THE AIREDALE TERRIER. 



357 



excelled in terrier character, and he was sound 

 all over ; his advent was opportune — he w-as 

 just the dog that was wanted, and there is 

 no doubt he did the breed a great amount 

 of good. 



About the time of Newbold Test's appear- 

 ance there were not very many people keep- 

 ing Airedales for show. The band of ex- 

 hibitors was a small one, and though the}'' 

 kept on gradually impro\"ing their dogs 

 they did not attract many new enthusiasts 

 into the fold. One matter which perhaps 

 kept the breed back for some time was 

 that there always seemed to be one verj- 

 strong kennel in it, and this is a thing 

 which at times has the effect of frightening 

 off new-comers, who sa\' to themselves : 

 " ^^'hat is the use of my going in for that 

 breed ? Mr. So-and-So wins all the prizes ; I 

 shall never get to know as much as he does 

 about it, and he is always sure to beat 

 me." In tliis way progress is unwittingly 

 debarred, or at anj^ rate delayed. There 

 was at one time a very strong kennel of 

 .\iredales o\\Tied by a very rich gentleman 

 who could afford to — and did, in fact — 

 require ever\- Airedale of note that existed 

 in his day. When all were bought and 

 there seemed to be no more to buy, the 

 owner, either for business reasons, or be- 

 cause he had tired of his hobby, gave the 

 whole thing up and presented his entire 

 kennel to a budding fancier who in turn 

 for some time held the field with it. As, 

 howe^•e^, the inmates grew older, this 

 gentleman again, although he had been 

 fairly successful in bringing out a few new 

 ones of superlati\-e merit, seemed to sicken 

 of the game, and in turn also dropped 

 out. 



A dog called Colne Crack, who was a 

 beautiful little terrier, was another of the 

 early sho\\-n ones by whom the breed has 

 lost nothing, and two other terriers whose 

 names are much revered bv lovers of the 

 breed are Cholmondeley Briar and Briar 

 Test. 



Some years ago, when the breed was in the 

 stage referred to above, a club was formed 

 to look after its interests, and there is no 

 doubt that though perhaps phenomenal 



success did not attend its aftorts, it did its 

 best, and forms a valuable link in the chain 

 of popularity of the Airedale. It was at 

 best apparently a sleepy sort of concern, 

 and never seems to have attracted new 

 fanciers, or to have caught the eye much 

 in any way. Some dozen years ago, how- 

 ever, a club, destined not only to make a 

 great name for itself, but also to do a thou- 

 sandfold more good to the breed it espouses 

 than e\er the old club did, was formed 

 under the name of the South of England 

 Airedale Terrier Club, and a marvellously 



MR. REGINALD KNIGHTS THUNDER (1878). 

 Earliest Puslisheo Portrait of an Airedale. 

 ORAvm BY C. BURTON BARBER. 



successful and popular life it has so far 

 lived. The younger club was in no way an 

 antagonist of the older one, and it has ever 

 been careful that it should not be looked 

 upon in any way as such. The old club 

 has, howe\'er, been quite overshadowed 

 by the younger, which, whether it wishes 

 it or not, is now looked upon as the leading 

 society in connection with the breed. Further 

 reference to its ramifications will be made 

 later. 



At a meeting of the first club — which went 

 by the name of the Airedale Terrier Club — 

 held in Manchester some se\-enteen or 

 eighteen years ago, the following standard of 

 perfection and scale of points was drawn up 

 and adopted : — 



I. Head. — Long, ^\•ith flat skull, but not too 

 broad between the ears, narrowing slightly to the 

 eyes, free from wrinkle ; stop hardly visible, and 

 cheeks free from fulness ; jaw deep and powerful. 



