* National Terrier 2008: Ragus does it again at National Terrier

AT 8.55am last Saturday the announcement went out that ‘judging will commence in all rings in five minutes’. This was with the exception of Border Terriers who, with 187 entries for a single judge, started half-an-hour earlier than the other rings. As someone said, National Terrier has a schedule and it most certainly sticks to it. Dare I say maybe terrier people are generally more efficient than the other groups?
First, let’s start with the statistics: NT 2008 had an overall entry of 1,780 dogs, making 2,179 entries – 41 dogs less than last year. As is the norm Staffords drew the biggest entry, at 257 dogs, the only breed to have two judges.
Had you entered the Prestwood Centre first rather than the main Bingley Hall, you could be forgiven for thinking the Staffie people were staging their own breed club show. Judging by the cheers that went up when their BOB moved in the main ring later in the day the Stafford representative had an army of support up on the balcony and in a change from the usual brindle, the BOB was in fact a white dog.
Why is it in the numerically larger breeds that differences and party politics are put to one side? Or is it that they are less obvious in breeds where just to gain a place in a class is an achievement? The Border ring was another which seemed to be behind the judge’s decision. Incidentally, in both these breeds the BOB winners had clinched their first CC.
There was a car crash outside the venue mid-morning but it is not thought this involved any exhibitors.
With Pedigree’s withdrawal from sponsorship at the championship shows, National Terrier teamed up with Burns Pet Nutrition to fill the ‘yellow void’ and gave vouchers to all BOB, BOS and BP winners as well as the main winners. The embroided towels for the breed winners met with much approval and John Burns himself, distinguishable by his kilt, was on hand to meet exhibitors and to make the main presentations at the end of the day.
National Terrier has always been generous with its prizes – large rosettes in the traditional red and white and replica trophies. And why not, this is one of the premier terrier show in the world – a win here is one to be remembered.
With only a small committee by some championship show standards, National Terrier has a friendly and welcoming set of familiar people on duty in the secretary’s office who also did the rounds and kept the show moving. With numerous stakes classes on offer this is essential.
A welcome touch for exhibitors with more than four dogs is being able to park at the rear of Bingley Hall and closer to their benches.
2008’s show certainly drew the overseas visitors to Stafford. Dan Ericsson, a familiar face on the UK show scene, was over from Sweden, not having visited NT for some 36 years! Australia was also well represented, as well as having a hand in the previously mentioned Stafford BOB.
Flying in from across the Pond was Peter Green with a ‘Coco’ son who took his second CC and BOB for the consortium of Pam Beale, Stephanie Ingram, Beth Sweigart and Elisabeth Matell. There was even a bit of interconnected group attendance, with a handful of toy enthusiasts making a return to the venue after their own group show the weekend before.
At noon the final of the National Terrier Open Show Dog of the Year took place in the main ring. This is the second year the event has been staged and aims to support all the regional terrier shows with all BIS winners from the year before qualifying for the final. Rather than stage a separate final in what is already a crowded show calendar, the qualifiers are given the opportunity to compete on the green carpet of the main ring before a ‘ready made’ audience who are already in attendance.
Readers probably don’t need reminding that last year’s top terrier, ‘Ayers’ the Aussie, started a successful 2007 off by winning this very competition. He took BIS later on in the day before making breed history later on in the year with his BIS win at SKC.
The judge for this year’s final was Bill Browne-Cole, fresh from judging the terrier group at Crufts last month. Of the 15 qualifiers, albeit with some absentees, Bill selected Jean Halliwell’s well-known Welsh, Ch Wigmore Foxwhelp, handled by Paul Wilkinson, for the top spot. He was followed by Judy Averis’ Lakeland, Saredon For Your Eyes Only, handled by son John; Jennie Griffiths’ West Highland White, Karamynd Play The Game, handled by Thomas West; and the Kerry Blue, Sw/Dan Ch Rollick’s Fool For Fame, handled by Cara Davani for Stuart Cooper and Mich Dale.
Around 4.30pm the main ring was set for best in show, having been given a final Hoover earlier, and we were introduced to the judge, Ferelith Somerfield. Although Feffie is an international all-rounder her original breed is the Cairn Terrier, in which she continues the Oudenarde kennel name made famous by her mother and aunts, so the terrier group can claim her as one of their own!
Unfortunately the judging of Dandie Dinmonts wasn’t completed on time for the BOB to make the group. This was even more of a disappointment as Wazzly Persephone at Kirskill was taking her first BOB to go with her second CC.
Feffie shortlisted nine dogs for BIS before placing the Norwich in pole position – the third Ragus to take the top spot – Lakeland in reserve, Wire Fox in third and Kerry Blue fourth.
The Dandie BP did make the BPIS competition and went on to top the lot, followed by the Bedlington, Cairn and Welsh.
With all judging completed by 6.30pm all was left was for the photographers to attract the attention of the Norwich, Rings True, and encourage him to gets his ears up! With balls, mice, catalogues and car keys being thrown and jingled left, right and centre, it was achieved and with it another NT over.
ADRIAN MARETT

