© Coloured Bull Terrier Club

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Although national in scope and objectives, the organization and operation of the Club continued to reflect its Lancastrian origins. After many years of prosperity, support steadily declined such that by 1958 the Club’s affairs were in the hands of just four people. Attendance at Club functions had dwindled to such an extent that the Committee agreed to approach members in the south with a view to holding meetings in the Home Counties. Having consulted with Stan Edwards as founder, the following year the AGM was held in London. With this move, much broader participation of the membership was assured and the Club began to regain strength.In 1965, breaking with tradition, the Club took the initiative to organize its own show – just for Coloureds.

The first event held at the Finchley Drill Hall in London, was judged by Mrs. Quita Youatt. For 1966 the show was moved to Leicester with Tom Horner officiating. After some early financial difficulties, the Coloured Club Show established itself as a highly popular event on the calendar. Further recognition came in 1971, when the Bull Terrier Club elected to hold the competitions for the Sandawana Trophy (for best Coloured Bull Terrier of the year) at the Coloured Club Shows. Subsequently the Bull Terrier Club took back the Sandawana Trophy; it was replaced at the Coloured Club Shows, now held twice a year, with the Romany Trophy and the Kearby and Geham Trophies.

More than 70 years on, the Club continues to flourish and to promote the interests of the coloured variety. Remarkably, when showing resumed after WWII, the top male was without question the black brindle Ch Romany Reliance. Even more remarkably he sported a head not just the equal of but better than his white competitors. A great grandson of Rhinestone and Jane of Petworth, Reliance passed his head qualities onto his get in generous measure. The coloured variety thrived and several outstanding color-bred whites appeared. Members of the BTC were bound by covenant to not employ coloured or cbw dogs to produce white Bull Terriers. Their frustration resulted in this restriction being lifted in 1950 – full equality for the coloureds at last!

After the war, Miss Johnstone was joined at Romany by Miss Margaret (Meg) Williams. Together the partners produced many wonderful Bull Terriers before retiring in 1979, with their coloured Romanys gaining fame worldwide. Among them were Ch Romany Robin Goodfellow, born in 1957, the first Bull Terrier to win BIS at an all-breed championship show – and the prodigious stud Ch Romany River Pirate, born in 1966.Far too many other breeders have contributed to the success of the coloureds and of the Club to mention in this overview of their history. But any narrative, however brief, must include Mrs. Quita Youatt (Kearby) and Mrs. Maureen Bell (Geham), both stalwarts of the variety and the Club. During a vocation that spanned over 50 years Mrs. Youatt is the only major breeder never to have produced a white to white litter. Vive la couleur!

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There were attempts in England to form a club in support of the Coloureds as early as 1920. But it was not until 1936 that The Coloured Bull Terrier Club was founded in Lancashire by S.E. Edwards, who later observed: “Regarding the Policy of the Club”, at the inauguration it was stressed most emphatically that, “whereas it would be a most important part of the policy of the Club to support the exhibition of Coloured Bull Terriers, it would never organize shows in competition with other Bull Terrier Clubs in staging such exhibitions”.

The Club would do all in its powers to make a success of contemporary club’s shows by giving special prizes and guarantees, and even donations where necessary, to facilitate the holding of such shows. The reason for the adoption of this policy was that . . . other Bull Terrier Clubs would have their own members, and it was apparent to all that a club for Coloureds would be of greater service to the variety if assistance was given to fellow clubs rather than to enter into competition with them. By the late forties, the Club boasted a membership of just over 500. The Objects of the Club were:

1. To further the interest of the Coloured Bull terrier, and endeavour to increase the popularity of this variety.
2. To define precisely and publish a description of the true type of the breed.
3. To urge the adoption of that type upon Breeders, Exhibitors, Judges, Dog Show Committees and others as the only recognized standard by which Bull terriers shall be judged, and which may be accepted as the sole standard of excellence in breeding and in awarding prizes of merit.
4. To give specials and guarantee classes and to support exhibitions of Bull terriers.
5. To protect and advance in every legitimate way the interests of the breed and members of the Club.

Later the Objects were shortened to reflect the Club’s success in fostering the variety:

1. To promote the welfare, breeding, exhibition interest in the Coloured Bull Terrier.

2. To urge owners, breeders and judges to keep with the Standard as agreed with the Kennel Club.