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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.