1875 (continued): Show at Alexandra Palace. 1876: Shows at Wolverhampton, Dublin, Maidstone, Belfast, and Crystal Palace

The First Great Exhibition of Sporting Dogs held at the Alexandra Palace, London, was on December 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th, 1875, with an entry amounting to 1,039.

The judges appointed were the following: Pointers, Sir T. B. Lennard, Bart., Messrs. R. Lloyd Price and Whitehouse. Setters, Rev. T. Pearce and Mr. F. R. Bevan; Greyhounds, Mr. W. Cropper; Spaniels and other Hounds, Rev. T. Pearce and Mr. W. Lort; Retrievers, Messrs. Lort and R. B. Moore; Fox-terriers and Wire-haired Terriers, Messrs. T. Bassett and Cropper; Blood-hounds, St. Bernards, Mastiffs, Newfoundlands, Deer-hounds, and Extra Classes, Rev. G. F. Hodson and Mr. S. Handley; Bull-dogs, Messrs. Lloyd Price, J. W. Berrie, and C. Collins; Dachshunds, Rev. G. F. Lovell; Puppies, Messrs. Lort and Handley; Other Classes, Messrs. C. Collins and S. Handley, Blood-hounds and Newfoundlands both filled badly. Mastiffs were a grand lot, well supported by such exhibitors as Miss Aglionby, Messrs. E. Hanbury, E. Nichols, Rev. W. J. Mellor, Messrs. C. T. Harris (whose Shah was just coming into notice) and J. Hartley.

St. Bernards, too, came up well, and found Mr. F. Gresham taking seven or eight prizes in the Rough, Smooth, and Puppy Classes, with Miss Aglionby and Messrs. Joyce, Field, Seton, and Adams all "in the money." Deer-hounds and Greyhounds, the latter with Mr. Sharpies in front rank, were not large entries. Foreign Dogs found T.R.H. the then Prince and Princess of Wales taking several prizes with canine curiosities. Pointers were well represented by Messrs. Salter, Arkwright, J. Fletcher, Hemming, Walker, Oliver, and E. Bishop. English and Gordon Setters were supported by H.R.H. the then Prince of Wales and Messrs. Hemming, Bowers, Bird, G. de L. Macdona, Coath, and Parsons; Irish Setters were fewer, the chief winners being Messrs. Sandell, Macdona, McHaffie, Nuttall, and Skidmore. Retrievers were large and good classes, those in the prize list mainly owned by Messrs. J. W. Morris, S. E. Shirley, M.P., Andrews, Harrison, Large, Roberts, and Rev. W. J. Mellor. Spaniels were well represented from the kennels of Messrs. Willett, Montresor, Arbuthnot, P. Bullock, Handy, Bowers, J. Fletcher, Langdale, and Brandreth. Fox-terriers were good classes, warmly supported by Messrs. Fletcher, Shepherd, Allison, J. Terry, Gibson, Luke Turner, Southwell, Redmond, and R. B. Lee.

Sheep-dogs filled fairly well, most of the prizes going to Mr. S. E. Shirley, M.P. (who showed a grand lot), H.R.H. the then Prince of Wales, and Messrs. H. Lacy and Bagshaw (both well-known breeders at that time). Bull-dogs had a good following, Captain D. Shaw (with Warrior), Messrs. H. Layton's Master Gully, Joyce's Prince Charlie and Bacchus, Rogers's Nell Gwynne, Mayhew's King, Vero Shaw's Sting, and Alexander's Blondin being all in the prize list. Bull-terriers were not large classes, but had such dogs as Boyce's Tarquin and Rose, Pffiel's Puss, and Gurney's Dick II. amongst them. Black-and-tan Terriers found nearly all the prizes going to Mr. H. Lacy, and in Smooth-haired Terriers to Messrs. Matthew and Roocroft. Skyes were chiefly filled by H.R.H. the then Princess of Wales and Messrs. Pratt and Pike. Messrs. Locke and J. C. Carrick had it all their own way in Dandies. In Yorkshires Mrs. Foster cleared the decks; Mr. Pickett did the same in Bedlingtons. Pugs were well supported by Mrs. Bligh Monck (who took several prizes) and Messrs. Howlett, Boycott, Garratt, McDonald, Hustwayte, and Faire. Mr. Mandeville and Mrs. B. Monck were chief winners in Maltese Terriers, and the latter in Rough Toys also. The names of Messrs. Berrie, Garwood, and Dawson occur amongst the Toy Spaniel winners. Dachshunds and Pomeranians were few in number. I think here, for the first time, a class was provided for Other than White, in which Mr. Lender took all the prizes. Puppy Classes, Sporting and Non-Sporting, filled well. No others call for particular notice.

