Mrs. Foster’s Bradford Excel From The Illustrated London News, February 20, 1892. Collection of Jean Jones
Wee Dollar Princess, 1922 Collection of Joan Gordon and Janet Bennett
A new force was appearing on the horizon, and ratting contests added shows for dogs most closely resem- bling a chosen model. The little dogs of Scotland and Yorkshire were known as Scotch Terriers, weigh- ing from under 5 pounds to over 12 pounds. By 1870, these little ratting Terriers had been so well-developed by the people of the shire of York that they were given the name of Yorkshire Terrier. The Kennel Club of England was formed in 1873 by a group of gentle- men to provide the availability of re- corded pedigrees and a code of rules for the guidance of dog shows as well as for the manner in which field trials should be conducted. The dogs were divided into two Groups: Non-Sport- ing and Sporting. Under Non-Sport- ing, the Yorkshire Terrier joined the selected 40 breeds as Broken-Haired Scotch and Yorkshire Terriers. Huddersfield Ben is considered to be the father of the breed. Born in 1865, the inbred offspring of a mother/son breeding, he possessed the rare traits to pass on his virtues to his prog- eny. He was a great sire, one of those animals who made the history of the breed and whose influence is appar - ent even generations after the pro- genitor has passed away. The Yorkshire Terrier was woven from these silky-coated, metallic
blue and gold Terriers. Their glorious, silken tresses, their hardy bodies, and their intelligent, charming Terrier ways have brought them the manifest approval of mankind. The first Yorkshire Terrier known to have been born in the US was John Marriot’s Jack, who was born in New York City in 1872. The breed has been recognized since the first dog shows, and by 1884, the year of the founding of the AKC, 33 breeders existed in nine states. Ch. Braford Harry, a great grandson of Huddersfield Ben, owned and im - ported by Mr. P. H. Coombs of Ban- gor, Maine, became the first Cham - pion of Record in l890. In l893, Dr. N. Ellis Oliver of Chicago won a champi- onship with Ch. Minnie York, making her the first female champion. The first American-bred champion was not recorded until 1908 when Mrs. Fred Senn of New York City won a title with Ch. Queen of the Fairies. The first licensed Specialty for York - shire Terriers was on February 12, 1918. It was held by the Yorkshire Terrier Association of America, one of the three breed clubs that were formed prior to the conception of our present breed club. As you love, show or breed your York- shire Terrier, remember that to go forward, you walk hand-in-hand with their past heritage.
From a Color Lithograph of 45 “Leading Breeds of Dogs” by O. Poehlmann, copyright 1899 by F.E. Wright, New York. Collection of Jean Jones
Blue Dandy and Master Quality, bred by Henry Shannon. Collection of Joan Gordon and Janet Bennett
T op N otch T oys , J une 2022 • 55
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