The 2016 Dandie Dinmont Club Championship show in Britain
BY MIKE MACBETH
The greatest compliment a breeder can receive is an invitation to judge one ’ s national specialty . My secret desire had always been to judge all of the Dandie Dinmont Club championship shows in Britain , which is — for Dandie people — the center of our universe .
The UK has three Dandie clubs . The original , the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club ( DDTC ), established in 1875 , is the secondoldest breed club in the world ( the oldest is the Bulldog Club ). In 1929 , a group of breeders in the south of England wanted a club in their own territory “ for the good of the breed ” and created the Southern Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club ( SDDTC ). A differing of opinions , simmering tensions and a sense of nationalism led a group of Scottish enthusiasts to break off and form a third club in 1989 , the Caledonian Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club ( CDDTC ).
Each of these three clubs holds a championship show every year . I was honored to receive an invitation to judge the CDDTC ’ s specialty in 2006 , followed by the DDTC in 2010 . It took 10 years from the first assignment , but I fulfilled my long-held ambition and completed the “ hat trick ” by judging the SDDTC ’ s championship show in Cricklade , England , on September 25 , 2016 .
The Dogs , the Entries , the Atmosphere
British shows are generally more casual and congenial than this side of the Atlantic . Dogs are shown on loose leads and often not stacked as skillfully . There ’ s a more social atmosphere , exhibitors are less intense , and , for the most part , winning isn ’ t as important as a nice day ’ s outing .
The border country of Scotland is the birthplace of the Dandie Dinmont . It was a thrill to have 54 Dandies to judge at the 2006 Caledonia Dandie show , which , I ’ m told , was a Scottish record for Dandies in Kelso , their historical and spiritual home . My Best of Breed was Ch . Inzievar Silver Gilt , who over the next five years would become the breed recordholder for the most number of Challenge Certificates .
Further south and more centrally located , 76 Dandies were entered in DDTC in 2010 . The winner was Ch . Vistca Vian of Hendell , a lovely mustard dog .
This year I had a surprising 54 at the Southern club ’ s show , as Dandie entries have fallen considerably in the past few years . The championship show the weekend before had 12 entries , and the one following had seven in attendance . My Best of Breed was Ch . Hawkesmill Jenny For Wilmit , a stunning pepper bitch . She is Britain ’ s top Dandie for 2016 .
The atmosphere all day was one of camaraderie , which is so important when one ’ s beloved breed is as endangered as the Dandie Dinmont . About 300 are born annually world-
Bottom Left : Best of Breed at the Caledonian Dandie Dinmont Terrier championship show in 2006 was Ch . Inzievar Silver Gilt [ left ] with his littermate going Best of Opposite . Bottom Right : Ch . Hawkesmill Jenny For Wilmit was Mike Macbeth ’ s choice at the 2016 Southern Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club show .
FARMLAND : 1000 WORDS / SHUTTERSTOCK ; WIN SHOT : PAUL KEEVIL
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