The next show of importance I am able to give details of was held in the Agricultural Hall, Wolverhampton, on January 28th, 29th, and 31st, 1876, with an entry amounting to 410, and under the secretaryship of Mr. A. Giles.

The judges were Messrs. W. Lort, S. Handley, and H. Gibson.

Pointers were very typical, the winners being supplied by Messrs. Whitehouse, Lloyd Price, J. Bishop, Naylor, and Mosefield. Setters were good, owing to the entries of Messrs. G. Jones, Purcell Llewellin, J. Bishop, and Brandreth. Retrievers were supported by the well-known kennels of Messrs. How, J. W. Morris, Ellis, Harrison, Britton, and Rudge. Mr. Ray took all the prizes in Deer-hounds. Messrs. Fletcher, Boulton, and Handy almost swept the board in Spaniels. Fox-terriers were large classes, the chief winners being Messrs. Shepherd, Alston, Southwell, Peel, Whittle, A. Ashton, Badderley, Terry, Secretan, and Mrs. Gillet.

Messrs. Boyce, Godfree, Miller, and Worley had most of the prizes in Bull-terriers. Bull-dogs had only one class; the same with Black-and-tan and Smooth Terriers. Dandies were a small lot, with Henderson's (afterwards my) old Rob Roy, I think, for first time winner at a large show. Mastiffs and St. Bernards had one class each. In Sheep-dogs Messrs. Jubb, Walker, and Mapplebeck (the latter showing his well-known Smooth, Fan) were chief winners. All the others filled badly.

The Annual Exhibition of Dogs in the Exhibition Palace, Dublin, was held on February 24th, 25th, and 26th, 1876, with the respectable entry of 600, under the management of Mr. John Douglas, and Messrs. Staunton and Wallace as hon. secretaries.

The judges who acted on the occasion were Messrs. W. Lort, E. Sandell, and W. G. Merry.

Mastiffs, Newfoundlands, and Deer-hounds came up very short in numbers. St. Bernards found Mr. F. Gresham fairly smothering the Rough, Smooth, and Puppy Classes. Greyhounds were represented by the entries of Messrs. J. R. Whittle, Tom, and Alexander, who divided all the prizes between them. Setters were .the largest classes in the show, especially Irish, with Messrs. Hilliard, Moore, Jephson, Poole, Fletcher, and Ruttledge the chief winners. In Other Varieties winners were supplied by Messrs. Grey, W. J. Smith, Fletcher, Coate, and Miss Alderson. Retrievers, Sheepdogs, Bull-dogs, English and Bedlington Terriers had only one class each. Spaniels had all the prizes taken by Messrs. J. Fletcher, Montresor, Langdale, and Torren. Pointers were representative, most of the money going to Messrs. Whitehouse, Bell, Talbot, Ineson, and the Hon. C. Clifton. The winners in a decent lot of Fox-terriers comprised Messrs. Fletcher, J. J. Pirn, Poer, Waring, Erskine, and Rumley. Irish Terriers, over and under 16 lb., divided the prizes amongst Messrs. J. Doyle, Levinge, Mail, and Millner. There was nothing noticeable amongst the rest, mostly small classes.