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The
Silverwood Trophy Competiton
Mrs. M. P. Mackay-Smith
Hon. David C. Merriam
Background
For
many years the premier bull terrier competition in England has been the
Regent Trophy and Ormandy Jugs competition. The competitors are selected
by a Bull Terrier Club selection committee. The winning of the Regent
Trophy (Best Bull Terrier first exhibition in the preceding year) or the
Ormandy Jugs (one each for best dog and bitch exhibited during the preceding
year) is recognized as the supreme achievement.
For years Bill and Hope Colket had discussed with Raymond Oppenheimer
the feastibility of establishing a similar competiotn in the United States.
They recognized many of the problems attendant to the AKC all breed show
competition, its influence on the breed and breeding here and they thought
of the good an intra-breed competition might have on improvement of breed
type and the encouragement of correct domestic breeding (versus the constant
flow of imports).
Sadly, it was not until after the tragic deaths of Bill and Hope that
such a competition came into existance. Douglas Rose served as the first
chairman of the Best American Bred Competition in 1970.
The Bull Terrier Club (England) through the assistance and generosity
of Raymond Oppenheimer offered the Silverwood Trophy for Best American
Bred Bull Terrier. The trophy is a carved wood statue of a white bull
terrier. The Bull Terrier Club also offered in memory of Gladys M. Adlam
and Jessie Bennett the Raydium Brigadier Trophy for Best of Opposite Sex
to the Silverwood Trophy Winner. The trophy is a Royal Nymphenburg Porcelain
white bull terrier and is the Regent Trophy replica won by Eng. Ch. Raydium
Brigadier in 1937. Mrs. Adlam was the famous English breeder of Brendon
bull terriers and Jessie Bennett, who imported Brigadier and used him
to benefit, was the American owner of Coolyn Hill Kennels.
In 1937 the Bull Terrier Club of America offered the Lovell Trophy for
runner up to the Silverwood Trophy Winner. Lavender Lovell was a much
beloved member of the Bull Terrier Club of America and a breeder-exhibitor
of several fine champions.
The Bull Terrier Club of America also makes an award for Best of Opposite
Variety to the Silverwood Trophy Winner as well as awards for first and
reserve in the four classes.
The rules of the competition are proposed by a silverwood Rules Committee
appointed by the BTCA and later adopted by the BTCA. Over six years of
the competition's existence they have evolved and changed. However, the
basic structure still includes 1) qualification by regional competition,
being a champion of record, or by special invitation and 2) final selection
of judges by ballot of the final competiotn exhibitors. The final trophy
competition and underlying classes are judged by two judges and by referee
if required. The total number of judges and referees at particular competition
has varied through the years. The "American bred" qualification
is met if the exhibit was bred in the United States or Canada regardless
of domicile of the breeding of the sire and dam.
Locations
and Winners 1970-1975
It
was the intent of the Bull Terrier Club of America that the Silverwood
Trophy competition be truly national, and indeed, continental, in scope.
This intent faces the realization that it is 3,000 miles from Los Angeles
to New York and 2,000 miles from Dallas to Quebec. Perhaps the Acid proof
that the Silverwood Trophy Competition has thrived to its present prestige
is that despite these distances, the dogs and exhibitors do come and truly
the best bull terriers are represented.
(Taken
from Colket Memorial Book of Bull Terriers 1976 by The Bull Terrier Club
of Philadelphia)
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