Beryl Kay

The Honorary Secretary

I was born and bred in Manchester but moved to the south-east soon after my marriage where both my daughters were born.   We lived in Australia for three years because of my husband’s work, and were relocated in East Anglia on our return to the U.K. where we have lived until 2005 when we relocated to Kent to be closer to our daughters.   Some 20-odd years ago my daughters bought me a wire fox terrier bitch as a pet, obviously thinking I needed a little extra something to look after apart from them, the home, the cats and their horses, not to mention my full-time paid work!    We called her Cricket and it is from her that all my puppies, bred over the succeeding years, are descended.   I am simply a hobby breeder and have never kept many wires but am very proud that from such modest beginnings I have bred two British champions.  They are my pride and joy.  Like so many others before me, wires soon became my passion – a love affair which has never waned.   Once Cricket had her paws under the table, we were all hopelessly lost in her thrall.   She came everywhere with me, including the office where she proved an expert time-waster.  I never intended to breed wires – it just simply happened;  I might as well blame the daughters again!   I often wonder that if I could go back and realise what my introduction to a stripping knife really meant, would I do it all again?   The answer to that has to be YES because I cannot imagine my life now without these wiry little rascals who systematically try to reorganise my life and my home.  

 

 

I was a committee member of the Fox Terrier Club for five years until I retired in 2003, and latterly the Wire Association.  I am extremely proud and honoured to have been elected into the post of Hon. Secretary of the Association and I will do my absolute utmost to promote the welfare of our breed and the WFTA whenever and wherever I can.

     

  Affix - BEEKAY

 

 

 

 

 

 Chairman

Hazel Bradford

The wire fox terrier first came to my attention when I was around ten years old. My maternal grandfather gave me an old hardbacked diary because it contained pictures of dogs. One of those pictures was titled `A Wire Haired Terrier`. The picture was in sepia and the dog was heavily tick-marked.  He wore a studded collar which in my mind was red.


It was not until I was leaving school that the fox terrier entered my life.  I had always known I would work with animals.  Brought up on a croft in the north east of Scotland with a history of working and show horses behind me and contact with all types of livestock, I was spoilt for choice.  In the end the lure of a career in dogs and with wire fox terriers was too good to miss and I went to work for Wally Prizeman and his daughter Christine at his Arklow Boarding Kennels.  It had been his sign of a life size wire at the end of his property that had caught my eye as I travelled to an fro on the bus. It was, I decided, fate.  There was that dog again.


Wally didn`t actually need any more staff when I wrote to him but he took me on anyway and my employment there must have suited us all because I stayed there for 15 years.  Whilst there I learnt all about the stresses and rewards of looking after other people's dogs and cats. I also learnt to groom and learnt all aspects of breeding, trimming and showing the wires.  Amongst the frequent visitors to Arklow were Mrs Whitworth (Whitwyre) Elsie `Penda` Williams and Albert Langley.


After Wally died I set up my grooming business from home taking with me the remaining Arklow wires which became the foundation stock for the Flyntwyres.  Somewhere along the way I was persuaded to start judging and give C.C.`s in both wires and smooths.  I have been very fortunate to have gained judging experience on the continent in France and Germany. My proudest achievement however must be that of being President of our own Wire Fox Terrier Association.

Affix : FLYNTWYRE

 

Vice Chairman

Anne Maughan

My first wire fox terrier was a stray which my father found wandering the streets of Glasgow. I bought a two-year-old bitch when I was 13 and bred my first litter a year later.  I began to show in the late 70's; oh did I struggle with the trimming!  You always think you’ve got the best one until you get to the show and then realise, your dog doesn’t look like anybody else’s, - it’s got pants on!!!

In the early 80's I bought a smooth, it was entered at Cruft's and, low and behold, I got a 2nd and then a 3rd.  That was it, hooked line and sinker on dog shows.  I carried on breeding and showing the smooths for a while, but my heart always belonged to wires.

Back to showing wires, I just had to learn how to trim.  In the late 80's I got my first CC with a bitch called Niel’s Fairlady bred by Willie Miller.

In 1990 I bought a welsh terrier for my son to show.  At his first attempt in the show ring, he bottled out.  The puppy bitch won the Puppy Group, so I took her in for Best Puppy In Show and won.  After that my son refused to show her - couldn’t hack the pressure.  Needless to say, this bitch was Champion Purston Hit and Miss from Brocolitia who won Best in Show at Cruft's in 1994 handled by the late Frank Kellett. Frank was my handler and friend, and I owe him my gratitude.  Also at Cruft's I made up a Lakeland dog Champion Brocolitia Road t’ Glory.

My first wire champion was made up at Crufts a few years later, Champion Brocolitia Storm Force.  In all, I have made up three wire champions, one of which was the top wire for two years in succession in  96/97, gaining his 3rd CC at the ripe old age of 12 months and one week at Bournemouth.  He then went on to RBIS,  I have also made up two welsh champions, and a lakeland.  In all I have won over 50ccs, multiple group wins and best in shows at general championship shows. 

I was proud to be elected to The Wire Fox Terrier Association Committee in 1995

Affix :  BROCOLITIA

 

 

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