15 August 2010 - Clumber Spaniels: The Stig (Jubilwell Riff Raff for Maursett) wins another Reserve CC at Bournemouth Championship Show under breed specialist Ron Cordwell.  Well worth a long trip and Maureen and Tony enjoyed meeting up with some old friends Dee Carter-Hunt (Lee's mum - taught him all he knows, so she reminded several times) and Valda Day - it really was like the old days around the ring, and none of them (apart from Tony, of course) looked a day different.

1 August 2010 - Curly Coated Retrievers: Tony and Maureen attend the Curly Coated Retriever Clubs' World Congress and are delighted to Steward the Championship Show, judged by Tiina Illukka  (Caballus) of Finland.  It was a fantastic entry, with class sizes that may never be repeated again for this super breed that we have long been fans of.  A super atmosphere around the ring and the wine was certainly flowing well!  Congratulations to all the winners.  Click here for more details about the Curly Coated Retriever Club and the World Congress.

14 July 2010 - Hannah tells us that she has been successful in her application and has now been elected as an Associate of the UK Kennel Club.  She will shortly be introducing her new Clumber in to the ring which should be exciting, especially as she will be competing against her mum and dad!

12/13 June 2010 - Tony, Maureen and Dave attend Supporters Direct Annual Conference and AGM at the IET, Savoy Place.  Tony re-elected as Vice Chair to Dame Pauline Green.  One journalist writes "In the three years since I last attended the annual conference of the supporters’ trusts umbrella organisation, Supporters Direct (SD), there have been significant changes. Communications manager Kevin Rye’s suits have got sharper. Chief Executive Dave Boyle’s suit… well, he was wearing one (although it would be cruel to suggest it was made to measure while he was elsewhere, so I won’t). The seats on the top table have got comfier… to the point of luxuriousness. And the food has got better – some of those attending won’t eat as well until next year’s conference.  But most importantly of all, as football’s governance becomes more widely recognised as the key to the game’s future, SD has become more damn right than ever, with a report to prove it. And the organisation looks more ready to persuade everybody who matters in the game that they are more right than ever.  The two-day event took place in the unfeasibly plush surroundings of the IET building in London’s Savoy Place – I feel I should be wearing a tie just typing that, let alone attending a conference there. And the theme was a strong reflection of the changing mood within football".  Read the full article by clicking here

30 May 2010 - Tony was delighted to be able to judge Bracco Italiano, Italian Spinone, Curly Coated Retrievers, Weimaraners, Hungarian Vizslas and Hungarian Wirehaired Vizslas at the North Ridging Gundog Club's Open Show.   It was great to get such a decent entry (which I gather had pleased the Secretary) and there were some great exhibits to go over.  My thanks to the Officers and Committee of North Riding Gundog Club for inviting me to judge today and, of course, to the exhibitors and their dogs for making this such a special occasion - the atmosphere around the ring was great and everyone seemed to be enjoying the day.  Many thanks to everyone involved.  It seems like a lifetime (and it is a couple of decades) since I was Vice Chair of that Club and I am pleased to see it continues to thrive.

26 May 2010 - Tony and Dave travel to Wembley Stadium for the AGM and conference of the National Association of Disabled Supporters. Dave was representing the Darlington Supporters Trust and Tony was there on behalf of Supporters Direct, as well as in a personal capacity.  Tony was honoured to have been elected by the membership as a Trustee of this registered charity which represents many thousands of disabled supporters across a range of sports in the UK.  Presentations were made to this extremely well attended event by leading officials of the FA's 2018 Football World Cup bid team and the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Visit the NADs website at www.nads.org.uk and their European work (the Centre for Access to Football in Europe at www.cafefootball.eu

19 May 2010 - Tony seconds a proposal at the Kennel Club's AGM, which he and Robin Searle, the proposer, subsequently withdraw after an interesting debate which receives much coverage in the dog press (even if Tony's name is spelled incorrectly on several occasions and, he even turned into 'Andrew' for one correspondent!).

16 May 2010 - Bracco Italiano: Tony acts as an assessor for the Bracco Italiano Society breed specific seminar, the first of two being run by the Society this year. An enjoyable day and always so pleasing to see people coming to learn about this special breed.

