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A Brief History: The Coloureds and the Coloured Bull Terrier Club
The origins of the Bull Terrier can be traced back to the crossing of old style Bulldogs and various terriers around 1800. These crosses varied in both size and colour. Smaller ones gained notoriety for the feats in the rat pits, while the larger ones displayed their unparalleled tenacity and courage as fighting dogs. But society’s attitude towards dogs and animals in general changed dramatically during Queen Victoria’s long reign. By the 1860s the wealthy middle classes began owning dogs as symbols of their social status; what sociologists refer to as “pet and prize” animals. Meanwhile dog shows gained rapidly in popularity. In response to this scenario James Hinks, a dog dealer from Birmingham – well known for his Bulldogs, developed a more refined and uniform version of these crosses that today we know as the Bull Terrier. Hinks’ dogs were noted for the cleaner longer heads and their hallmark pure white coats. His “White Cavaliers” soon ousted the old style Bull-and-Terriers, many of which were coloured, from the show ring. Today the descendents of these old style dogs are known as Staffordshire Bull Terriers.Returning from India, where he had used old-style coloured Bull-and-Terriers for hunting jackals, Edward Lyon found the White Cavaliers too soft for his liking. So about 1907 he set about improving their gameness by backcrossing them with brindle Staffordshires. Gameness was his goal, coloured coats were the result. In fact we now know that all Bull Terriers are genetically coloured, but in whites the colour is inhibited except for markings on the head and occasionally on the body. Be that as may, Ted Lyon (affix Sher) with the help in particular of Walter Tumner set about breeding coloured Bull Terriers. Later Richard Glyn wrote an article entitled “The Seven Sources of Colour in Bull-terriers” arguing that coloureds can be traced back to seven brindle Staffordshires. But this is probably an oversimplification. Indeed one important source – Jock of the Bushveldt – was in fact a Bulldog/Manchester Terrier cross.A dedicated cadre of breeders, quite simply, was trying to put a coloured jacket on the typical white Bull Terrier of the day. The task proved enormously more difficult than anticipated. The root cause of their challenge was head and expression; the broad head, distinct stop and round, open eyes of the Staffordshire by now differed greatly from the longer, down-faced head and small, sunken eyes of the White Cavalier. Ears were also quite different. Progress on head and expression was painfully slow.In 1919 the brindle Bing Boy became the first coloured Bull Terrier to be awarded a Challenge Certificate (CC). The decision by the judge, Count Hollender, caused uproar among supporters of white Bull Terriers. Continuing success, however, was elusive. During the 1920s Mrs. Violet Ellis kept the coloureds before the public eye, guaranteeing classes for them at most shows. William Dockerill’s Lady Winifred, born in 1927, garnered her first CC in 1929. Meanwhile Mrs. Ellis bred Hunting Blondi, who for a coloured in those days sported a sensational head. A flash point for the coloureds came at the National Terrier Club show in 1931, when Hollender awarded the CCs to Lady Winifred and Hunting Blondi; again highly controversial judgments. Both Lady Winifred and Hunting Blondi were brindle/white and sired by white dogs out of brindle bitches. Lady Winifred soon became the first coloured champion. Tragically, however, Hunting Blondi died shortly after winning his second CC. These successes placed coloureds in the limelight. But they were still considered second class citizens and breeders of whites were horrified at the possibility of coloured blood tainting their beautiful “pure” white Bull Terriers. Members of the Bull Terrier Club (BTC), who bred coloureds, were required to euthanize the white puppies that inevitably resulted from their breeding programs.J. Symes’ brindle Nelstan Cotton was a consistent winner in the early 1930s and it was his grandson Boko’s Brock, who in 1935 became the first coloured male champion. Three coloureds gained their titles in 1936, but none could match the best whites, especially in head. Meanwhile Miss D Montague Johnstone (Romany) had purchased her first Bull Terrier from Lyon, the brindle Sher Fustian, in 1927, betting the then BTC secretary that she would breed a coloured champion within ten years. This she did. After enjoying success with Romany Radium, born in 1931, she doubled up on Radium in breeding the red Romany Rhinestone, crowned in 1937 – the first of many Romany champions. Most significantly Rhinestone matched the whites in head, expression and substance. The other coloured champion that year was the lovely brindle bitch Jane of Petworth.The worst fears of the “white” fraternity were confirmed in 1936 when the colour-bred white (cbw) Rebel of Blighty gained his championship. Rebel was soon dispatched to America, but the BTC recognized that this was the thin end of the wedge. The Club could not keep cbw Bull Terriers from being bred and shown. In response the BTC introduced their own white-bred stud book, limited to Bull Terriers with at least four generations of pure white breeding.