Old Jock
Encyclopedia
Old Jock was a famous Fox Terrier
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A mostly white dog, he ran briefly with a hunting kennel before becoming a show dog
, most notably with a victory at the show which popularised the Fox Terrier. His main show rivalry was with a dog named Tartar, and along with a dog named Trap, the three were popular sires of the Fox Terrier breed. He was also involved in the early formation of the Jack Russell Terrier
and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier
breeds.
studbook, Old Jock was bred at some point during 1859 either by Captain Percy Williams in his Rufford Kennels, or by Jack Morgan who at the time was a huntsman with the Grove Kennels. He was bred from Jock and Grove Pepper, both huntman's terriers. Jock was owned by Captain Williams, while Grove Pepper was owned by Morgan. It was claimed in W.D. Drury's 1903 work British Dogs, Their Points, Selection, And Show Preparation that Old Jock was in fact bred from Quorn Kennels and that the listing in the Kennel Club studbook was incorrect.
He was a mostly white terrier, weighing between 16–18 lb (7.3–8.2 kg) during his lifetime. He had a tan mark on one ear, and a black patch near his stern and at the base of his tail. With strong legs and a well sprung chest, although it was noted that he had the appearance of having a missing rib when in thin condition. His ears were well placed with strong jaws and was described by dog author Rawdon Lee as being a "symmetrical terrier". Compared to his rival Tartar, he was considered to be far less of the Bull and terrier
type.
Old Jock ran two hunting seasons with the Grove Hunting Kennels and his tail was docked, although at a longer length than was considered normal at the time.
than his competitor. Jock was said to have never killed a rat
; his ability to hunt
Fox
es was also thought to be a myth.
In 1862 at the National Exhibition in Birmingham
, a dog show was held with a class for the new breed listed as "White and Other Smooth-haired English Terriers, except Black and Tan". Several Fox Terriers were shown, with a total of twenty four entries in the class. Old Jock placed first, with Old Trap owned by Mr. Bayly coming second and Mr. Stevenson's Jack placing third. This was the first time that the Fox Terrier attracted public attention.
At the Crystal Palace
dog show in 1870, in what was considered to be the dog champion class of that time with the qualification requirement of a first place win at another show, Old Jock placed second. The winner was a black and tan terrier named Trimmer, with a line-up of notable dogs in the history of the Fox Terrier including Mr. Murchison's Old Trap; Mr. W.J. Harrison's Jocko; Mr. F Sale's Tyrant, Hornet and Tartar; the Marquis of Huntly
's Bounce; Mr. Bewley and Mr. Carson's Quiz; and Mr. W. Gammon's Chance. This was the final time Old Jock was exhibited in the show ring.
In total, Jock won 33 first prizes (of which 8 were champion classes) and 4 second prizes, starting at the 1862 Birmingham show until the 1870 Crystal Palace show.
Three male dogs are considered to be the founding sires of the modern lines of Fox Terriers: Old Jock, Old Trap and Tartar. Of those three, Jock was considered to be more of a terrier
than the other two. Reverend John Russell
, who kept his strain of terrier
s quite pure, once admitted that he had used Old Jock to breed certain qualities into his dogs. Jock was also used to breed certain elements into the Dandie Dinmont Terrier
. The very first Fox Terriers in Australia
were bred from Old Jock, Grove Nettle and their contemporaries.
Fox Terrier
Fox Terrier refers primarily to two different breeds of the terrier dog type: the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier. Both of these breeds originated in the 19th century from a handful of dogs who are descended from earlier varieties of British terriers, and are related to other modern...
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A mostly white dog, he ran briefly with a hunting kennel before becoming 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...
, most notably with a victory at the show which popularised the Fox Terrier. His main show rivalry was with a dog named Tartar, and along with a dog named Trap, the three were popular sires of the Fox Terrier breed. He was also involved in the early formation of the Jack Russell Terrier
Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. It is principally white-bodied smooth, rough or broken-coated which is commonly confused with the Parson Russell terrier and the Russell terrier with the term "Jack Russell" commonly misapplied to other small white...
and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
A Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a small Scottish breed of dog in the terrier family. The breed has a very long body, short legs, and a distinctive "top-knot" of hair on the head. A character in Sir Walter Scott's novel Guy Mannering has lent the name to the breed, with "Dandie Dinmont" thought to be...
breeds.
