Southern Counties SBT Society

Saturday 30th March 2019

Secretary Report

I would like to thank all the Clubs for their continued support during 2018, in what has been rather an eventful year, not least with the Breed dropping from Band E to Band D from Jan 1st, 2019 and the continued transition and changes that are happening with the Judges Competency Framework.

I am sure that during the next 12 months we shall see a lot more changes in all areas, I think we will see additional Opinion Letters coming from the KC with regards to judges applying for the A2 list as now we have dropped a Band, there may well be some judges on the B list who now can apply, these will be circulated to all the member clubs for their consideration but as stated in the correspondence from George Martin it is only for our opinion they will make the final decision. One thing that has been clarified in the last few days, as on a recent Opinion letter SACS classes were included, some thought they can’t some thought they could - the KC have confirmed they can be included. When the new JCF becomes live from 2022 these letters will stop.

During the next few months can I ask that the Breed Clubs forward me their up to date judges lists for me to compile the 2019-2020 BC list which is forwarded to the KC with the annual returns. Also, there are some clubs who have yet to pay their Subs of £35.00 and I hope they do this before the due date in order to continue to receive e-mails and relevant paperwork to put to their respective committee’s

During the meeting today it will no doubt be discussed the Terrier Group Judging at Crufts this year when our Best of Breed was asked to place her dog on the table for the Group Judge to go over. As we all know our breed is not a table dog and there has been a lot of discussion on social media and what if anything, we can do about it. Did the fact that our Best of Breed by not putting her dog on the table stop her getting placed in the Group we will never know that answer but is has been a big talking point.

I have already started the show planner for 2020 and already some of our Breed Clubs have had to change their dates based on General Championship Shows rotating their Groups when they didn’t before. I would be grateful if the Breed Club Secretaries could forward to me their agreed dates and judges as soon as they can. It is a regular question now on Social Media where is there an UpToDate show planner. I will continue to update during the next few months and will upload the file to Simply Staffords and Staffordshire Bull Terrier Debates and Topics

Back in April 2018 I stated in my report that Social Media had suggested that the Breed Council and the Clubs are a closed shop. We did discuss this at the time about having a Breed Council Facebook page for posting ratified Minutes but nothing more has been done is this something we want as a Council or for the Breed Clubs or Breed Council Secretary to send out when requested? This could also be used to post the Show Planners on.

The Breed record supplement as we know during 2018 showed no slowing down of the number of blue litters being registered and blue or containing blue still amount for over 70% -75% of registrations. The suggested Breed Awareness Month suggested by East Anglia should be a way of further educating the general public if all the clubs do their part.

The Kennel Club is going through some major changes of re-structure and changing business processes not least with the new computer system. I have been informed that e-mails will be changing and some for your Secretary’s records are as follows:- I will ensure that all Breed club Secretaries are made aware of this by a follow up e-mail

cat@thekennelclub.org.uk will now be sass@thekennelclub.org.uk to fall in line with the new name of Society & Show Services, they also have an awards e-mail awards@thekennelclub.org.uk and show diary showdiary@thekennelclub.org.uk

Governence and Education /Training will remain unchanged

breedshows@thekennelclub.org.uk

judgescritiques@thekennelclub.org.uk

kc.academy@thekennelclub.org.uk

judges.competencyframework@thekennelclub.org.uk

Finally, I hope that 2019 will see the Clubs working together and I wish you all a successful year.

Helen E Reaney Secretary

CHAIRMANS REPORT MARCH 2019.

Many thanks to all present Breed Clubs and your delegates here today . In my last report I did mention that I would like to see All Breed Clubs in the Breed Council. I’m pleased to report that The North of Scotland SBTC have agreed to re-join, and I welcome their return . At the last BC meeting there was some discussion on the issue of judging the Breed on tables and the request from the Terrier Group Judge at Crufts 2019 requesting the Exhibitor with the BOB Staffordshire Bull Terrier to place the dog on a table. I did mention that a number of overseas exhibitors had shown concern that the practice of judging the Stafford on a table was becoming more and more prevalent in Dog Shows throughout Europe and suggested could I help and possibly write a letter to the FCI President explaining their concerns about the use of tables.

