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A Brief History of the Staffordshire Bull
Terrier in N.S.W
The
Staffordshire Bull Terrier has
certainly progressed since it’s
introduction to Australia in the
early 1950’s. Originally a rare
breed, relatively unknown in the
show rings up until the mid 1960’s,
the early statement of well known
veterinarian and breed supporter Dr
Paul Pemberton that the breed “will
one day be running the streets” has
certainly proved to prophetic. The
Staffordshire Bull Terrier is now
one of Australia’s most popular
breeds, recognized as the foremost
all purpose dog, with over 70,000
puppy registrations in the ten years
between 1996 and 2006.
The dream of Harry Pimlott and John
and Margaret Bright, early
enthusiasts of the breed, the
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Society
of N.S.W Inc was formed in November
1965 in order to bring together the
relative few who were passionate
about the breed in those days.
Unfortunately Harry Pimlott passed
away before affiliation with the RAS
of NSW was achieved, but the club
was ably established in the hands of
its first president Doug Williams
and Bull Terrier exhibitor and
Stafford supporter Joan Officer, who
served as Secretary for many years.
The first championship show was held
in 1965, judged by Mr Fred Luland (N.S.W),
with Mr Les Kendall’s Aust/NZ Ch
Mowcop Maestro (imp N.Z) winning
Best In Show and also going on to
win the Society’s first three
championship Shows.
The Society has gone from strength
to strength since its infancy, going
on to bring the first U.K breed
specialist to Australia. Mr Ron
Servat adjudicated in 1977, awarding
Brittany Bedazzled the Best In Show
award. Stafford matriarch Mrs Marion
Forrester (N.Z) was the first
overseas specialist to judge the
breed in Australia. She judged the
Society’s tenth Championship show,
finding her winner in Crossguns Bill
Sykes. The Society will conduct its
84th Championship Show in October
2007, having brought 28 overseas
specialists to judge its shows over
a 42 year period. These judges have
come from not only New Zealand and
the U.K, but also the U.S.A,
Ireland, South Africa and the
Netherlands. The breed is now
represented by clubs in all states
and territories of Australia except
for Tasmania and the Northern
Territory, with each of these clubs
following the foundation club’s lead
and regularly bringing specialist
judges from all over the world to
adjudicate at their shows.
The Society has officially
recognized the contribution of the
early pioneers of the breed here in
Australia, with Joan Officer, Les
Kendall, Yvonne Reeder, Lois
Davidson being honored with
perpetual trophies in their name
since the passing of these
stalwarts. The hard work these early
doyens did to make the breed the
force it is today cannot be
overestimated, and it is to them
that the breed’s acceptance as the
ultimate family pet here in
Australia can be contributed.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier in
Australia is now a truly global mix
as we are no longer confined to the
limited gene pool of Australia and
New Zealand.
It is hard to believe that since
1970, 102 imports have been
registered in Australia, coming from
New Zealand, the U.K, the U.S.A, the
republic of Ireland, and
Scandinavia. With advancements in
technology, frozen semen is now an
important part of local breeding
programs, with successful litters
being bred from sires in the U.K,
South Africa and Scandinavia.
Australian dogs are also making
their mark on the overseas show
rings, with frozen semen
contributing to breeding programs in
Scandinavia and the U.S.A, and
exports achieving show ring success
in New Zealand, the U.S.A, the U.K
and Scandinavia. Many Australian
Stafford enthusiasts have become
championship show judges, now
recognized as amongst the world’s
most knowledgeable judges of the
breed and judging not only here in
Australia, but across the globe
including the breed’s mother
country, England.
The breed continues to enjoy great
success in the show rings across the
nation, and is clearly the most
prolific winner of the terrier group
on a week to week basis, especially
here in New South Wales. There have
been approximately 65 dogs made up
to the title of grand champion since
the inception of the title here in
Australia in 1998. This is an
outstanding achievement for
Australian bred dogs as only 5 of
these champions were imports. This
is also an impressive statistic for
New South Wales dogs as
approximately 30 of these grand
champions were bred in this state.
1061 champions have been titled
since 1970, with approximately half
of these winners originating from
New South Wales.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is
now a regular winner of Best In Show
awards at all breeds championship
show level, with dogs such as Ch
Southstock Pot Black, Ch Gamester
The Chainmaker, Grand Ch Highbourne
Luskin Star, Aust Grand/Eng/Ire Ch
Cumhil Little Mischief (imp Ire),
among others, multiple winners of
this award in New South Wales. They
follow on from the tradition set by
Aust/NZ Ch Warsop Pickwick, owned by
Mrs Marion Harding in New Zealand
and cared for and exhibited in
Australia by Mrs Yvonne Reeder, who
won the breed’s first all breeds
Best In Show .
(All statistics courtesy of Dogs
NSW)
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