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Terrier
group judges development programme
The
Judges Development Programme, organised for the Terrier Group
and accredited by the Kennel Club, started the new year with
a most successful two-day Workshop on Wednesday the 15th. and
Thursday the 16th. January. The venue was the Canine Academy,
Tollerton, Notts., which, being centrally situated and easily
accessed off the M1 and providing excellent service and facilities,
proves popular with those attending.
The first day was devoted first to Irish Terriers, the speakers
being Ann Bradley and Ferelith Somerfield and second to Cesky
Terriers, covered by Sheila Atter and Jitka Paulínová
from the Czech Republic. Jitka is an acknowledged expert on
the breed and is the daughter of Mr.Horák, a geneticist
who founded the breed. Nineteen candidates attended, together
with observers from other Groups and on the second day, took
part in a session which had been formatted slightly differently.
Peter Eva lectured on Manchester Terriers and Paul Eardley on
Australian Terriers in different rooms, morning and afternoon.
The candidates divided into two groups, with one group attending
Peter Eva’s lecture and the other group, the lecture by
Paul Eardley. After lunch the groups rotated and the exercise
repeated. It was unanimously agreed at the end of the day, when
the group came together for a general forum with the breed specialists,
that the advantages of operating with smaller numbers, for groups
at this level, proved beneficial and had many advantages.
Excellent
Thanks
are extended to all the speakers who did excellent professional
presentations and to those who brought along the dogs used
to demonstrate breed specifics and those used in the assessment
exercise. Their participation has been invaluable.
The next two day session of the Terrier Group J.D.P. is to
be on November 12th. and 13th. 2003, when the breeds scheduled
are Parson Russell, Glen of Imaal and West Highland White
Terriers. When all the breeds within the group have been covered,
it is the intention that the process will be repeated, both
for the benefit of new candidates as they become eligible
and as a refresher course for the current candidates. This
ongoing programme will enable suggestions made by those involved
to be included in the future.
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