Richard. Anna Fraser was the gracious host for our judges, Jayne Gillam and Noora Haapanen, making sure they enjoyed the BBQ and were guided to ringside for their assignments. Our caterers, Neil and Diana Edwards, did a terrific job of BBQing the steaks and bringing all the fixins. Thank you all.

Jayne Gillam's critique and full results follow.

Rosemary Shoreman, President

Full results may be found on the Colmar Show Services site at: www.colmars.com

Border Terrier Canada - Speciality 30th August 2009 - Judge Jayne Gilman

It was a great honour and privilege to be invited to judge the first Speciality of the Club and I would like to thank the officers and committee for their kind invitation. As I have never visited your continent before and because you have a slightly different, if not more detailed Breed Standard than the UK, I was quite intrigued to see your dogs, as was my travelling companion my good friend Anna-Karin Bergh who is also the President of The Swedish Border Terrier Society. On the day it was quite a multicultural gathering as we had Noora Haarpanen from Finland judging the Sweepstakes, this made for some very interesting and positive discussions after the event.

In fact once the judging started, my fears that you might have changed my beloved breed into something different were unfounded as the dogs were very typical Borders and my main winners in particular would also win in the UK.

There were some fabulous dogs and bitches in the Specials and it was a shame I could not offer more prizes as many I liked went cardless. I loved my Best of Breed Duet's March Madness, oozed breed type and what a super otter like head, really impressed me with his lovely neat front assembly, small correct shaped feet pointing forward and good firm pasterns, looked a picture in the stack and retained a super outline in profile movement. Caught my eye as he came into the ring and did not disappoint when I went over him, spannable, in superb thick blue & tan coat and pelt, in excellent condition throughout, he was presented and handled very well by his handler. Also winner of the Best Otter Head award.

My Best Opposite Sex was a fabulous bitch GCH Ganymede's Canadian Idol, what a showgirl, immaculately presented and handled, superb neckline into topline and tailset, kept her wonderful profile on the move, covering the ground with a long, low, ground covering gait, this one could follow a horse all day. Nice size, thick pelt, easily spanned, racy hindquarters and well let down hocks, which she used well on the move.

I gave out two Merits (I wish I had more!) one went to the male L'Dickens Bandersnatch Devilry, a beautiful blue and tan dog turned out in good coat and pelt, another with a good outline which he retained in the side gait, good bone, legs and feet, spannable rib, really impressed with his armoury, he had huge teeth set in a wonderful punishing jaw, pity the fox when he was around. Lovely head and expression, neat ears and dark hazel eye. He was built right and looked right. My other Merit went to a bitch, Roschel's May Magic, a handy sized bitch who was lovely to go over, beautiful athletic body and pleasing head, easily spanned, she could get anywhere. Stood well on neat feet, racy hindquarters, which she used with drive on the move, well presented in good jacket.

JUNIOR PUPPY DOG
1st Mchenry's Rage Against The Machine: A nice sized puppy, very well presented, I liked his expression and head and large teeth. Narrow throughout, and unexaggerated, just as I like to see them at this age. Turned out well, his coat and pelt were thick, needs to tighten in movement coming and going but made a good outline in profile movement, just needs time.

SENIOR PUPPY DOG
1st Terriland Moonlight Singer. Impressive looking youngster with a super head and expression, super teeth and bite with a nice big nose leather. Easily spanned but I would prefer him a bit less tucked up in underline. Moved well behind but needs to tighten in the front assembly, but at his age all this should come together in time. Very well presented in excelled coat and pelt. Good profile gait with good topline, tail and tailset. Beautifully presented in excellent pin wire coat and thick pelt. Reserve Winners Dog & Best Puppy
2nd Rushwind Golden Boy

BRED BY EXHIBITOR DOG
1st Mchenry's Heathcliffe Nicely made youngster, with a super ribcage, lithe and athletic, he needs time as he still looks immature but has all the essentials. Moved soundly coming and going and moved well in profile retaining a good topline and used his hindquarters well. Liked his neat feet and narrow front and shoulders, very well turned out.
2nd Shivaree Hermit The Dog

OPEN DOG
1st Ch Mchenry's Ewok Of Endor: Very typey male with a lovely head and expression, good ear set, huge teeth and excellent jaw. Good neck in topline, good tail and tailset. Looked a picture in a lovely thick tweedie coat - all Border. Moved steadily and with purpose both coming and going and in the profile, well-muscled hindquarters, used with drive. Good bone legs and feet, nice tailset. Pleased to award him Winners Dog.
2nd Ganymede Blue Jay Of Bophar
3rd Foxrun Thyme Piece

