(Updated 6/4/01)

Harry Jordan - An Appreciation

MY BEST friend has died. Harry and I met 25 years ago when he came to Jersey to judge a show and we struck up a friendship which continued through all these years.

In the early days I used to steward for him at many of the championship shows during which I learnt all that I know about dogs by watching and listening to ‘Haj’, Joe Braddon, Billy Siggers the ‘greats’ judging and talking dogs.
I was involved in the Hammersmith Gold Medal Show with him and his son John, those were wonderful days, we worked hard and played hard too, many judges from both home and abroad started at Hammersmith thanks to Haj.
As the years went by Harry and I travelled all over the world together, he judged the dogs I carried the bags. We visited Australia, Japan and Harry’s favourites Kenya and Namibia. He knew all about wild animals and loved to see them in their home surroundings.

We also visited most of the European countries where he was always welcomed and his judging held in high regard.
Haj was a Londoner through and through and could tell the history of his ‘little village on the Thames’ with great authority. He was a great story teller and had a wicked sense of humour. Harry was also part of my family and spent some Christmases with us, he introduced us to Tibetan Terriers and was thrilled when we made up our first Champion handled by my daughter Fiona who was always his ‘kitten’.

The last time I was with Harry was this year’s Pedigree Weekend in spite of the fact that he had been in hospital not long before we had a lovely time and he dragged me on to the dance floor as usual!

Sue Whitehead