A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MINIATURE BULL TERRIER IN AUSTRALIA

By Joy Schafer

In Australia the first Miniature Bull Terriers were imported into NSW in the latter part of 1965 by the then Vice President of The Bull Terrier Club, Mr Wally Webster in partnership with Mr John Peek. They were both brindle and white. The dog, Jetom Jasper (by Kirbeon Jaganath ex Sejainus Jannetta) was 10 months old and a bitch Jetom Jubiliant Tigress (by Regans Red Velvet ex Sejainus Juanita) was 18 months old. They were both of standard weight and height The standard at the time required the weight to be no more than 20lbs and the height 14 ins. Both were later to become Australian champions.

Messrs Webster and Peek first presented the two Miniatures at the Bull Terrier Club show held at Fairfield on the 12th September 1965. Their appearance created a tremendous amount of interest. Just out of quarantine, all were impressed by the temperament of these dogs. They were exhibited at the Royal Easter Show the following year where they both received a lot of attention from dog exhibitors and the general public alike.

Miniatures were shown at the Royal from 1966 through to 1968. There is no record of any after that till 1987 when Aust. Ch Erenden Roxana (imp UK) was exhibited and awarded BOB. They were exhibited at the Bull terrier Club shows in NSW from September 1965 through to September 1974. Judge for the September show was Mr George Holloway, this was to be the last appearance by the Miniatures, they were Earlwood Juvenile and Earlwood Jane both owned by Mr Wally Webster. It was not until 1987, some 13 years later, that the Miniature was to reappear at a Bull Terrier Club show where four were exhibited. Aust. Ch Jetom Jubiliant Tigress produced at total of 13 pups from six litters. The last registered litter was in February 1971 - a dog by Juvenile.

Unfortunately no more were imported and interbreeding of the Miniature and their bigger brethren was not allowed. This, together with a tragic kennel fire resulted in the breed in Australia dying out. In September / December 1986 the Bull Terrier (Miniature) was reintroduced to Australia with 2 imports from the UK, the first in 20 odd years. The first being Aust. Ch Grandopera Ottello of Warbonnet a tricolour dog (by Beewau Enterprise ex Knipes Arnebia) to Victoria by Prior & Georgina Oldridge (Minibull Kennels). He gained his Aust Championship title easily in June the following year.

The first to arrive on the NSW scene was Aust Ch Erenden Roxana JW, a black brindle bitch imported by schardale kennels. Roxana was bred by Eric and Valerie Allenden and was already well performed in the UK, having won her Junior Warrant, one CC and one reserve CC by the age of10 months. She was exhibited for the first time here at Blacktown KC on the 8th March 1987 where her bouncy personality (both in and out of the ring) attracted quite a lot of attention, most could not believe she had been out of quarantine only three weeks. On the 7th June that year she gained the final points for her Australian title, winning several classes in group awards along the way. One of the highlights of her career was her Best.

Exhibit in Show award at the British Terrier Club show in May 1987 under well known Terrier personality, Mr Adrian Walmsley. She made Australian history, being the first and only Mini at that time to ever to win Best in Show. She proved to be a great ambassador for the breed making friends wherever she went.

Early in 1987 three more minis were imported from the UK. In February, a white bitch, Graymor Greasepaint (Ch zedbees Zaristrocrat ex Graymore Guildenhall) to Victoria, by the Oldridges. A first cousin to Greasepaint, Graymor Grimshore ( Graymor Gandolf ex Graymor Gamebridge) was to join her in the following year. Following her in March came Erenden Upright Urlicia a white bitch carrying brindle imported by Schardale and Erenden Unctious Ullock a super headed solid coloured brindle male imported by Dr Warwick Mackay and his wife Anne. They, too, gained their Australian titles in a short time.

More English imports were to follow, all to NSW. Erenden Vodkatini (Erenden Gin Rickey ex Erenden Olivia) in 1988 again to Dr Mackay and his wife (Gloswaen Kennels), Erenden Boot Black (Ch Erenden Leopold ex Erenden Hammonds Ona) late in 1989 to Jessie Barrett's well established Faringdon Kennels and English Champion Erenden Whisky Sangaree JW (Erenden Gin Rickey ex Erenden Tiny Tuggem) to join Roxana at Schardale in early 1990. Sangaree had been Res CC at Crufts in 1989 and gained her Australian Title with ease.

There have been 16 imports in all - ten from the UK and six from New Zealand. These being NZ/Aust.ChLester Iti Mussy Muzpie (Schardale Master Erenden ex Gloswaen Mini Ariadne imp. Aust) in 1990 and Aust. ChLester Iti Pepper n Pepe (Ch.Coldstream Statesman imp.UK. ex Gloswaen Mini Bree imp.Aust.) in 1992. Both were bred by Julie Clark (Lester Kennels) and imported by Jim and Ann Gorman (Argshiel Kennels) of South Australia.

Later, in 1993 two more imports were to arrive at Faringdon Kennels, NSW - Litter brother and sister from NZ - ChLester Mini Man Faringdon (NZ.Ch.Lester Iti Woodstock ex Lester Iti Sasha) & Lester Mini Dot n Dotty.

The first Miniature imported to New Zealand was from Australia being NZ Ch.Schardale Mini Maroi Ch.Erenden Unctious Ullock imp.UK. ex Ch.Schardale Showpiece ) with NZ.Ch.Coldstream Statesman (Esse Little John at Coldstream ex Erenden Gin n it at Coldstream ) to follow soon after from the UK. More Imports were soon to follow from Australia. The most recent import from the UK is Aust Ch Admirari Aerodynamic also going to Faringdon Kennels in NSW.

August 1997 saw the passing of NSW's original import, Aust.Ch Erenden Roxana J.W, ROM (U.K) just before her 12th birthday, in April 1998, Victoria's frst import, Aust Ch Grandopera Otello of Warbonnet (UK) died at just a little over 12 years old. Both had a good innings and as for myself I could not have wished for a better ambassador than Roxana - her exuberant, extrovert personality made her a dream to show. She commanded attention from her first outing to her last, which was in the veteran class at the BTC Inc. (NSW) show in April 1996 where she pranced around the ring like a two year old, it was fitting that on her last outing she was handled by her breeder Mrs Valerie Allenden, out here on holiday at the time.

At the meeting of the ANKC (Australian National Kennel Council) held in March 1986 the interbreeding of size type to develop the Miniature Bull Terrier was approved as per the English policy (ie: All progeny of Mini / Bull Terrier matings must be registered as MINIATURES regardless of size). This only gave breeders in Australia 12 months in which to breed foundation stock. An application to extend the interbreeding was lodged to the ANKC by the Northern Districts BTC of NSW. This was approved and a further 5 years was granted - which finished on 1st January 1992. It was decided at the ANKC conference (October 1993 ) that a further 3 year period was necessary for the Breed's development. This commenced on the 1st . January 1994 and was due to end 1st January 1997. However, at the ANKC conference, in October 1996, the interbreeding was once again discussed and it was decided that another 3 years be granted, commencing January 1997 and finishing on 1st January 2000. The issue was raised again in 1999 and it was resolved once again to continue for a further 5 years, and is now scheduled to finish on 1st January 2005. In 1999 The Miniature Bull Terrier Club U.K. applied to The Kennel Club to re-open interbreeding once again, due to increasing eye problems they are experiencing in the Breed at present.This was granted but with many new conditions to be adhered to. Interbreeding with the Bull Terrier (which does not carry this problem) reduces the chances of passing on an hereditary eye condition, by diluting the gene/genes responsible.