Ferelith Somerfield shortlisted nine dogs for best in show. The details of those placed appear in the photo captions, but also making the final nine were the Australian Terrier, Sheila Stoddart’s Ch Millvalley Red Rufus, handled by Richard Allen. He has five CCs.
Over from the US was Am Ch Cause For Celebration, the Norfolk Terrier owned by Pam Beale, Stephanie Ingram, Beth Sweigart and the UK’s Elisabeth Matell and handled by Welsh-born Peter Green, who will judge BIS at Crufts next year. A son of Crufts BIS winner ‘Coco’, he was taking his second CC, following on from the Norfolk Club anniversary show last year.
A familiar sight in the short list is Stuart Plane’s Scottish Terrier, Ch Stuane Loch Guard, the BIS winner from South Wales last year who sits on top of 26 CCs and four G1.
The Stafford BOB was the white Australian-bred Aus Gr Ch Koendidda Umrum, owned by Celia de Coverley and handled by Jackie Smart. Down Under he has 40 CCs and he already has a breed club RCC in this country.
Alison Mellor’s West Highland White, Ch Bellevue Caught In The Act at Jillso, holds six CCs and was BOB here last year.
New champions made up today included Olive Jackson and Mary Swash’s Airedale, Jokyl Summer Storm; Sue McCourt’s Australian Terrier, Silhill Sweet Pea, the third in the litter which also included last year’s BIS winner; the Miniature Bull Terrier, Mel Vincent and Malcolm Presland’s Badlesmere Brabazon in Kofyn who has two RCCs. This is his lucky show as he was RBPIS here last year; and Denise Rogers’ Soft-coated Wheaten, Kizzahla Katinka.
Dogs starting out on the road to their titles were Don Bean’s Border Terrier, Brumberhill Battle Cry, just out of junior; the Cairn, Eliza Thompson’s Castleline Tiger Lily, who also has two RCCs; Karen Forbes’ Glen of Imaal, Jeonty Hasaceilidh with Karensbrae; and Kevin Anderson’s junior Irish Terrier, Kerrykeel Orlaith.
For BPIS Mrs Somerfield called in seven for further consideration, the Bedlington, Ruffsfurze Mavrodaphne; Border Terrier, Hesslemere Hi Karate; Cairn, Spawyche Elizabethan Onyx; Dandie Dinmont, Cassencarrie Red Ribbon; Wire Fox, Makem Honky Tonk Woman; Welsh Terrier, Saredon Whats New Pussycat; and West Highland White, Hopecharm Causing Havoc.

WE ARE sure readers won’t need reminding of the record of the Ragus kennel which three years ago become only the second to achieve the landmark of a hundred UK champions owned and/or bred. These comprise mainly Norwich and Norfolk Terriers, plus two Borders and a St Bernard.
The kennel was founded by the late Marjorie Bunting and originally co-owned with her mother Grace Marks. From a very early age Marjorie’s daughter Lesley Crawley showed a keen interest and in due course she became a partner. She later also campaigned a number of other champions for her husband Michael Crawley (Elve).
Today she concentrates on Norwich Terriers in which breed she has now shown three BIS winners at the National Terrier. The first was Ch Ragus The Devil’s Own in 1992, followed by his great-great-granddaughter Ch Ragus Truly Unruly in 2004 – in the pedigree below he is sire of Lord Nick.
Unruly was a daughter of Am Ch Yarrow’s Sandstorm whom Lesley and Cathy Thompson-Morgan imported from Beth Sweigart in the US when some outcross blood was needed.
She had a great career for a bitch, winning 12 CCs and runner-up in the junior stakes final and then had her first litter by Ch Ragus Solid Silver. From six puppies, one went to a pet home, one is a champion in Austria and four sisters all gained a UK title.
Early on Lesley had agreed that she should go to her friend Renée Sporre-Willes in Sweden, some of whose Cobby dogs can be found in her pedigree. She went out in whelp to Ch Schancho Red Planet and this produced Sw Ch Cobby’s Dressed To Kill, whom Lesley is now showing in the UK.
The agreement was that Unruly should return to England in whelp. Lesley wanted her to be mated to a young dog, who wasn’t interested. So she had to decide on another dog and chose an older male, Sw Ch Cobby’s Famous Rebel, whom she had never seen but whose pedigree was of great interest. His sire, Bullpark James Dean, was a British export to Finland, and by the group-winning Ch Elve The Alchemist, in turn a son of BIS winner The Sorcerer. His dam was from similar breeding, the whole pedigree bringing in lines that had been almost lost in the UK and which excelled in breed type.
This time there were three puppies, Rings True and two bitches, one of whom has been shown and both of whom Lesley has kept. Lesley first showed Rings True as a very immature puppy at National Terrier last year – she feels you have to show Norwich occasionally when they are young to accustom them to the ring. It wasn’t until he had filled out by the summer that he began to make a mark, through some judges had remarked on his potential. He won the puppy stakes on his day at South Wales.
Once he did get going there was no stopping him and his first CC and BOB came at City of Birmingham (judge Paul Eardley), then Richmond (Joan Schurr Kefeli, plus G3, Gerrard Morris), and Darlington (Ernie Darby, plus RBPIS, Bryn Cadogan), followed by the Norwich Terrier Club celebration show (Liz Cartledge), all before his first birthday.
At LKA he won his fourth CC and title from Sue McCourt, and went on to top the group (Judy Averis) and he took his sixth CC and BOB at Crufts (Geoff Corish).
He has already sired several litters.

