Glendraterra & Glenpower Smooth Fox Terriers
Born in the north of England, in the Lake District in fact, my first dog was a Smooth Fox Terrier crossed with a Lakeland Terrier, a dog that was very much a Smooth in appearance but was the colour of a Lakeland. It was not however until I started work in the 1970s that I bought my foundation Smooth Fox Terrier bitch from the Sufredon kennels of Mrs Sue Laws. She was shown mainly at Open shows and then mated to Pauline Fox’s Ch Gavingale Joshua and it is from this first mating that everything at this kennel is bred down.
The affix Glendraterra was registered in 1979. Glendraterra is a remote valley between the mountains of Skiddaw and Blencatra, where I used to go with my father and my crossbred Terrier to collect bilberries.
There were some significant purchases to improve the stock, notably Ch Vertway Stable Lad, bred by Jimmy Greenway but campaigned to his title by myself and indeed he was BIS at the SFTA Championship Show in 1987 judged by Antonia Thornton of the renowned Watteau kennel. Champions Sweet Dream at Vertway & Vertway Sweet Gem were resident here and again both were campaigned to their titles either by myself or my partner Roger Bebbington. The next landmark was the mating of Stable Lad to Navada Dancing Queen from Glendraterra, which produced 2 excellent dogs, Glendraterra Tango (1 CC) and more significantly Glendraterra Rock N Roll who won 2 CCs & 5 Res CCs and was a wonderful producer not just for us but also for other kennels. Rock N Roll was mated to Ch Sweet Dream at Vertway and produced Ch Glendraterra Dancing Brave who was sold to Italy once he gained his UK title.
Twostep to Larchenwald came to us in 1991 primarily as a brood bitch having a considerable amount of Newmaidley blood in her and we feel the present strength in our bitch line is down to her. Once she settled with us we decided to show her and to our delight she became a champion, winning 5 CCs in all, the final one being at Crufts 1993 after which she was mated to Rock N Roll, producing Ch Glendraterra Ruby Tuesday. Ruby Tuesday had 2 matings to Ch Sufredon Diplomat producing in her first litter Ch Glendraterra Gina Gee one of the youngest Smooth Champions for many years being made up at the age of 15 months. In the 2nd mating came Glendraterra Generosa who subsequently was sold to South Africa where she has been very influential as a brood. In her 3rd mating to Ch Maryholm Gold in My Sporran she produced Ch Glendraterra Tuesday’s Child who won 10 CCs, wining one of them at Crufts and was Top Fox Terrier Wire or Smooth in 2001.
Gina Gee was mated to Lanyon’s Rooney and produced our first black and white Champion in Ch Glendraterra Dixi Dean. Generosa was mated to Ch Spun Gold Again of Maryholm and produced in her first litter Ch Glenpower Glory Girl, winner of 8 CCs and BOB at Crufts in 2003. In her second litter before she left us, Generosa was mated to Ch Maryholm Gold in my Sporran and a dog Glenpower Golden Guinea was retained. He was sparingly shown due to a fright at a show as a youngster but has proved a great stud being Top Sire 2004 & Top Stud 2005. His legacy to the breed is the litter brother & sister Champions Burnbrig Stable Lass & Burnbrig Clan Chief as well as our own bitch Glendraterra Full of Grace ex Tuesday’s Child who was Top Puppy 2004. She was taken out of the show ring in 2005 to be mated to Ch/ Am Ch Sunrise Rascal Fair while he was here in the UK. Three were retained from this litter all of which were shown in 2006; Glendraterra Sunday Best (BPIS at the SFTA 2006 and winner of 2 CCs & 2 Res CCs to date as well as Top Puppy in the Breed), Glendraterra Sundance Kid (BPIS & Res CC at the FTC plus twice runner up in the Pup of the Year Stakes) and Glendraterra Sunset Strip owned in partnership with Geoff Corish, winner of 3 Res CCs and also overall winner of the Pup of the Year competition 2006 from an entry throughout the year of some 9,000 dogs.
2006 proved an excellent year for this kennel as 2 bitches namely Ch Glenpower Band Aid & Ch Glenpower Box of Tricks (by Ch Boreham Bandbox ex Ch Glenpower Glory Girl), both gained their titles thus we won 8 CCs with 3 different bitches. All in all, 13 Champions have been made up since 1987 and some 58 CCs have been amassed.
On a personal level, I started awarding CCs in 1991 and since have judged at various Championship shows and indeed now do both Wires & Smooths. I judged at the FTC in 1998, and I was President of the SFTA in 2000 drawing an entry of 100+ exhibits. I have also judged in Southern Ireland, South Africa, the USA and France.
Jenny Thornton