( Letter enclosed ) Sadly to date I’m still awaiting a response from Mr Rafael De Santiago, I also tagged the Vice President into the letter Mrs Carla Molinari attached below is a copy of the letter which I forwarded to the FCI

From: socksdown1@virginmedia.com <socksdown1@virginmedia.com>
Sent: 28 March 2019 16:23
To: 'info@fci.be' <info@fci.be>
Subject: for the attention of Mr. Rafael De Santiago President FCI and Mrs. Carla Molinari. Vice President FCI

Hello FCI.

Firstly, I’ll introduce myself, my name is David Lee from the United Kingdom . I am writing to you after a number of Exhibitors from around Europe contacted me personally telling me of their concerns and issues that more and more Judges at FCI Shows are requesting that the Exhibitors place their dogs on tables and they feel that the Breed should be customarily be assessed on the floor or the Ground. The Exhibitors contacted me personally to ask if I may help and the best way is positive discussion and hopefully, we may come to a conclusion in the issue of placing the Staffordshire Bull Terrier on tables. The Exhibitors love their hobby and enjoy meeting like-minded people around Europe and many travel to the UK supporting Kennel Club Shows. Our European Friends and Exhibitors are asking me if a directive came from the FCI that the Breed if possible at all times be judged in its customarily way and that being on the floor or ground, there may be occasions when a Judge is temporary suffering from an accident or operation then the table is required . On No occasion should the exhibitor show any disrespect to the Judge that’s totally out of order, in addition the exhibitors that I have spoken with have said they don’t like to ask the appointed Judge if they would assess their dog on the floor. Many Exhibitors have said that they don’t attend many shows today for this reason, it would be hoped that if the FCI can in any way possible implement this request into the Judging procedures when taking Staffordshire Bull Terrier future appointments. I’m confident entries will increase, thus creating harmony and happiness within Dogdom and in The Stafford World .

My Kindest regards David Lee.

I understand that Mr De Santiago has been recently replaced as President by a Mr Tamas Jakkel.

Hopefully Mr Jakkel responds more quickly to raised concerns than the former President.

I understand from the previous meeting that it was suggested a Official letter from the Breed Council Secretary be forwarded to the FCI.

KCBLO BREED COUNCIL MEETING REPORT

SATURDAY 30TH MARCH 2019

Well our Breed started the year by being downgraded from Band E to Band D. Our entries and overall averages left us somewhat short of the desired finishing line and as this was the second year in a row we had not met the target so to speak, we unfortunately were reduced down to Band D. Our overall entries for the year were 5274 giving an overall average of 135 where ideally we should aim for around 148 to keep us above the water line. I must however, give praise to the Breed Clubs in that we if take their entries and averages out of the overall scenario the picture is very different. The breed Club entries for the year finished at 2498 over 14 clubs giving us an outstanding average of 178, then if we look at the Generals in isolation we have total entries of 2776 over 25 shows, (almost double to breed clubs), it gives a weaker average of 111… so the numbers speak for themselves… the breed clubs are very successful not only in the entries and averages but also in what they offer. The support and dedication by all concerned from the organisers to the exhibitors and spectators is very evident so long may the Breed Clubs continue and relish in the respect they surely command. The drop in a Band will also have an effect on a few other things – for example stud book numbers and Crufts qualification plus it will impact on our up coming Judges. Now we are in Band D, B List Judges can only be contracted for 3 classes, plus a puppy class (as per show regulation F (1)21.b and if this Rule is breached and a B list Judges does carry out an appointment of more than the permitted classes it may be put to the Kennel Club Committee where they can impose a warning, judging ban or fine of £50-£300, so please be vigilant and make your B list Judges aware of this.

I also wrote a letter to the Kennel Club, as per the last BC meeting, stating these facts and figures and that as Breed and as Breed Clubs we were unhappy that whilst the Clubs entries obviously show the success of the Clubs high entries and the generals show the low entries, we aren’t being afforded CCs to ALL clubs for all our efforts, whereas the all of the Generals have CCs for our Breed now. The matter is still in discussion and consideration at the Kennel Club, and as of yesterday I have been assured I will receive a reply once they have looked into everything appropriately.

