Shows at Bedford and Darlington, 1874 3? 



Bowers, and C. W. Brierley. Mr. J. W. Morris took several prizes 

 amongst the Retrievers. In Spaniels the chief winners were Messrs. 

 J. Fletcher, P. Bullock, W. S. Holmes, Skidmore, and W. W. 

 Boulton ; and in Fox-terriers the entries of Messrs. Fletcher, 

 Astbury, J. Shepherd, and J. Terry carried off most of the spoil. 



In Non-Sporting Breeds the best entries were in Mastiffs, Bull- 

 terriers, Black-and-tan, White English, and Broken-haired (here 

 called " or Yorkshire ") Terriers, there being small but representa- 

 tive entries of all the rest, but rather better than usual, perhaps 

 owing to the sexes being divided in Pugs and Dandie Dinmont 

 Terriers ; but there was not much support in the Toy classes. 



On July i4th, i5th, and i6th, 1874, was held at Bedford, under 

 distinguished patronage, an Exhibition of Sporting and other Dogs, 

 with an entry of 384, when Mr. J. S. Muddeman acted as secretary. 



The following were the officiating judges : for Sporting Classes, 

 Mons. le Prince J. de Vismes et de Ponthieu and Mr. J. Walker 

 (Halifax); for Non-Sporting Classes, Messrs. P. Pigott and J. 

 Walker. 



Blood-hounds, Deer-hounds, Greyhounds, Pointers, and Spaniels 

 were poor classes in numbers, though fairly good in quality. 

 Retrievers were good, and Setters just decent. Fox-terriers were 

 good (and here I first notice a name we have often seen since in 

 connection with this variety Mr. Francis Redmond amongst the 

 prize winners) ; Messrs. H. Gibson, Astbury, and Bradbury seemed 

 to be most amongst the victors. Mr. F. Gresham took all the prizes 

 in St. Bernards, as he would be expected to do on his native soil. 

 There were a small lot of Mastiffs, and not many Sheep-dogs ; but 

 amongst their owners " VV. Thomson" is credited with first in bitches 

 with Shep, and I think this is not unlikely to be one of the first 

 appearances as an exhibitor of Sheep-dogs of our popular friend 

 (referred to elsewhere in this book) Mr. W. W. Thomson. Bull- 

 dogs, Black-and-tan Terriers, and variety classes over and under 

 1 8 Ib. were the best of all the rest ; with small entries in Toys and 

 fancy breeds. 



" The South Durham and North Yorkshire," since so well known 

 as " The Darlington Dog Show," was held at Darlington on 

 July 3oth and 3ist, 1874, with Mr. W. Sevvell as secretary (in which 

 capacity, I think, he must since have served close on a quarter of a 

 century !), and an entry of 689. 



The judges appointed were mostly well-known men, comprising 

 Messrs. W. Lort, John Hutchinson, John Walker (Wrexham), Rev. 