CC winners

AIREDALES (Mrs C E Cartledge) – D: Jackson & Swash’s *Jokyl Summer Storm. B: Hampton & Hall’s Jaideld Gypsy Viviana of Muliebrity.
AUSTRALIAN TERRIERS (B W Cadogan) – D: Stoddart’s *Ch Millvalley Red Rufus. B McCourt & Bartolomio’s Silhill Sweet Pea.
BEDLINGTONS (Mrs V Rainsbury) – D: Jones’ Pengerrig Iron Duke. B: Phillips’ *Rathsrigg April Rose.
BORDER TERRIERS (Ms J Gillam) – D: Bean’s *Brumberhill Battle Cry. B: Jenkins’ Baywillow Blue Bouquet for Badgerbeck.
BULL TERRIERS (J Young) – D: Roberts & Grieves’ *Teirwgwyn Son Of A Gun at Meilow. B: Toner’s Lamellar Magic Millie.
BULL TERRIERS, MIN (B W Cadogan) – D: Presland & Vincent’s *Badlesmere Brabazon in Kofyn. B: Wylie’s Ch Transcend Racing Spot.
CAIRNS (W H Cammish) – D: Firth’s Cairngold Jackpot. B: Thompson’s *Castleline Tiger Lily.
DANDIE DINMONTS (Mrs J Shore) – D: Tinsley & MacBeth’s Ch/Can Ch Glahms Royal Canadian. B: Mannia’s *Wazzly Persephone at Kirskill.
FOX TERRIERS, SMOOTH (Mrs S Wiggins) – D: Darby’s *Ch Roxway Fair Exchange with Classicway. B: Griffiths & Jones’ Darlaur Delores.
FOX TERRIERS, WIRE (G R Morris) – D: Hill’s Hillrise Special Delivery. B: Goodsell’s *Ch Blackdale Carousel.
GLEN OF IMAALS (J Luscott) – D: White’s *Ch/Ir/Am Ch Abberann Conan. B: Forbes’ Jeonty Hasaceilidh with Karensbrae.
IRISH TERRIERS (Mrs J Livesey) – D: Seabridge’s Ch Balengro Tben Tainte at Sujoncla. B: Anderson’s *Kerrykeel Orlaith.
KERRY BLUES (Ms P Munro) – D: O’Brien & Poulova’s *Edbrios Amadeus. B: Weatherhead’s Ir Ch Neat Petite at Hallsblu.
LAKELANDS (D A Bates) – D: Johnston’s *Ch Louieville Red Prince. B: Averis’ Saredon For Your Eyes Only.
MANCHESTERS (Miss S R Oxley) – D: Robinson’s *Churnet Chadwick. B: Palmer’s Egloshayle Black Samphire.
NORFOLKS (G Corish) – D: Beale, Ingram, Sweigart & Matell’s *Am Ch Cause For Celebration. B: Phillips & Tate’s Jaeva Fallen Angel.
NORWICH TERRIERS (Ms D Britten) – D: Crawley’s *Ch Ragus Rings True. B: Baldwin & Phillips’ Jaeva Forbidden Fruit.
PARSON RUSSELLS (B Cadogan) – D: Brown & Grange’s Ch Afinlea Roadside Skipper. B: Smith & Moon’s *Ch Pacolito Phantastic at Alncroft.
SCOTTISH TERRIERS (Ms B Pogson) – D: Plane’s *Ch Stuane Loch Guard. B: Annan’s Lomondview Clementina.
SEALYHAMS (M G Marshall) – D: Horn’s Eleighwater Prince Charles. B: Morgan’s *Ch Zabaden Gypsy Girl.
SKYES (Ms J Miller) – D: Marshall’s *Ch The Black Touch of Morningsky at Glorfindel. B: Breeze’s Salena Secret Passion.
SCWT (S Munn) – D: Herbert’s Ch Caidantes That’s Ma Boy. B: Rogers’ *Kizzahla Katinka.
STAFFORDS (Mrs L McFadyen, dogs; S Bradder, bitches) – D: de Coverley’s *Aus Gr Ch Koendidda Umrum. B: Ferguson’s Ch Challimers Molly Malone at Fergustaff.
WELSH TERRIERS (R Nicolson) – D: Johnston & Neen’s Eskwyre Tears N Tiaras. B: Averis & Scawthorm’s *Saredon Diamonds’r’forever.
WHWT (Ms M Torbet) – D: Mellor’s *Ch Bellevue Caught In The Act at Jillso. B: Gaydon’s Wistonant Royal Ruby at Gilbri.

