Mr. Harding's "Rob." 115 



with a profuse, correct coat, and so good looking generally, 

 that in 1881, at Llangollen, he was handed the special 

 prize given to the handsomest dog on the ground. Dr. 

 Drinkwater's Boy was another excellent Welsh dog ; and 

 no less skilful were Mr. John Williams's Handy, Mr. Rigby's 

 Smart, Mr. Evans's Lassie, Mr. Dempster's Tweed, and 

 Mr. Michael Williams's Lass. Mr. J. Freme, Wepre 

 Hall, Flint, for some time ran dogs with great success, 

 and possessed excellent animals, his Jet being especially 

 good. 



I was unfortunately not present at the trials held near 

 Llangollen in 1889, but I am informed that a dog that 

 won one of the chief prizes, appeared to have as much 

 setter blood in him as anything else, but his true breeding 

 it would be difficult to define from appearance ; still that 

 day in August, he worked so well, that later on he was 

 one of those selected to appear before Her Majesty 

 under circumstances already alluded to. In the Royal 

 presence, however, he quite failed to sustain his reputation ; 

 nor has he done so since. 



Again, at the North of England trials, time after time 

 peculiar-looking dogs are to be observed taking leading 

 honours ; some ot the best workers I ever saw being wire- 

 haired in coat, of an appearance likely to be brought about 

 by crossing a shepherd's bitch with a rough terrier. But I 

 was assured that these dogs were pure-bred sheep dogs, and 

 had been such for generations. I suppose no better dog 

 ^ver ran anywhere than Mr. Harding's (Caton, near Lan- 

 caster) Rob, an old-fashioned grey, grizzled stamp, that 

 might from his appearance have had a dash of deerhound 

 blood in him. He won many leading prizes, but was once 

 or twice unfortunately beaten in the champion classes by 



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