Kipper was out of the first mating of Tikkurilan Popsy’s Joy (Emma) with Ch Constones Yer Man. The latter was a dog much admired by Elaine having watched his progress in the show ring from when he was a puppy. Kipper was the only bitch in the litter with four dogs so there wasn’t any difficulty in choosing which one to keep – the bitch – we had two males at this point in time and given the problems that we experienced with these two, permanently at logger heads, there was no way we would entertain another male dog.
Not a lot of photos to look at – this was in 1988/89 after all – no digital cameras in those days. We did manage a few though.
When Kipper was around 3 to 4 months old we received a visit with Norman & Dorothy Berry – no slouches in the Stafford world, at that time on the cusp of creating a record for breeding the highest number of Champions (9) under the Rendorn affix (this achievement still stands today – 2024). Well Norman proclaimed that Kipper was “a sure fire Champion” in his words. I must admit she was a beautiful puppy.
It was about that time that near disaster struck when she escaped out of the car in the centre of town, collided with an on-coming car, she run off and disappeared. She was later found by one of the local shop staff who found her in the opening to the underground river (the Irwell). Fortunately Kipper was hiding on the cobbled curved bed above the water swirling below. Also fortunately, Kipper had a collar with a tag so the rescuer was able to contact Elaine.
So two near death events in one day – getting run over (she did have a lingering injury which eventually cleared) and getting drowned. Whatever, she survived to tell the tail.
Kipper enjoyed a spectacular career in the Puppy classes – having been born in October her time in these classes started in May just when the show season gets going proper and lasting until October. Having said that, she didn’t get off to a good start – her first show was at the North of Scotland Champ show – I think it was their inaugural Champ show. It seems a long way to take a puppy to it’s first show – Aberdeen being over 300 miles away, but we’d more or less give up going to local General Open shows. This was it looking forward to showing her with a confident outlook. Anyway, the following day the Scottish club held their Champ show at Hamilton, which justified going so far.
Post these two shows, we journeyed home with our tails between our legs – two very disappointing results – thrown out at Aberdeen and a VHC at Hamilton. No end of analysis could explain these results – Kipper being just 6 months old was one excuse, the other was the handler – Elaine had taken it upon herself to show Kipper and after the Scottish experience Elaine thought that she couldn’t get the best out of Kipper, so Tec was elected to the job. (and a good decision that was).
The first show that Tec handled Kipper was at a breed Open show, the result – Tikkurilan Giddy Kipper – Best Puppy bitch and Best Puppy in show!
Then up to Scotland again for the Border Union show under Bill McKnight – and another Best Puppy award, this time at a Champ show. Just as an aside, a remarkable aspect at this event – we had to use the wet weather tent because it as so hot! Bill’s critique “the Nortons have bred a winner here and I applaud them for their efforts, classy is how I describe her and this puts her ahead of the rest.”
Following on from this was the Potteries Silver Jubilee Champ show – under Lionel Hemstock – I didn’t fancy our chances under Lionel having been binned with grandma Popsy a few years previously – you always remember the times your dog is “chucked out” (and who the judge was) as much as the times you win. Added to that the Jolihem kennel at that time consisted mainly of reds. Needless to say we had a bit of a row about this; reinforced when entering the Minor Puppy bitch class and Kipper was the solitary black brindle out of an entry of 27. Well Kipper came out the winner and later took the Best Puppy bitch. End of row.
Then followed a succession of wins in the Puppy classes – 10 in total, winning Best Puppy at least 7 times, including a RCC under Joe Williams at the SKC August show, then going on to win Terrier Puppy Group 1 (and £50!). Joe’s critique reads; “Top Size bitch of substance and balance. Lovely classical head shape, neat rose ears, dark eye, strong clean muzzle, good bite, good straight front, well boned, tight feet, good deep brisket, level topline, correct bend of stifle and turn of hock, beautiful young bitch of class.” The Group judge was Jack Bispham and he wrote “sound as a bell with lovely topline”. It rained all day and we were all camped out in the tiniest wet weather ring resembling a ploughed field but when you are awarded so much nothing matters – Cloud 9 job, happy as Larry, it can rain as much as it wants. Regrettably, no photo of this rather auspicious occasion. We do have one at the previous show – the Notts & Derby Ch show held at the Newark Showground, the venue holding many happy memories of the caravan weekend stays with fellow caravanning exhibitors.
So, 1989 was a seminal year for us and our dear Kipper as far as enjoying Puppy classes was concerned, not many shows left for her in Junior after her 1st birthday in October, in fact I think we only went to one show – the Southern Counties SBTS Ch show where she was placed 2nd.
Never mind that though, according to the Our Dogs newspaper, Kipper was awarded the Our Dogs Top SBT Puppy 1989 including a inscribed crystal wine glass – a nice finish to the year where we weren’t really showing any other Stafford (maybe Derek – Tikkurilan Dark Survivor – on occasions).
Dogs born in October, like Kipper, don’t get to compete in many Junior classes and that was certainly the case here with only five or six Ch shows to go at, including Crufts where she was left out of the cards.
Whatever, we were looking forward to 1990 and hopefully another successful year – so how did that year pan out? Kipper’s last show in Junior was the Northern Counties Limit show under Pat McGlynn and what a result – BIS!!
