Best In Show, Best In Specialty Show And Group Winners
Dogs from Casey Kerry Blue Terriers are competitive in the show ring and that is where our focus lies. Because of this emphasis on exhibition, we have bred very few litters, but maintain an excellent win percentage at the Group and Best In Show level. Since our first litter in 1971 dogs from this line, bred by us or others, have won groups, multiple specialty shows, all breed bests in show and been ranked in the top ten breed/all breed. The dogs below are a few of those winners.
The two dogs below are Best In Show littermates from our first litter. On the left, CH Casey's Blue Tiger (Blue) and his sister, CH Casey's Irish Mischief (Erin). Blue was handled to his Best In Show by Raymond Bay, now a retired AKC judge. This was Mr. Bay's first all breed Best In Show. Erin was handled to her Best in Show by Sally Terroux, noted dog trainer and all breed handler.
An elegant bitch, CH Casey's Merry Kerry O'Meghan (Merry Kerry), was owner handled to her Best In Show by Charles Croley, the man behind Casey Kerry Blue Terriers until his death in 2000. This Ch. Ballycastle's Hi Shennanigans daughter, was bred to Ch. Torum's Corky Capers and produced Ch. Casey's Merry Night Caper, herself a multiple group winner.
Am/Can CH Casey's Chasten The Blues, ROM (Sunshine) was born to show. She won a group at 14 months of age for her first major. Multiple Best In Show/Best in Specialty Show winner this bitch is pictured here winning the 1994 USKBTC National Specialty at the Montgomery County Kennel Club show. #1 Kerry breed/all-breed 1994 she was also the Pedigree Award winner the same year. Sunshine was handled by noted terrier man, Denis Springer.
Am/Can CH Tontine's Desmond Dwyer, ROM (Desmond) was a Best in Specialty Show winner, mltiple group placing, and a top ten Kerry Blue handled by a young handler, Kari Anderson, who had worked with Denis Springer. Desmond wasn't shown until he was three years old. Interestingly, he was not a Tontine dog at all. He was bred by Lou Perry (Tontine) and Lois Croley (Casey) and whelped in California at Tontine. His dam was a Casey bitch, Casey's Caper of Tontine, and his sire was the great Canadian Kerry Blue Terrier, Am/Can CH Ballymoon Flynn Tango. The single breeding of these two dogs also produced the #1 dog all breeds in Canada in 1995.
Am/Can CH BlueMtn's Footloose and Fancy Free (Connor) is a multiple Best in Show/Best in Specialty Show winner shown here winning the NorCal Kerry Blue Terrier Specialty show. Connor was ranked in the top 10 for the years he was show and was the foundation sire for Blue Mountain Kerry Blue Terriers. Connor was a dog at the top of the standard for height and had powerful, clean movement and beautiful color. This dog was sired by CH. Casey's Burst of Sunshine and handled throughout his specials career by Eddie Boyes. Connor was also a sevice dog to his breeder/owner, Lynn Mathers (Blue Mountain).
CH Casey's Blue Mountain Promise (Eva) is a multiple group winner and was ranked in the top ten Breed/All-Breed during the years she was shown. Eva won an Award of Merit at the 2008 Montgomery Country weekend. Eva was handled exclusively by Odebt Massey. This bitch had a dynamic ring presence and powerful, driving movement rarely seen today.
The late Ric Chashoudia, noted terrier man and dog show judge, described Eva in his column, One Man's Opinion, Canine Chronicle, Sept. 2009 (pg 174): "There was a beautiful Kerry Blue Terrier that had perfect coat and color, soft and wavy and a color a steel blue. This one could go anywhere and have to be accounted for." Mr. Chashoudian showed Ch. Melbee's Chances Are, the dog from which our line descends.
GCH Tontine's Chance Redemption (Danny), was bred by Lou Perry (Tontine) and Heather Hunter (Teagan) in May 2008. Danny is a multiple Best In Show winner and an Award of Merit/Select Dog winner at several Kerry specialties including the National at Montgomery County. He has been a top 10 Kerry, breed/all-breed and finshed his last show year in the top ten, breed and all breed. Shown for his pleaure as an eight year old veteran, he won multiple group placements and finished 2016 in the top 15 all breed. The beauty of this dog remains his correct conformation, size and color. He has movement described in the standard and is in supurb condition.
On the left, CH Casey's Rae of Sunshine, UDX, RE, MX, MXJ (Katie Rae) and owner/trainer Lisa are shown going High In Trial at the USKBTC Rally and Obedience Trials in Kimberton, PA, October, 2008. Katie was the daughter of BIS/BISS CH Casey's Chasten the Blues (Sunshine) and the first Champion UDX titled dog in the breed. On the right, Casey's Lavish Mischief, UDX (Lav), wore the lavender collar in his litter of nine. The son of Ch. Casey's Merry Night Caper and CH Tontine's Quiet Riot, was our breed's second UDX. A run in with his housemate, Katie Rae, left a large chunk missing from his left ear. A mark of distinction he carried with him to his death at age 17.
We believe Lisa, Katie Rae and Lav have made a large contribution to the breed by participating and achieving a high level of success in these preformance disciplines. Many people erroneously think terriers cannot be trained in these areas and their aggressive nature makes them unsuitable for a working partner. Admittedly, it takes more patience and creativity to train a Kerry Blue, but they love a job to do and many enjoy the teamwork between dog and handler. We at Casey Kerry Blue Terriers are proud to have bred two of our breed's performance stars.