An update on the letters I sent to the Kennel Club Liaison Council Meeting, originally instigated by North West, regarding the Kennel Club offering reduced litter registration fees for those who carried out relative Health testing. The item was discussed at length and although the Council generally supported it in principle, they felt it needed to be looked at further and through the Delegate it was proposed it could be slightly reworded to say that “the registration fees for puppies from parents that have followed breed specific requirements and recommendations in relation to health testing should be afforded the same privilege reduction in registration fees as those registered with the ABS, compared to puppies that are registered from parents who are not seen to follow any breed specific requirements and recommendations as regards to heath screening”; thus giving an incentive to all breeders to carry out appropriate heath testing and being a positive step forward. This is on the table for discussion at the next Liaison Council meeting in May and I will report back once I have any further update.

CC allocations for 2022 onwards…there is no news from The Kennel Cub as yet on CC allocations moving forward so currently we are all still in limbo. We will not know until the Board fully discuss and approve any proposals from working parties and Kennel Club committees.

The question of upcoming Judges working towards the final stages of A3 and A2 applications are coming to me on a regular basis and I have asked the Kennel Club for clarification on exactly what said Judges should or shouldn’t ‘count’ in their numbers for A3/A2.

The Breed is in a very positive public light at the moment, after having been voted Britain’s number 1 dog and I feel we should use this to promote everything we can about the Breed including colour and responsible breeding etc. but also to be aware that our popularity could also have a downside as we all know….. our rescues are full of Stafford’s or Stafford crosses so we really do have to be aware of our popularity pitfalls.

I have been inundated with calls from people asking for advice regarding their Stafford and although I’m happy to help where I can we are no experts are we… we aren’t vets or canine behaviour specialists but we are enthusiastic dedicated motivated supporters of the Breed and through the breed clubs and in person we need to stand together to promote our native breed in positive ways. Not just through the Shows, but also with fun days, meet and greet days, health promotions and public awareness days and I know East Anglia in particular get fully behind these type of events and we should all afford them our support.

To finish, I am as always here to help the Breed Clubs, and especially the breed in any way I can, so please feel free to make use of the avenue I can offer into the Kennel Club and Liaison Council . Thank you to those who speak to me on a regular basis and utilise my services.

Karon Jackson

KCBLO/March 2019

Health Co-ordinators' Report March 2019

Health Survey

As all should know, a health survey was being conducted in the breed in collaboration with the K C Health Team. The intention was to close it at the end of January but as it was going to be impossible for Fern and Hannah of the Health Team to undertake any analysis until after Crufts, the survey was kept open for a final push through 'flyers' on breed stands and Discover Dogs and closed only on the Tuesday after Crufts. An analysis by the K C health team has just been received but we shall look at it closely to see if anything further needs to be done. Responses were received on over 1700 dogs which is excellent. Basically it supports the belief that the Stafford over all is a pretty healthy breed. As expected small numbers of a wide range of conditions were reported but none were at a level that might give cause for concern. This initial analysis will be circulated to Club HC's for comment.

Reproduction Survey.

The K C suggested including a section on reproduction in the prototype supplied for the Health Survey. At our suggestion this was omitted for two reasons.

(a) the questions suggested were not actually concerning the health of the dog per se, and

(b) the subject is so wide, that it merits a specific survey on its own. Consequently it is intended get one drawn up but it will be a few months before it can go 'live'.

BVA .

For many years, Sandra Webber the manager of the KC/BV A testing scheme supplied annual data on litter testing and conditions not on Schedule A. This worked very well but unfortunately Sandra retired and her successor Andrew Gillon also left when Crufts was in full swing. The outcome has been that no results were received for 2017and 2018. We have spoken to Hannah of the Health Team about the problem and with her help we are confident the matter will be fully sorted. One concern was that cases of eye conditions of importance in other breeds might not be getting reported, and thus drawn to our attention, because they

were not on Schedule A or B for Stafford’s. However we are pleased to say that none has been reported.

Kirsty Summerfield and Archie Bryden