No CCs

CESKYS (H Gay) – D: Brown’s *Lastarean Dufek. B: Atter’s Gloria Kvitko.

For me the group shows are always special. Even if they are held in the same venue each one has its own individuality, its own atmosphere & a sense of camaraderie & well being which the all breed shows, however good, cannot match. Partly of course it is because they are run by people who have the same interests as the exhibitors & breeders. Whether walking round the rings or looking into the organisers’ office at this show, for example, one saw famous ‘terrier names’. In other words I love the group shows! So naturally I particularly appreciated being invited to judge BIS here: in view of my background it meant a great deal to me.
It is always special to be with those great Scottish Terrier ladies, the patron Freda Wright & the president Maureen Micklethwaite, & it is good to see that they have been honoured with life membership as have Roger Thomas (who was on the mic) & John Bunting the present chairman & show manager. As secretary Jennie Griffiths supplies the charm & is vital to the success of the show.
The line-up for BIS was truly excellent; I felt very fortunate to have such quality to choose from. I kept in nine for a final look, but there were others I would happily have shortlisted. In a final as good as this movement plays a vital part, & this was certainly so here.
BIS was the Norwich Terrier, Ch Ragus Rings True, I think he is a great dog, a true Norwich with so many old-fashioned qualities like his correct short coupled good body, lovely bone, legs & feet, good hindquarters & the ideal strength in chest & front without being overdone. His coat condition was spot on, as was his movement &, very important, his head is beautiful.
RBIS was Ch Louieville Red Prince, I judged him as a youngster & loved him then but now, nearly a year on he has matured into a beautiful dog, lovely Lakeland head, beautifully balanced, gives his all showing & moving, his reach & drive show how well constructed he is, very good topline, tail set & carriage, good bone, legs & feet, well bodied.
3 was Ch Blackdale Carousel, lovely quality Wire bitch, very good head & ears, well balanced, short back, good neck, shoulders, topline & tailset, put down & handled to perfection. She can be naughty but knows exactly when she must do her best – a true Wire. I love her attitude & vitality.
4 was Edbrios Amadeus, very handsome Kerry Blue, very good body, rib & bone, well coupled, excellent hindquarters, good front, legs & feet, pleasing head & eye, full of expression, good coat & colour. Outgoing dog who moved with passion but also control.
The others I shortlisted were: the WHWT, Stafford, Scottish T, Norfolk & Australian.
The puppies also provided an interesting & testing competition. Some were very young & not able to win on the day but showed a lot of promise. Tails provide a new set of problems. Now we have full length tails I feel that judges should be understanding & show leniency towards poor tail carriage, giving breeders the chance to enjoy showing while they sort out their breeding problems. I still basically feel the same, but the problem for judges is that some breeds are able to produce good tail carriage with full length tails now while other breeds are struggling. The larger terriers, like Airedales & Kerries, are obviously going to find it more difficult to come up with an acceptable compromise.
I shortlisted seven: Bedlington, Border, Cairn, Dandie, Welsh, WHWT & Wire.
The fact that my winner was the Dandie Dinmont must have gone a little way towards making up for the fact that the breed judging finished too late for the BOB to compete in the group. I very much liked Cassencarrie Red Ribbon, has a good head & eye, pleasing forehand, excellent outline & good firm hindquarters, her attitude, whether showing or moving, was excellent & all in all at 9 months she looks a very good prospect.
RBP was Ruffsfurze Mavrodaphne, pleasing Bedlington bitch of nearly 12 months, nice for size, feminine & shapely, good head & eye, pleasing neck, shoulders & outline, moved & showed well.
3 was Spawyche Elizabethan Onyx, well grown Cairn male of nearly 12 months. Just needs to settle in size but has everything going for him. Lovely head, good neck, shoulders, topline & tail, well made, in a good grey coat, moved & showed well.
4 was Felstead Fair Titania, 9½ months Welsh bitch, pleasing head, neat ears, very expressive, a real baby but full of promise, good front, well made hindquarters, short coupled, good rib, well set & carried tail, a real extrovert.
FERELITH SOMERFIELD