Who we are
In 1989, a group of Border Terrier owners, brought together by Sam and Heather Mitchell, met in a private house in Newmarket with the idea of starting a Border Terrier club in East Anglia. They agreed to hold an Inaugural Meeting to form a club, and this was held on the 14th January 1990. Remarkably, some eighty-two people turned up. Mr Gordon McIntyre was invited to chair the meeting and the eighty-two people present all agreed to the formation of a club; it was decided that the club should be called The East Anglia Border Terrier Club. The Earl of Wilton, a local Border Terrier owner was elected Patron of the Club and Mr Lionel Hamilton-Renwick, another resident of East Anglia and someone who had been long associated with Border Terriers was elected President. Mrs Heather Mitchell was elected Honorary Secretary and Mr Gerald Baker, Honorary Treasurer. Fourteen members, including Mr Gordon McIntyre were elected to form a Committee, and Mr Gordon McIntyre was subsequently elected Chairman of the Committee, a position he held until 2004. At that time, the Club did not have a Chairman.
In spite of some opposition from the other Border Terrier breed clubs, and with the first application being turned down, the Kennel Club recognized the East Anglia Border Terrier Club on 19th June 1991. This was in fact quite an achievement, the Club being officially recognized just eighteen months after its inception.
The Club held its first Open Show in 1992, and the Club began holding two Open Shows a year, one in April and the other in October or November. After many unsuccessful applications, the Club was finally granted permission by the Kennel Club to hold a championship show. The first Championship Show was held on 14th April 2002. This show is now held annually in April in St Ives, with just one Open Show a year, held in Newmarket in November.
The aim of the Club has always been to foster the understanding of the Border Terrier and its role both as a show dog and a pet. As the Club Rules state “The objects of the Club are to promote the welfare, furtherance of the breed, provide information and help for owners of Border Terriers in The East Anglian region”. The Club greatly prizes the pet owning members and we aim to hold a social event each year, either a Christmas party or a summer fun day. A large number of our members come from East Anglia, which includes the counties of Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. However, Border Terrier people come from all over the country to show at our Open and Championship shows.
In 2004, the constitution of the Club was changed, and amongst the changes, the number of Officers was increased to include a Chairman and a Vice- Chairman, both being elected annually.
The Club now takes its place together with the other six Border Terrier clubs in representing the breed throughout England, Wales and Scotland.
Meet The Team
Chairman – Jeremy Young
I graduated from Vet School at Bristol in 1984, and married Karen in 1985. We bought our first Border Terrier (Plushcourt Lovebird – aka Abby) from Betty Judge that year, as we were looking for a small dog that was likely to be robust and healthy with a coat needing minimum maintenance (we had no aspirations to show at that stage!)
We were living and working in Portsmouth at the time, so on a whim entered a few exemption shows, at which point we realised that the ‘coat needing minimum maintenance’ may not work.
We were helped out on that score by Gilbert Knight – who lived in the next village to Karen’s parents – who assured us that Abby was a decent type who we could ‘have some fun with’ – and whilst he could probably ‘make her up’ , he doubted we would! He was of course right , but she did manage one reserve CC!
For a number of years we showed (and bred) the Borders very regularly, with moderate success, and judged occasionally at Open and hunt shows, whilst also building up our practice in Peterborough, but gradually showed less as our work and family (Stephen and Maddy) – and later horses – rather interfered!
We have also owned and bred Rhodesian Ridgebacks , working line Labradors and most recently Lhasa Apsos (don’t ask!)
We currently have 6 Labs, 2 Lhasas, and no Borders (though we have just fostered 2 orphan Border pups with our Lhasa bitch!) Hopefully the time will soon be right to get another!
We also have four young sport horses (eventing / dressage) that we have bred and compete (with Karen and Maddy riding) and two ponies (one for granddaughter Sienna!) and a small herd of Alpaca.
I am still running the practice in Peterborough now as a Branch Partner and Karen and I work together in a smaller practice at home in Yarwell.
Our connection with the EABTC goes back to its origins – we were founder members, encouraged and involved by Sam and Heather Mitchell, and I served on the early committee.
When the first incarnation of the club suffered its unfortunate collapse and the committee resigned ‘en masse’ Tony Milton and I , along with Mike Hollingsbee and others, were tasked with and succeeded in getting it back up and running again. I acted as show manager up until this year.
So, whilst I am currently not directly involved with the breeding or showing side of things, I still consider myself a ‘Border Terrier’ person at heart and an EABTC supporter through and through. I wish Tony all the very best in his ‘retirement’ and after a couple of ‘rubbish’ years in so many ways , wish the club, and all involved with it, all the very best going forward!
Vice Chairman & Show Manager – Robert Brewster
I was Born in 1966 and raised in the heart of Suffolk.
As a boy I always looked forward to watching Crufts, on the black and white tv, and always dreamed that one day I would be there showing my own dog and parading around the ring having won best in show.
As a boy we had two corgis both of which were full of sprit, but the dog I was most fond of was my grandfather’s gun-dog, a Black Lab bitch called Bess. I never got to see her in action, but I am sure I got my desire to own dogs from this early bond with her.
When I left home to make my own way in life it wasn’t long before a Black Lab called Sam came my way. Then a parsons type Jack Russell puppy turned up and not too long after another Jack Russell came home giving me a love of gun-dogs and terriers.
From there I moved on to working cockers of which there have been a few over the years. The Russells passed away and I took a great interest in a friend’s border.
My first border arrived in Stowmarket not long after. Ellie is a loyal girl and in her day was full of spirit out in the field, but never a cross word with another dog, although at 16 now she doesn’t move far from the fire or settee! I was lucky to be able to use a fantastic dog over her who had sired many champions. She produced my first show dog Stowthorney Swinging Sam ShCM. He is named after my first Black Lab, who was truly man’s best friend, and is still greatly loved and missed dearly to this day.
From then on we have gone on to winning our first CC with Team Stowthorney and Breckgreen, to making up our first champion. The road to the dream is a long hard journey with many bumps and turns, but the never ending story continues…