**********************The Coloured Bull Terrier ClubThere were attempts in England to form a club in support of the Coloureds as early as 1920. But it was not until 1936 that The Coloured Bull Terrier Club was founded in Lancashire by S.E, Edwards, who later observed:‘Regarding the Policy of the Club, at the inauguration it was stressed most emphatically that, whereas it would be a most important part of the policy of the Club to support the exhibition of Coloured Bull Terriers, it would never organize shows in competition with other Bull Terrier Clubs in staging such exhibitions. The Club would do all in its powers to make a success of contemporary club’s shows by giving special prizes and guarantees, and even donations where necessary, to facilitate the holding of such shows.‘The reason for the adoption of this policy was that . . . other Bull Terrier Clubs would have their own members, and it was apparent to all that a club for Coloureds would be of greater service to the variety of assistance was given to fellow clubs rather than to enter into competition with them.’By the late forties, the Club boasted a membership of just over 500. The Objects of the Club were:A. To further the interest of the Coloured Bull terrier, and endeavour to increase the popularity of this variety.B. To define precisely and publish a description of the true type of the breed.C. To urge the adoption of that type upon Breeders, Exhibitors, Judges, Dog Show Committees and others as the only recognized standard by which Bull terriers shall be judged, and which may be accepted as the sole standard of excellence in breeding and in awarding prizes of merit.D. To give specials and guarantee classes and to support exhibitions of Bull terriers.E. To protect and advance in every legitimate way the interests of the breed and members of the Club.Later the Objects were shortened to reflect the Club’s success in fostering the variety:(a) To promote the welfare, breeding, exhibition interest in the Coloured Bull Terrier.(b) To urge owners, breeders and judges to keep with the Standard as agreed with the Kennel Club.Although national in scope and objectives, the organization and operation of the Club continued to reflect its Lancastrian origins. After many years of prosperity, support steadily declined such that by 1958 the Club’s affairs were in the hands of just four people. Attendance at Club functions had dwindled to such an extent that the Committee agreed to approach members in the south with a view to holding meetings in the Home Counties. Having consulted with Stan Edwards as founder, the following year the AGM was held in London. With this move, much broader participation of the membership was assured and the Club began to regain strength.In 1965, breaking with tradition, the Club took the initiative to organize its own show – just for Coloureds. The first event held at the Finchley Drill Hall in London, was judged by Mrs. Quita Youatt. For 1966 the show was moved the show moved to Leicester with Tom Horner officiating. After some early financial difficulties, the Coloured Club Show established itself as a highly popular event on the calendar. Further recognition came in 1971, when the Bull Terrier Club elected to hold the competitions for the Sandawana Trophy (for best Coloured Bull Terrier of the year) at the Coloured Club Shows. Subsequently the Bull Terrier Club took back the Sandawana Trophy; it was replaced at the Coloured Club Shows, now held twice a year, with the Romany Trophy and the Kearby and Geham Trophies.More than 70 years on, the Club continues to flourish and to promote the interests of the coloured variety.**********************Remarkably, when showing resumed after WWII, the top male was without question the black brindle Ch Romany Reliance. Even more remarkably he sported a head not just the equal of but better than his white competitors. A great grandson of Rhinestone and Jane of Petworth, Reliance passed his head qualities onto his get in generous measure. The coloured variety thrived and several outstanding color-bred whites appeared. Members of the BTC were bound by covenant not employ coloured or cbw dogs to produce white Bull Terriers. Their frustration resulted in this restriction being lifted in 1950 – full equality for the coloureds at last! After the war, Miss Johnstone was joined at Romany by Miss Margaret (Meg) Williams. Together the partners produced many wonderful Bull Terriers before retiring in 1979, with their coloured Romanys gaining fame worldwide. Among them were Ch Romany Robin Goodfellow, born in 1957, the first Bull Terrier to win BIS at an all-breed championship show – and the prodigious stud Ch Romany River Pirate, born in 1966.Far too many other breeders have contributed to the success of the coloureds and of the Club to mention in this overview of their history. But any narrative, however brief, must include Mrs. Quita Youatt (Kearby) and Mrs. Maureen Bell (Geham), both stalwarts of the variety and the Club. During a vocation that spanned over 50 years Mrs. Youatt is the only major breeder never to have produced a white to white litter. Vive la couleur!
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