Pat’s critique reads “very typical bitch of good size whose clean lines appealed to me immediately, hard fit athletic body complemented by a cracking female head, free of any coarseness or lipiness, lovely true front, good shoulder placement and level topline. Rather light in the loins, but isn’t that what the Standard calls for? Her movement was free, easy and full of animation, maturity should see her right at the top. No doubt in my mind in awarding her Best Bitch and in agreement with my co-judge (Stan Atherton) BIS. No photo here but the one below taken at home around that time is where we were at around then.
It’s always a bit of a dilemma choosing which class to enter after Junior – we tried Yearling – 2nd place at Welks, then a couple of Post Grad classes, one of which was under Malcom Boam at East Anglia, taking first place and we actually have a photo, below.
Elaine decided to put Kipper in Limit after that, winning that class at the North of Scotland show under Mansel Frayne (where she got chucked out the year before) ; followed by another win in Limit at Blackpool under Jim Bolton and another Limit win under Vera Westwood at the East of England show. What was to follow was something else – an actual CC under Brian Aubrey at SWKA, I recall this very well – it was the beginning of July and the World Cup – I watched England beat Cameroon on the TV in Brian & Janet Clarke’s caravan! Added to this, it was a really sunny day and we celebrated in the bar with some of the (mainly) Welsh ringsiders including Ken Davies – who actually admired Kipper.
This is what Kipper looked like round about then.
Brian’s critique reads “always admired this bitch from the ringside, pushed hard by 2 (Antrobian Dancing Brave) splitting hairs for first place, nice size, strong feminine head, neat rose ears, good bite, big teeth, correct front with strong bone, level topline, lovely bend of stifles, movement first class, as was the way she was handled. Honoured to give her her 1st CC”. Brian’s critique on the second place, continues “same remarks as 1, these bitches were in outstanding condition and both are a credit to our breed & if there is any justice in the dog world, they should make up soon. I would be proud to own either of them, RCC”
Following on from this triumph and after a set back at Builth Wells (where she was chucked out with the rubbin rags) we enjoyed a string of successes from September right through the rest of the year winning Limit on seven more occasions accompanied by five more RCC’s, but crucially no more CC’s. One of the RCC’s was awarded by Ann Gatenby, the very judge who didn’t place her way back at her first show in Scotland – just goes to show that you can’t judge the judge on past performance particularly when comparing dogs at vastly different ages, as was the case here.
At the end of this run Kipper was now just 2 years old – 11 wins in Limit, 1 CC & 6 RCC’s.
Here’s a couple of her taken in the garden at Bacup
1991 beckoned, Kipper on 1 CC, her dam Popsy’s Joy also on 1CC (and she was only just 4 years old) and The Irish Tomboy, well he was on 1 CC. Kipper’s first outing in 1991 was Crufts and we attended in force with us two and son Mark with one of his pals from University. So before the action we spent some time, well actually quite a bit of time, in the bar with amongst others Dave Owen and his son who was about the same age as Mark, plus Alan Hedges who introduced us to some overseas Stafford enthusiast as the people with lots of dogs on 1 CC. Tec was all set to take Kipper in but having indulged a bit too much in the bar it was Alan who showed her, winning the RCC under Norman Entwistle. According to Alan, Norman Entwistle always rewarded him with some top honour for some unknown reason.
Popsy (Ch Topcroft Trailblazer) won the Veteran class so not a bad day out, rounded off by being stopped by police on the M5 after Elaine had bumped into a car at the services and drove off!! She got away with it, luckily.
Not at lot doing in the following shows until we went down to Bath where the judge, Monty Edwards awarded Kipper the RCC and we have a photo!
Paignton was the scene for another major triumph for Kipper, judge Dorothy Berry. We took the aforementioned Alan Hedges, along with Anne Dick and their dog Ramblix Roberto. The outcome – CC’s for both dogs , so a very happy journey home.
Dorothy’s critique of Kipper reads “most appealing type and expression, well placed ears, nicely balanced, clean outline carrying the right amount of covering, clean shoulder placement, strong rear quarters which carried her along with great drive”.
Back then we arranged things so that our annual holidays coincided with mid August to allow us to travel down to caravan in the New Forest for at least a week to take in the Bournemouth Ch show, located near Brockenhurst right in the middle of the National Park. As each year passed this became the place to holiday and many happy times were spent there with the Kells, the Winters, Nicki and Sue Wiggins, the Emmetts to name just a few of the stalwarts. Nightly get togethers were the norm occasionally taking in a BBQ. Usually, we then all travelled in convoy up to Builth Wells for the WKC Ch show.
1991 followed this pattern with the caravans parked up on site all in a row. The judge for this year was Bryn Cadogan and guess what – Kipper was awarded the CC, her third.
Another high point in our showing career and to celebrate Liz Stanway had been carting a bottle of champagne to all the recent shows just in case it was the “one”. Anyway, this was the “one” so we did celebrate at the ringside – thanks Liz, a fantastic gesture. After the above photo was taken the ringside was pretty well deserted and I suddenly found myself and Kipper all alone. I had to pass the bar on the way back to the caravans so I nipped in a downed a couple of pints in no time at all. Back at the caravan preparations were being made for a mammoth “do” with everyone taking part with umpteen tables arranged in a line packed with a vast variety of food and drink. All I can remember was how happy everyone was, laughing and joking – what a finale to a tremendous day.
Bryn’s critique read “standard size in complete balance, strong feminine head with good underjaw appealed very much, straight front with well laid shoulders, good rib, level topline & very sound movement secured her the CC, which was her crowning one”.
Tikkurilan Staffords 