Early life
According to the Kennel ClubKennel club
A kennel club is an organization for canine affairs that concerns itself with the breeding, showing and promotion of more than one breed of dog...
studbook, Old Jock was bred at some point during 1859 either by Captain Percy Williams in his Rufford Kennels, or by Jack Morgan who at the time was a huntsman with the Grove Kennels. He was bred from Jock and Grove Pepper, both huntman's terriers. Jock was owned by Captain Williams, while Grove Pepper was owned by Morgan. It was claimed in W.D. Drury's 1903 work British Dogs, Their Points, Selection, And Show Preparation that Old Jock was in fact bred from Quorn Kennels and that the listing in the Kennel Club studbook was incorrect.
He was a mostly white terrier, weighing between 16–18 lb (7.3–8.2 kg) during his lifetime. He had a tan mark on one ear, and a black patch near his stern and at the base of his tail. With strong legs and a well sprung chest, although it was noted that he had the appearance of having a missing rib when in thin condition. His ears were well placed with strong jaws and was described by dog author Rawdon Lee as being a "symmetrical terrier". Compared to his rival Tartar, he was considered to be far less of the Bull and terrier
Bull and Terrier
-History:The Bull and Terrier is a cross between the Old English Bulldog and a variety of Terriers. The anatomy of the Bull and Terrier is the result of selective breeding for the purpose of hunting, dog fighting and baiting.-Hunting:...
type.
Old Jock ran two hunting seasons with the Grove Hunting Kennels and his tail was docked, although at a longer length than was considered normal at the time.
Show career
Jock's main rival in the show ring was a dog named Tartar, who was said to be more fond of rattingRat-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:...
than his competitor. Jock was said to have never killed a rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
; his ability to hunt
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
Fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es was also thought to be a myth.
In 1862 at the National Exhibition in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, a dog show was held with a class for the new breed listed as "White and Other Smooth-haired English Terriers, except Black and Tan". Several Fox Terriers were shown, with a total of twenty four entries in the class. Old Jock placed first, with Old Trap owned by Mr. Bayly coming second and Mr. Stevenson's Jack placing third. This was the first time that the Fox Terrier attracted public attention.
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 show in 1870, in what was considered to be the dog champion class of that time with the qualification requirement of a first place win at another show, Old Jock placed second. The winner was a black and tan terrier named Trimmer, with a line-up of notable dogs in the history of the Fox Terrier including Mr. Murchison's Old Trap; Mr. W.J. Harrison's Jocko; Mr. F Sale's Tyrant, Hornet and Tartar; the Marquis of Huntly
Charles Gordon, 11th Marquess of Huntly
Charles Gordon, 11th Marquess of Huntly PC, DL, JP , styled Lord Strathavon until 1853 and Earl of Aboyne between 1853 and 1863, was a Scottish Liberal politician...
's Bounce; Mr. Bewley and Mr. Carson's Quiz; and Mr. W. Gammon's Chance. This was the final time Old Jock was exhibited in the show ring.
In total, Jock won 33 first prizes (of which 8 were champion classes) and 4 second prizes, starting at the 1862 Birmingham show until the 1870 Crystal Palace show.
Death and legacy
Although Old Jock has already changed hands on several occasions, prior to the Crystal Palace Show of 1870 he was sold from Mr. W. Cropper to Mr. J.H. Murchinson for the sum of around £60, which was supposedly the dog's weight in silver. It was in Murchinson's possession that Jock died in 1871.Three male dogs are considered to be the founding sires of the modern lines of Fox Terriers: Old Jock, Old Trap and Tartar. Of those three, Jock was considered to be more of a terrier
Terrier
A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just a couple of pounds to over 70 pounds and are usually categorized by size or function...
than the other two. Reverend John Russell
Jack Russell (dog breeder)
John "Jack" Russell , known as "The Sporting Parson", was an enthusiastic hunter and dog breeder as well as an ordained cleric....
, who kept his strain of terrier
Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. It is principally white-bodied smooth, rough or broken-coated which is commonly confused with the Parson Russell terrier and the Russell terrier with the term "Jack Russell" commonly misapplied to other small white...
s quite pure, once admitted that he had used Old Jock to breed certain qualities into his dogs. Jock was also used to breed certain elements into the Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
A Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a small Scottish breed of dog in the terrier family. The breed has a very long body, short legs, and a distinctive "top-knot" of hair on the head. A character in Sir Walter Scott's novel Guy Mannering has lent the name to the breed, with "Dandie Dinmont" thought to be...
. The very first Fox Terriers in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
were bred from Old Jock, Grove Nettle and their contemporaries.