19 April 2010 - Bracco Italiano: Maureen and Tony attended the Bracco Italiano Society Annual General Meeting in their capacity as Committee members.  Maureen was formally elected as Acting Secretary for the next year, whilst Tony was asked by the membership to take the Chair for some important parts of the AGM agenda, which he was, of course pleased to do for the second year in a row.  Tony was thrilled to learn that he had come top in the postal votes for both of the 2012 Open Show judging appointments and considers it a great honour to be able to accept the appointment to judge the Breed Club show on the 19th February 2012

15 April 2010 - Clumber Spaniels: great news from Gerry and Lyndsey Steele that Maursett Morna at Stonielea has been hip scored at 11:12 - a fabulous score for a clumber.  Sired by The Stig (Jubilwell Riff Raff for Maursett) our of Maursett Maude, Morna has had a tremendous start to her career in the show ring.  

14 March 2010 - Clumber Spaniels: The Stig (Jubilwell Riff Raff for Maursett) just loved the attention he got from so many visitors to Crufts.  He also had a highly successful day in the ring, as Breed Specialist judge Kath Kirkman awarded him 1st place in the Limit dog class and then the Reserve Dog Challenge Certificate.  A very pleasing start to the year.

21 February 2010 - Bracco Italiano - Maureen and Tony are both on the Committee of the Bracco Italiano Society and Maureen has taken over as Acting Secretary until the next AGM.  The breed club held its Open Show at Overseal in Derbshire and it was a great success.  There was plenty of good food and a great friendly atmosphere.  In spite of the inclement weather (there were heavy snow falls in the North of England),  most managed to get to the venue after we had delayed judging for 15 minutes - even the Kennel Club Field Officer managed to get there from Chesterfield, and seemed more than satisfied with the way things were handled.

24th  January 2010 - German Wirehaired Pointers - Tony judges GWPs at Manchester Championship Show.  He is delighted by the high quality entry and awarded Best Dog and Best of Breed to the Pinkerton's Ch Dutch Ch Freddy vom Kapellenhof at Bareve (Imp), who went on to get Group 4.  Reserve Best Dog was  O'Connor's Sh Ch Karlejay Gump You've Got Mail JW ShCM.  Turning to the bitches, Tony awarded Best Bitch to the McCullough's Kimmax Ayscha JW and Reserve Best Bitch (and Best Puppy in Breed) to Ellis's Normbar Lindsay.  Click here or on the following icon to view Tony's judges report as a pdf file:

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Best of Breed/Best Dog and Best Opposite Sex		Reserve Best Bitch/Best Puppy

1st January 2010 - may we be among the first to wish you a Happy New Year and every success in 2010.  We look forward to meeting up with you in the year ahead.

12th December 2009 - Clumber Spaniels: breed specialist Margaret Cordwell judged Clumber Spaniels at LKA and The Stig (Jubilwell Riff Raff for Maursett) finished the year in style by winning the Limit Dog class.

He's certainly demonstrating a great deal of consistency as he wins his way through the classes.  He has had a great run in 2009, starting with his win at the first Champ show of the year (Manchester) through to LKA - many thanks to the judges who have thought so highly of The Stig (his offspring have also had a very successful year too).

22nd November 2009.  Tony acts as an Assessor at the first Bracco Italiano Society's Breed Specific Seminar.  Meanwhile, Maureen is judging at Leicestershire Gundog Society's Open Show.

21st November 2009: Tony was delighted to be invited to judge Hounds, Terriers and Best in Show at the Amman Valley Canine Society's Open Show and he was delighted with a spectacular entry. His report is as follows:

14th November 2009 - Clumber Spaniels: what a day for the Maursett Mob as breed specialist Walter Lucas (Lubyrnetyre) judged the breed at the Gundog Breeds Association of Scotland Championship Show.  Gerry and Lyndsey Steele's Maursett Morna of Stonielea (Morna) won Best Puppy, Best Bitch topping this off with Best of Breed, where she took on another one of our breeding who had gone Best Dog.  Our congratulations to Gerry and Lyndsey who must have been as delighted as we were. 

German Wirehaired Pointers: meanwhile, the show planners were kind to us as we were able to watch the Bracco Italiano judging in one adjacent ring and the GWP judging in the other.  It was fantastic to see Mrs J Ford, a breed specialist judge, select Normbar Lindsay (owned by Norma Ellis) as Best GWP Puppy and then to hear that she went on to get Group 4 in the Puppy Group - Lindsay is a granddaughter of our own Sh Ch Normbar Coleen of Maursett and daughter of Sh Ch Maursett Marelda via Normbar. 

30th October 2009 - Tony is appointed by the General Committee of The Kennel Club as the new representative on the Kennel Club Shows Liaison Council for Area 5 - North East.  Tony is looking forward to his new role and to hearing from any show societies who may have issues they wish him to bring to the notice of the Liaison Council (he can be contacted securely through the Contact Us page on this site).  The Liaison Council considers matters arising, discussion items and proposed amendments to Regulations.