KENNEL NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1095, 24 February 1893, Page 27

KENNEL NOTES.

By H.P.T.

I am requested by Mr Bagnall (whose judging was attacked in the Canterbury Times) to state that if ‘ The special reporter of the Canterbury Times will publish his real name Mr Bagnall will reply to his attack.’ Mr Wark, who judged the fox terriers at the late show, has handed me his report, which is as follows : —ln the open class for dogs, Vert Galant wins rather easily from Turcoman, although the latter is superior in outline to Vert Galant. In fact, his body and legs are proportioned to perfection, but his coarse head spoils him altogether. His cheeks are too strongly developed and his ears large. Yert Galant looks very effeminate, and has not improved in shoulder, but he is a lovely topped and most stylish dog. Wag, placed third, is very toyish in head, but in all other respects a mile ahead of Pique, v h c. The latter is too much on the leg, has round eyes, deficient coat, and ears carried too loose. Peri smothers the bitch class, and had as much luck as she did at Christchurch. Romany Lass, second, is thick in shoulder, is all wrong in chest, has a short coat, but she certainly has a nice head. Mr Rogan carried off the silver cup for best New Zealand-bred fox terrier with Peri. The winners in the puppy class have been previously mentioned. In the class for puppies under six months, a bad one got first unopposed. The novice class gave Rogue a chance for a win. He is a nice dog all over, but his expression is very bad. The fox terrier-classes, as a whole, are a disgrace to Wellington. Mr Osborne was all alone in the Skye terriers. In puppies of the same breed Heather Sandy was dismissed without a card. A grand little Scotchman was alone in his •class. The Irish terriers showed undoubted improvement, and, as I always say, they will make their mark in this country. In bull terriers Mr Bagnall refused to make an award. In bulldogs, &c., Stanton’s Vanity Fair beats Mr Hume’s Artillery Joe all over; but her ears are quite wrong, and it is just a question which should have won. There was supposed to be a beauty in toy terriers, but it must have been so small that I never saw it at all. In the Variety Class Mr M’Alpine’s stock of Dandies secured first and second. As I promised last week I now give the account of the defeat of ex-Champion D’Orsay by the present Champion of England, Vice Regal. The Stock-keeper reports on the matter as follows: As the placing of Vice Regal over D’Orsay caused an excitement in fox terrier circles at Birmingham, we availed ourself of a favourable opportunity to interview the judge on the subject. Mr Tinne told us he had no cause to regret his decision, and believed that it was generally endorsed in the show. Upon our soliciting a few reasons for his judgment, he smiled and produced a table which he had drawn up to show the working out of his award. We immediately begged the interesting document, and have great satisfaction in reproducing it herewith for the edification of our readers: — Vice Regal D’Orsay. Head and Ear 5...... X Neck X Shoulder and Cho t X Back and Loin.... X Hindquarters ? Coat* X Legs and Feet X Character X * Both good coatß: one superlatively good. From the above it will be gathered that Mr Tinne thinks Vice Regal has the best of his adversary in head and ears, shoulders and chest, back and loin; hind-quarters he leaves an open question; coat he gives in favour of Vice Regal, both being admittedly good, and he further awards the palm for character to the winner. D’Orsay scores decisively in neck, legs and feet. Although also in head Vice Regal beats D’Orsay, it would be a mistake to suppose that the successful dog even is perfect in that respect. We mentioned to Mr Tinne the opinion of a hunting-man who said he preferred D’Orsay for his size, and did not believe Vice Regal could get to a fox. Mr Tinne declined to accept this statement, and believed that where D’Orsay could go Vice Regal could follow him. The above will no doubt be of interest to local fox terrier fanciers, especially so when they reflect that one of their number is importing a bitch by the ex-Cham-pion D’Orsay, and another of them (Mr Osborne) has already here some of the progeny of Champion Vice Regal. Writing to a gentleman in Wellington about Vice Regal, Mr Robert Vicary, the greatest ©f English breeders, said: —Vice

Regal, as you may know, has won first prize at every show he has been to, and has bad the most uniformly successful cai’eer of almost any terrier that has been shown, as he has, under all different judges. Mr J. C. Coupe has arrived in England. The Stock-keeper evidently has been gulled by J.C.C.’s self-awarded title of ‘ The only Australian judge,’ because it devotes over a column to describing his life in these colonies. I like Coupe’s title 1 What a modest man he is, to be sure. However, I would like to ask ‘ the only Australian judge’ which the majority of New Zealand exhibitors would rather have to judge a show, Coupe or ‘ Gentleman Judge ’ Watson ? I wonder if he would have cheek enough to say ‘ Coupe.’ Perhaps.