Paul Livesey’s breed notes from oct 1^st certainly need replying to. I am not to my knowledge the person who

was “objectionable and downright rude” that he referred to, but I was mentioned in his list of people who gained

a credit at the judges development training scheme. I have put myself through all the tests I have attended

seminars for, as have a lot of other well known and not so well known candidates. It is no easy task to sit exams

at the age most of us are, but a genuine thirst for knowledge has brought us together, to be put on the right track

by acknowledged breed experts. This should have been done years ago, and not just let us as individuals bumble

along maybe not judging to the type that the breed experts require, trying to gain an insight into a breed. Once a

judge has got to the stage of awarding CC’s in three or more breeds and perhaps been passed to judge the group,

he or she has already notched up a considerable amount of years in the dog world. At the very least 10 years , and

for most quite a number of years more. Once a judge has picked up the essentials of judging, it’s the fine tuning we

as group judges lack for the individual breeds. As an example, recently the Terrier training board brought over Dan

Eriksson to talk to us on Scotties. It was very well attended, and he gave the best talk I have ever heard on any breed.

12 people were brave enough to take the assessment of which only 5 passed with a credit. This is not actually opening

 the flood gates to inferior judges.

 I can assure Paul that rather than watch two so called specialists swapping CC’s at a show, it is far more educational

to attend a focused intense talk by breed experts. In the case of Irish Terriers it was a well thought out and extremely

useful talk, and we all learnt from the experience. Some of these judges who passed the Irish assessment are steeped in

terriers, and have probably bred more champion terriers than the whole of the club’s B list put together. What right has

Paul to belittle us ?   

How many B list judges can quote Countess Stauffenburberg’s on the ears of an Irish Terrier? …. “ Distinctly

characteristic. Through their breed type peculiarity, the hanging, placement & carriage, as much by their usage they

have an enormous significance for the expression. They are set high on the top of the head, held off the skull by the muscle

and fall forward about the corner of the eye. They stand rather close together, and by that emphasize the narrowness of the

head. They are small, fine; V shaped and come to a definite point. Etc.”

Who on the B list knows that it was due to the courageousness of an Irish Terrier owner Mr Barnett that the KC eventually

banned cropping, which rule the I.T club introduced in 1889.

How many of the B list judges know that Killiney Boy the founder sire of Irish terriers had a Black and Tan dam? The two

early champions Bachelor and Benidict were from litters of one grey, three red and five black & tans. The other litter three

red and five black & tans, and that the Belfast owned  ”Slasher” was described as unbeatable and was a “pure old white

Irish terrier”

Who were the dogs that Edna Howard Jones considered special of her breeding? .. Red Sorrel, No Shade, Iron Bark and

Breezy Becket actually.

Who knows on your B list that Ch Robertymair in 1951 was a most consistent winner, gaining his 3 cc’s and 5 res.cc’s under

7 different judges, and with the junior warrant twice over with 54 points.

I could go on, just because we as either terrier specialists or all-rounders are not given opportunities to judge Irish terriers very

often, it is one of the hardest breeds to gain experience in. I am lucky being passed by the FCI to judge the breed abroad, I do think

it is a pity that I have had more hands on Irish terriers abroad at top level judging the breed and groups than I have been allowed

in this country. I did give BIS at Belfast a few years ago to an Irish terrier, and the same dog won 2^nd at the champion stakes final

again under myself. If the club won’t give us a break, I certainly don’t hold it against this lovely breed.

Zena Thorn Andrews