National Terrier Club

NATIONAL TERRIER CLUB

6th APRIL 2024

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers

Firstly, I would like to thank the Officers and Committee for inviting me to judge at the National Terrier Club show. I would also like to thank my Stewards, Shirley and Jose for keeping things running so smoothly.

I did notice that bad mouths seem to be in the minority now, which is to be applauded. However, the line between ‘tidying’ the coat and ‘stylising’ appears to have been crossed in more cases than I would have liked. There are also more cases of incorrect tail carriage than I would have expected some 20 years after docking was banned. Whilst an incorrect tail will not stop a dog doing the job it was bred for, it does spoil the overall look and balance of an otherwise well-presented Wheaten. On balance though, I feel that the breed is in fine fettle.

Special Beginners Dog or Bitch, (3), Abs 1. 1, Amel-Azizpour’s Crofftysofty Hay Jude. Compact 11 month Dog, good head with dark eye, well balanced with good coat colour and texture for his age, good tail carriage, moved well, Best Special Beginner. 2, Wooley’s Amivista’s Bunch Excuse Me (Imp Nld), Almost 12 month Dog, larger build than 1, good head dark eye and neat ears, coat not as mature as 1, moved OK.

Veteran Dog/Bitch, (5), Abs 3. 1, Dowdy’s Ch Greentree Gold Mombo To Denzilly (Imp USA), 7 year old Dog. I judged this Dog as a youngster in 2017 where he went TG3 and he has lost none of his ring presence in the intervening years. Good mouth with big teeth, well made head with neat ears, well laid shoulders, good reach of neck, well ribbed, good topline with well set on tail, coat of a good wheaten colour, moved with drive, Best Veteran, Dog CC and BoB. Pleased to see him go Best Veteran in Show 2. I understand that this is his 39th CC making him the new Breed Record holder. 2, Satherley & Satherley’s Ch Silkcroft Sky Full Of Stars ShCM Ir J CH, 10 year old Bitch, belying her age. Longer cast than 1, good head and eye, good reach of neck, good rib, good topline and tail carriage, coat of good wheaten colour, moved well.

Puppy Dog, (4), 1, Lines- Barrett & Barrett’s Abiqua Wild In My Blue Jeans, Well balanced compact 11 month dog, nice head with good ears, good front and well ribbed, coat yet to mature but good colour, moved well. A better tail carriage would just complete the picture, Best Puppy. 2, Hampton, Satherley & Satherley’s Lakkas Yankee Sweet Silkcroft (Imp Swe), 11 month old, longer cast than 1, a little narrow in front but with a well made rear end, coat of a lighter wheaten colour, moved well.

Junior Dog, (4), 1, Howell’s Denzilly Mr Trickster, compact 12 month dog, good mouth, nice dark eye, good ears, well laid shoulders, good rib, well made rear end, good tail carriage, coat of good wheaten colour, moved well. 2, Dunhill-Hall’s Arkenstone Thorin King Under The Mountain Fantasa (Imp Is), 15 month old, nice head, good ears, longer cast than 1, good neck, well made front, good rib and topline, lovely Irish coat, perhaps a little wide behind, moved well.

Limit Dog, (2), 1, Gent, Gent & Williams’ Calvenace House Of Fun, Well balanced 3 year old, good head with nice ears, good reach of neck with well laid shoulders, well ribbed, good topline with good tail carriage, coat rather profuse but of good wheaten colour, moved well. 2, Herbert’s Saffini Smooth Operator At Julibidd, another 3 year old, well balanced though larger cast than 1, good head and ears, good topline and tail carriage, just preferred coat of 1, moved well.

Open Dog, (8), Abs 3. 1, Satherley & Satherley’s Ch Silkcroft Game Changer, compact well balanced 3 year old, nice head with good mouth, dark eye and well placed ears, good reach of neck and well made front, good rib, good topline with good tail carriage, well made rear end, good coat colour and texture, moved with drive, Res Dog CC. 2, Satherley’s Ch Silkcroft Shake It Off Jw, 3 year old, much the same attributes as 1, slightly fuller in rib, preferred the coat of 1, moved well.

Puppy Bitch, (2), 1, Mapson & Mapson’s Abiqua Wild Burlesque, 10 month old, up to size, good mouth, nice head with neat ear, good reach of neck with good shoulders, good topline but rather let down by tail carriage, good coat for her age, moved well. 2, Barton-Brown & Brown’s Alidoulali Dancing Queen, 11 month old, nice head with good neck, good topline, another let down by the tail carriage, coat good for her age, not quite the movement of 1.

Junior Bitch, (4), Abs1. 1, Ronan & Ronan’s Denzilly Poppet Magic (ai), well balanced 13 month old, lovely expression with good ear, good neck with well made front, good spring of rib, good topline with correct tail carriage, lovely coat of good wheaten colour, moved with drive. 2, Dowdy’s Denzilly Waking The Witch (ai), litter mate to 1, nice head with good neck, not quite the body of 1, good topline with good tail, nice coat of a paler wheaten colour, moved well.

Post Graduate Bitch, (6). 1, Hughlock & Hughlock’s Keevasdream Ballerina Blue JW, well balanced 2 year old, lovely head with good neck, well laid shoulders, good topline with good rib, nicely made rear with good tail, good coat texture of a paler wheaten colour, moved well. 2, Munn’s Snowmeadow Treacle Toffee, 3 year old, good mouth, nice head with good ear, good reach of neck, well ribbed, good topline with correct tail, good coat of a paler wheaten colour, not over trimmed, moved ok.

Limit Bitch, (8). 1, Bradford & Hobson’s Bonney Abiqua Wild Desert Whispers (Imp USA), 3 year old, nice head with neat ear, good reach of neck, well made front, good spring of rib, good topline with well carried tail, good coat texture and a nice wheaten colour, moved with drive. 2, Black & White’s Celtannia Madamex At Mayurasana, 4 year old, similar attributes to 1, good head and ear, well ribbed, good coat texture of good wheaten colour, moved well.

Open Bitch, (11), Abs 1. 1, Satherley & Satherley’s Ch Silkcroft Never Miss A Beat, beautifully balanced 5 year old, lovely head with feminine expression, well placed ears, good reach of neck, well laid shoulders, good topline with correct tail, good spring of rib, good coat texture of lovely wheaten colour, moved with drive, Bitch CC & BoS. 2, Paton’s Ch Denzilly Raspberry Beret, smaller cast 5 year old, good head with nice ears, good reach of neck, well laid shoulders, good topline with good tail carriage, good coat of a lovely wheaten colour, moved well, Res Bitch CC.

Norman Bristow (Avard)