Huddersfield Ben
Encyclopedia
Huddersfield Ben an early Yorkshire Terrier
, is universally acknowledged to be the foundation sire of the breed. In his day Ben won many prizes, both as a show dog
and in ratting
contests. He was even said to have been hunted. He had tremendous influence in setting the breed type for the Yorkshire Terrier, a new breed still under development in Ben's day.
At the age of 6, Ben was run over by a carriage and killed. After Ben's death, his body was preserved and kept under glass, which allowed many to see this famous dog long after his death.
, in West Yorkshire
England, owned Huddersfield Ben. The dog was bred by Mr. W. Eastwood in the town of Huddersfield
, England. According to Ben's pedigree, he was linebred (the product of a mother-son pairing), as was his mother Lady. Lady was the great-great-granddaughter of Mr. J. Swift's Old Crab, a long coated black and tan terrier born around 1850. Old Crab and Old Kitty, a Paisley Terrier
owned by J. Kershaw of Halifax, West Yorkshire
England, are the earliest recorded predecessors to the Yorkshire Terrier.
. He competed in Manchester in 1869 and placed second. He was shown again at Manchester in 1870 and won first place. At the Crystal Palace
dog shows in 1870 and 1871 Ben took first and second prizes (respectively). Throughout his show career Ben won 74 prizes.
Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog breed of terrier type, developed in the 19th century in the county of Yorkshire, England to catch rats in clothing mills. The defining features of the breed are its size, to , and its silky blue and tan coat...
, is universally acknowledged to be the foundation sire of the breed. In his day Ben won many prizes, both as a show dog
Show dog
A show dog might refer to any dog entered into a dog show. More specifically, a show dog is a dog which has been specially bred, trained, and/or groomed to conform to the specifications of dog shows, so as to have a chance of winning...
and in ratting
Rat-baiting
Rat-baiting is a blood sport involving the baiting of rats in a pit. Unlike most varieties of baiting, there were usually more rats than dogs involved in an exhibition.-History:...
contests. He was even said to have been hunted. He had tremendous influence in setting the breed type for the Yorkshire Terrier, a new breed still under development in Ben's day.
At the age of 6, Ben was run over by a carriage and killed. After Ben's death, his body was preserved and kept under glass, which allowed many to see this famous dog long after his death.
Pedigree
Mr. and Mrs. M.A. Foster of BradfordBradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
England, owned Huddersfield Ben. The dog was bred by Mr. W. Eastwood in the town of Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, England. According to Ben's pedigree, he was linebred (the product of a mother-son pairing), as was his mother Lady. Lady was the great-great-granddaughter of Mr. J. Swift's Old Crab, a long coated black and tan terrier born around 1850. Old Crab and Old Kitty, a Paisley Terrier
Paisley Terrier
The Paisley Terrier was a breed of terrier type dog from Great Britain. The breed is now extinct. The Paisley Terrier was bred primarily as a pet and showdog version of the Skye Terrier, and was the progenitor of today's Yorkshire Terrier...
owned by J. Kershaw of Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
England, are the earliest recorded predecessors to the Yorkshire Terrier.
Show career
Huddersfield Ben, registration number 3612, had an accomplished career in dog showsConformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
. He competed in Manchester in 1869 and placed second. He was shown again at Manchester in 1870 and won first place. At the Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
dog shows in 1870 and 1871 Ben took first and second prizes (respectively). Throughout his show career Ben won 74 prizes.