Staffordshire Bull Terrier - Stafford Exchange

Since SBTC/US Bulletin No. 8, dated January 14th, was issued, three new Overseas Members and 11 new American members have joined our ranks. Several new members are in the immediate offing, and their names will be announced in the following Bulletin.

In the last Bulletin the American membership was inaccurately given as 57 when it was actually 52; we are losing several members from last year's roster for various reasons, but it is believed that when the remaining members who intend to do so send in their 1969 membership fees, we will have approximately 60 American members. Our aim is to double this figure in 1969.

The SBTC/USA currently has 107 Staffords registered. It is known that there are still approximately ten Stafford pups in the East about which the Puppy Palace still has not notified us, but there is every reason to believe that the PP will do this in the near future. There are still a couple of unregistered adults in the east but the owners have already promised to send these registrations along. In sum, there are approximately 120 Staffordshire Bull Terriers now known in this country. We intend to register each and every one of them.

Members will remember the account of the red dog puppy at the Puppy Palace in Alexandria, Va. No word has ever reached the SBTC/USA concerning this puppy, but contact by letter and phone has been established with Mr. J.J. Coady, President of the Puppy Palace, Ltd., and Mr. Peter Houghton, his assistant, who have given verbal assurance that the Puppy Palace will cooperate with the SBTC/USA to the fullest in the matter of registering Stafford pups sold through their organization.

Incidentally, Mr. and Mrs. Seabridge, new Overseas members, sold a fine litter of brindles to the Puppy Palace. Mr. Preston Cook, Jr., a new American member, purchased one of these, Baracane Brew by name.

The SBTC/USA Board of Directors held a meeting in mid-February to discuss certain Club matters. It was decided to retain last years' officers: Jack Crowther, President; Steve Stone, Secretary; and Larry Rant, Treasurer. It was also decided to enlarge the number of Directors from two to three, and Lillian Rant gave up her position as a Director so that there would not be two persons from the same family on the Board of Directors. Judy Venable retained her position as Director and Bill Daniels and Susan Levin were chosen by the Board as new Directors. This all was done for the sake of convenience, and it is devoutly hoped that next year we will have so many members that a real election will be mandatory. In any case, the Board remains permanently open for suggestions on this matter as well as on all others, and members' opinions are urgently sought.

The SBTC/USA is still maintaining its non-profit services for members. Both of John Gordon's recent books on the Breed, the large Encyclopedia and the small Foyles edition, are available for $6.50 and 2.00 postpaid, respectively. The two-inch hand-made Staffordshire Bull Terrier collar (especially and exclusively for our Breed) i5 available for $8.00. This one will last a lifetime, and you can will it to your grandchildren.

Members will be gratified to know that the American Kennel Association is going from strength to strength and that a number of our members have joined that organization. It is beginning to make its presence felt. We are pleased to have this pro-Stafford organization behind us.

Saving the best for the last, the SBTC/USA is proud and pleased to announce its first-ever SBTC/USA Evaluation Show to be held in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, May 11, 1969. Miss Rachael Swindells of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, will judge all exhibits. Miss Swindells is the owner of the famous Rossisle prefix, always a force to be reckoned with the home of the Staffordshire. She is one of the foremost breeders and authorities on the Stafford, and her opinion will be sought and respected by all. Miss Swindells currently has two homebred Champion dogs at Rossisle, Rossisle Hobson and Rossisle Rivorich Maximillion. Both are sons of her very recently deceased foundation stud dog, Ch. Chestonian Campaign.

Miss Swindells also keeps three bitches, including CC-winning Rossisle Alverthorpe Dark Judy, and it is certainly worth mentioning that all six of her exhibits are qualified for the English Kennel Club Stud Book. Miss Swindells is also the person who exported Margot of Rossisle to California. Margot had two Re. CC's in England and certainly belongs in the upper elite of Staffordshires in any country. Miss Swindells is also a noted judge of the Breed in England, so certainly no one on this side of the water can have the slightest reservation in seeking her opinion, especially as that opinion is always notably balanced, fair, and objective.

Our Evaluation Show will not, repeat not, be conducted along the usual lines on which dog shows are generally run in the USA. Rather, we will employ the Scandinavian/Continental system, the backbone of which is that each and every exhibit will receive a detailed written assessment, signed by the judge, to keep and preserve. Such a paper under our circumstances must be worth at least its weight in gold, literally. Dogs and bitches will be judged separately but baby puppies and special puppies will not have that sex distinction.

The classes will be: baby puppy (3-6 mo.) special puppy (6-9 months),puppy (912 months), Junior (12-24 months and Open. There will also be a Veterans class (over eight years), a Brace class (two exhibits shown together), a Team class (three exhibits shown together), and a Breeders' class consisting of either sire or dam and at least three progeny. In addition, a number of special Competition Classes will be held after the Evaluation Classes. These will be for Best Coat, Best Topline, Best Tail, Best Eye, Best Mouth, Best Ear, etc., in which there will be no sex distinction.

The Entry Fee for this Evaluation Show is remarkably moderate: no charge for baby puppies $1.00 for special puppies, $2.50 for puppies, and $5.00 for Junior and Open, per exhibit. (This, incidentally, is considerably under entry fees for AKC shows, where no Evaluation Certificates are given.)

This is the first time that a Staffordshire Bull Terrier specialist judge has ever been known to visit the USA. All Staffords everywhere are cordially invited to attend, although it is recognized that few of the Eastern and Midwestern Staffords will be able to attend because of the distance and expense involved. Nevertheless, it is expected that ALL Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the California area and hopefully those in Nevada and Arizona will be present on May 11th. This promises to be a remarkable event with more than forty exhibits and perhaps double that number of fanciers present---the chance of meeting everyone in the Breed should be inducement enough---and this coupled with the presence and adjudication of Miss Swindells should make it clear that an event of major significance in our Breed is shaping up.

P.S. Those of you who have not yet sent in the $5.00 Membership Fee for 1969 to Larry Rant (2489 Lanterman Terrace, Los Angeles, Calif., 90039) should do so immediately. Your copy of THE STAFFORD magazine cannot be ordered for you until your annual dues are paid.