The Lakeland Terrier Ch Stingray of Derryabar 
40 years ago                                                                   by Ron Punter
the first dog to win BIS at both Crufts and Westminster         

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1967 was the penultimate year in which Crufts had two judges for the Groups and Best in Show. Lola M Daly and Maxwell Riddle for the Terrier Group – Viscount Chelmsford and Frank Warner Hill for BIS. Lancastrian Bill Strickland (Castleguard) judged the breed.

Before Crufts it was already arranged for Stingray to go to Mr & Mrs James A Farrell Jn in Connecticut, Albert reportedly said for “several thousand dollars” “the cost of the dog isn’t particularly fantastic considering it has won Crufts. After the show a Japanese offered a lot more for him, but it was too late, of course.”

The following year Peter Green handled Stingray to win BIS at the AKC Premier show - Westminster.




Albert Langley struggling.

Stingray looks to be backing off in fear of the lady dropping the Crufts BIS cup on him.

 

Breeder

Wilf Postlethwaite with Derryabah Skylark
at Stroud Show Aug 1949

 After winning best Lakeland and Reserve Best in Show.

Wilf once told me he was sorry that he had given Stingray to a professional handler and that he still had the ambition to breed another Crufts BIS winner but handled by himself. Wilf and Betty Postlethwaite were lifelong enthusiast of the breed but only ever had a small domestic kennel; in 1967 they had just three dogs including Stingray. Despite the Cumbrian surname they lived most of their life in Gloucestershire, as did Albert Langley though he was Welsh.



Handler

Albert Langley, in his younger days
with unidentified Lakeland.
 

Albert was a great supporter of the Lakeland Terrier Club. He had spent many years working as a kennel manger/handler in Italy but when retired from handling and living back in Gloucestershire he would often steward at the Lakeland Terrier Club shows; At that time he was much in demand as a judge but told me  “Judging is worse paid than Handling” – perhaps not entirely meant as a joke.

 



 Stub book entry of show wins in 1965
In 1965 Albert LAngley had handled Mrs M Neal's Ch Stargazer of Dartvale to become Britain's top terrier
(see Lakeland Terrier Club cup history book for more details.)
Stargazer went to the US and Stingray won the group at Crufts in 1966. 




Stud book entry of show wins in 1966
Shown 15 times -14 CC's 13 BOB and a RCC.
The judge who awarded the reserve was the then secretary of the Lakeland Terrrier Club Miss M E Jones (St Bega)



A Lakeland Terrier by a Crufts BIS winner and out of one.
She didn’t do as well in the show rings as her half siblings by Stingrays sire -Ch Hensington Carefree.
© 2007 Ron Punter

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