VETERANS DOG
1st Ch Krispin Myrrh: Put on a great show, lovely old boy of nice size and in good order, thick pelt. Moved out well fore and aft and in profile.
2nd Ch OTCH Holly Hill Handsome Jansim

Winners Dog: Ch Mchenry's Ewok Of Endor
Reserve Winners Dog: Terriland Moonlight Singer

JUNIOR PUPPY BITCH
1st Mchenry's Greta Van Susteren: A bit overawed by the experience and needs time but nicely made with a lovely rib. Narrow throughout with good legs and feet, coat just coming through but evidence of a good coat and had a thick pelt. Pleasing head and expression and a dark eye.
2nd Cadman Kate
3rd Shivaree Jansim Jinx

12 -18 MONTH BITCH
1st Thistlebitt Gleniffer Braes: A very well presented youngster with a super coat and pelt, handy size and easy to span, Nice head, good teeth, super neat feet and legs, looked good in profile with a lovely tail. Moved out well.
2nd Greystoke Mercedes S-Class

CANADIAN BRED BITCH

1st Norbury Brendans Teazle: Handy sized bitch who was carrying a bit too much weight today which spoiled her outline although she was spannable. In good thick coat and pelt, OK in head, nice shaped ears, lovely tail shape, but set on a bit low.

BRED BY EXHIBITOR BITCH
1st Giles Hill Honeybee; A lovely sized blue and tan bitch in excellent coat and condition. Very pleasing head with short strong muzzle, neat ears and good nose leather. A real showgirl she really caught my eye, moved OK fore and aft, kept a good topline in profile movement. Impressed with her good legs, bone and super neat feet and overall balance. Pleased to give her Winners Bitch.
2nd Roschel's Melody
3rd Bandersnatch A Fine Romance
4th. Shivaree Millenium Falconbrook

OPEN BITCH
1st Giles Hill Black Eyed Susan: When I read the catalogue after judging it turned out she was the litter sister to my previous class and had a lot of similarities. Nice head, neck, ears and expression, lacking in coat but had a good thick pliable pelt. Bigger throughout than her sister, would like neater front but she stood well on good feet and was well shown and presented. Looked good in profile in the stack and on the move. Reserve Winners Bitch.
2nd . Benthouse Marie

VETERANS BITCH
1st Ch Talex Good Thyme Gal: I really liked this one, marvellous for her age and in superb coat and condition, a credit to her owner. Pleasing head, good legs and feet, easy to span with a good rib, strong hindquarters which she used well in movement. Was also the winner of the brood bitch class.
2nd Ch Falconbrook Lust For Life

Winners Bitch: Giles Hill Honeybee
Reserve Winners Bitch: Giles Hill Black Eyed Susan


WORKING BITCH
1st Ch Brightrains First Edition: Considered for top honours in the Specials, another bitch I really liked but didn't have enough prizes to go around. Beautiful head, neat ears, super eye and expression, handy sized body with a super rib, firm topline and croup, good tail and tailset, lovely outline which she retained on the moved, stood well on good legs feet and pasterns. Thick pliable pelt and well presented jacket.

BROOD BITCH
1st Ch Talex Good Thyme Gal; See previous critique from Veteran Class. Accompanied by her progeny, she certainly had stamped her type as they had inherited her good qualities and looked very like her.

Judge: Jayne Gillam
Orenberg Border Terriers, England.

"Essentially a Working Terrier"

Several Border Terriers ranging in age from 13-1/2 weeks to 13-1/2 yrs took advantage of the chance to play "seek the quarry" on Sunday afternoon.
This game played along the hedgerow, involved checking out a series of PVC tubes and indicating the one where Squeak, one of our Lothlorien rats, was hiding out. They then had a chance to mark the den where Squeak's brother Squeal was snoozing in safety in a cage behind a set of sturdy bars.
It was great to see so many catch on and show their owners where the quarry was hiding.

Unfortunately, a downpour discouraged all but the hardiest enthusiasts from participating in the "Dump Dog Challenge". Even so, the majority of dogs whose owners braved the rain to participate were able to locate Squeak and convince their owners they had done so!!!
The fastest time was recorded by Gordie, the oldest participating at 13 plus years.

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